Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-04-11
A HEART TROUBLE.
That Was What Allied the Cook of
the Phoenix.

The boys at Camp Hilarity were
having what they called hi gh old
time They sat. or lay at full length,
on the rocky, barren ground around
roaring camp fire, for the air was
keen, although the month was June.
The day that had just closed had been
the regular IN onthly payday. The
mine in which they worked, the
Pienix, had yielded an enormous and
wholly unexpected amount of rich ore,
and the superintendent and part
owner, Jared Hale, had generously
given to each man employed at the
mine twenty-five dollars more than the
pay roll called for.
'1'l make it fifty. boys.'' he said,
If you'll make she old Phoenix turn
out rs much ore next month as she has
this"
"We'll do it, boss, if she has it in
herr replied Scotty Sharp, ''and be-
lieve she has, and more, .too.''
The P.!gnix mine was almost at the
summit Of a barren mountain in the
Rocky range Its discovery had been
the last half-hopeful, half-despairing
effort Of Jared Hale's ten years of al
most ceaseless and altogether I'M
availing prospecting in many
mountain gulch and on many
mountain slope and summit.
With tho frs discovery of mineral
in the PheliN he had sold half his
clam for a triling sum. that he might
go on developing the mine, the real
value of which he little suspected.
And now he knew that the P.nnix
was one of the richest in the range, so
rich that he did not care much if he
had sold half Of it for five hundred
dollars
Its got enough mineral in it for
half-a-dozen men, he said, land half
of Il good thing like this is enough for
fellow that hasn't known what it
was to have decent suit of clothes to
his lack. and hardly decent meals
victuals for ten years"
So he and his partner we're on the
best of terms. Hale stayed up on the
mountain and superintendent the work
ut the mine, while Tom Logan. his
partner. lived with his family at D.,
a small mountain town fifty miles dis
tant, 10 which the ore from the
PnG 'ix was sent to the reduction
works there located.
Camp H larity was fifteen miles
from the nearest store or post-o flee.
The camp itself consisted of one long.
low log cabin. a general boarding.
house, and three or four smaller log
ca bins. all occupied by the forty or
more men employed at the PHI eaix
mine.
Al! of the men took their meals in
the long low. log cabin. down the
cenyer Of which there ran rough
table of unplaned pine boards. with
its worn aud stained cover of white
oil-cloth.
The men were very hilarious that
June night. They laughed and joked
and told stories and sang songs.
Jared Hale himself was the merriest
man among them. He sang louder
and longer, and told the best stories
of them all; but in the midst of his
hilari:y ne stopped suddenly and said,
with shade Of annoyance in his
tone:
But it's too bad abort the cook
pulling out for Denver to-day and
leaving US in the lurch. OF course,
the fellow had to &c, his family being
sick, but it leaves us in bad fix all
the same. You boys want good food.
hard as you work. Any of you know
how to cDok?'
No one replied for moment then
from the gloom and the shadow of the
pines in the rear of the Longing men,
strange voice said quietly:
II do. boss; I'm purity considabel of
. cook, if lido say it myself