The Red Cloud chief., 1888-12-07
DOWN IN A COAL NINE.
A Trip into the Darkness of the
Main Shaft.
Graphic Description Of q Journey Where
the sun Never neutrality-suspicious.
and Queer i:elirfs-WhtstlinE
brings Bad
did Miner Talks.

.'If thee be gooin' doom tn shaft.
lad" said the grimy old coal miner.
stepping into the ear that WAS waiting
for the signal "a lower him and his
J equally crimy comrades into the yawn-
ing t~horoughfarc Ia the mine. ''dOn't
thee be stan'in' THUR a thcnkin' on il.
an don't thee shy AN eye loon tn
shat; 10 see tn blackncss q il. nythcr.
or thee'Il never stir an inch toords tn
bottom at all. an its bit % Loord's
truth ] he tellin' thee. Steppit in Of
han like. Thur. Steady. Doom we
goo, No need to shut thy even Sc
tight, lad, for it's na'nk thecll see
now wi en- wide open. saw yon fadin'
patch o day We be ~lcavin'. an "A sil'er
.lollar'll ice bicgcr'n III likes % that
- afoor We dump thee in tn CRIME ut tn
bottom"
The old miner WAS right. The can
didatc for the experience 81 visiting for
the first time Il coal mine by way Of the
perpendicular shaft that leads 10 the
Cpnrncrian depths must not pause at
the edge of the chasin To consider the
matter. The rope that slowly unwinds
"a the surface a. the car and platform
ARE lowered through the darkncssrnay
part before the Journey il fairly begun.
and the bottom of the shaft is "A good
quarter of IA mile below; but if the
visitor stops Ia ponder over that possi-
bility. and fingers Ia calculate It's con-
, sequences. the chances are that he will
never see In. inside Of Il coal mine. II
h. really desires the experience he
must step in ..off-hand like" IL the old
miner said. and imagine he i, going 10
Il picnic
j. an exciting trip down a coal
mfhe shaft. One who is nervous in an
ordinary elevator. surrounded by up
hol~i.ry and light. guarded by safety
appliances. ANA with the monotony of
the trip relieved by frequent stops and
constant changes among the occupants.
would simply die on the Journey down
:, mine shaft. Visitors VINO have the
Unuragc ia make The trip are not many.
Hundreds 90 10 the r~oilicry firm in the
intention Ia descend the shaft. hut
ninc-tenths of them change their minds
when the clash and clangor and whirr
of the machinery. the stilinc dust and
the h%urrvinc. sooty worAmcu surround
and fit about them. Some visitors.
who have kept up their courage Ia the
sticking place until they have en-
...l I'll L.. :. urlA,, al, ,,,
into the depths begins and cover down
Ia the bottom of the car. m~oiionless
with fear. and not infrcqucntly lose
Consciousness.
AVE. lad. continued the garrulous
old miner. as We dropped into vacancy,
.-monnys III pore laddyhuck that I've
see whinin' an plcadin' for Ia he let
out. an monny'> tn one I've clinched
wi all me- might 10 save III joomp;n OF
i'm over. An don't mind well In
pore lad an lass. moany an monny a
year agonc. as would he goin' doom tn
old s;aifordshire mine in England. for
a lark. ihcy said. IN the Very day they
bed married. Loord save us. Could
- ever Atseti III l.Nt ~ tal..l- she
wurr "a wee. frail think. the las, wurr,
an thur coon a big fright Ia her
Almost til mennit We dropped doom
from atop. She went IA clean daft AS
tn darkness CROWD an exc III whites
her lad wur Il hooliin' an sooihin' of
her. she gi that cry which tn like o
il IL never leave me ears. an vi III
lean - a deer She cleared tn foob an
hurled herser doom. doom. through the
.olackness. We miners stood there
stroock all doomh. an urr hearts scor
L tn boorstin'. We could see tn white
face o tn pore lad. wi his eyes a
s,arin' wide. an his hans clootchin' al
ts throat. q. III sight o him. As il
yioom'd Out by tn dim glimmer o our
lamps: ! can see il now. But. hap
less. we read naught o what he wurr
minded to. pore lad. Sudden. wi a
CRY TO his lass that lay crOOsh'd and
mangrd doom in tn darkness: L be
O ain LASS says he. he leapit As she
hal gone. an the shaft wurr choked
wi horrors for We pore miners tn
monny "A long day:
The space is narrow in a mine shaft.
and the i~mpenetrable darkness makes
it appear the more contracted than it
really is. The miners lamps are
as fireay twinklings. Water filters
through the rocky walls and patters
Hupon you a. you pass down like un-
comfortable raindrops from dripping
caves. The oscillations OF the rope
that holds your life are painfully ap-