The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-04-24

Tuna valley. They had collected at
various points with the intention of
marching to the head office of the Com
bned Pipe Lines Company in a body that
represented the oil producers of the en-
tire Hartford region and demanding that
their oil tanks be relieved. Failing to
obtain this concession, the producers
meant to take possession of the lines and
run them for their self protection or de-
stroy them.
1t was beautiful May day, soft and
warm. and jim Crofiut felt indOlent as he
sat outside of the pump station listening
to the monOtonous strokes of the big en-
gine sending the petroleum with musi-
cal clink into the main line. He had
smoked his pipe so lazily that it had gone
out, but he still held the stem between
his teeth.
A cheerful laugh aroused him from his
reverie, and he swung forward, dropping
the chair on its four feet.
"Well, l declare, jim, you are the
sleepiest man on the Tuna. You never
can keep your pipe going"
''HOw dye do, Mrs. Stearns? VIII you
sitq''
"No, thank you: I'm on my way to
the store"
"Will you 'blige me by bringin' plug
of smokin' tobaccy? I'm about out of
that consolation"
Certainly, jim; but do think you
about the most easily consoled man l
ever saw. Good morning.
Good mornin'."
He watched her tripping lightly over
the ground for a few moments, and then,
resuming his seat, muttered, Perhaps
not so easily consoled as you think,
Widow Stearns, when none but you can
do it; and yet / can't tell you, for it
would seem like fOrgettin' Bill Stearns,
and me and him was pards too long for
that"
Knowing that he would soon have a
new supply of tobacco he knocked the
ashes out of his pipe and filled the bowl,
packing il well with the crumbs, which
he picked from his coat pocket with
thumb and forefnger, The coat was
still lying over his KEGS, but he seeming
| ly forgot to tumble in it for a match,
while he rested his elbows on it. Again
his preOccupation was broken bya voice,
| likewise familiar to him. This time the
shed was between him and the speaker,
who exclaimed whoa, boys! don kick,
or we'll all be in kingdom come i'll two
shakes of a cats tail.
jim jumped to his feet and ran around
the shed. Before him lay torpedo man,
thrown from his box by the breaking of
an axle and holding to the lines that
guided the team. The horses instinc-
lively stood still, and jim fastened to
unhitch them lest they should become
restless and kick the wagon, which the
torpedo man grimly told him was loaded.
When the horses were tied to tree mt
short distance from the wreck, Jim went
to the torpedo man and helped him to
his feet.
II got bad twist, Pumper Jim; but
I'm thankful that was all.
"Well you are under obligashuns to be
glad, for you come mighty near being
passenger on the sky high route. How
did you get tied up that way anyhow"
"Makin' a short cut. | was goin' gen
tie enough, but the wheel got twisted
somehow on the big pipe, and the axle
snapped. dropped on the pipe and
hurt somethin'."
'You torpedo men are all durn fools
ANYHOW, Jake Burdin, and it's wonder
there amt more of you knocked into the
tree tops"
BY that time Jake was as comfortable
as he could be made on the rude lounge
Jim constructed with plank and two
chairs.
'Tll look for somebody to send Rogers
word" said. jim, and he went out to the
main road, where he met a detachment
of producers on their way to Hartford.
1Say," he called, there's a man hurt
ldown to the pump station-Jake Burdin.
Will one of you men be kind enough to
tell Rogers?'
Very much like string of oaths con-
demning all sorts of monopolies was the
sentence hurled back at him by the man
nearest him.
'Monopolies amt got nothing to dc
with a man being human, have theyi
You tell Rogers to send a doctor out
here, and then you can call yourself
man"
Jim guessed the errand of the men, fol
he had heard the mutterings of the storm
, that was to break that day, but he made
no allusion to the discomfort which hat
: at last developed into violence.
"We're coming back to see you, mebbe
, and well fetch doctor with u.s."
| "You'n find me at home when yoI
come but if there's man in that GROVE
he'll 90 straight to Rogers's Office wher
he gets to Hartford, and let 'em know
there that one of their mems laid up herr
,, with bad hurt"
THAT being the case, we'll all call oI
Rogers right of, for we are all men ant
demand mans rights.
'Much obliged" Jim called and thel
hastened to Jake.
"Take it as easy as you can, Burdin
Rogers will send for you soon"
He was right, for in short time on'
of the Rogerss teams dashed up to thu
pump station and the driver leaped :,
the ground Jake was lifted into the bug!
and the driver took up the lines to go
when Jim asked what was going on II
Hartford.
"Nothin' but the producers. They'r,
going ON big, and there's likely to b'
somethin' smashed fore night"
Likely" Jim commented, and thei
nodded good bye to Jake.
An extra man who had come with th'
buggy mounted one of the horses Jak'
had driven, and, leading the other, wa
soon out of sight. The broken wagon
with its load of explosives lay on its side
Jim contemplated it few minutes an'
then remarked: ''if there's to be an,
smashin' goin' on, that stuff in ther
might be useful. I'll just oOnfiscate ii
as they use TO say in the army"
He lifted the lid off the box and locke,
at the cans. They were all small, eacl
containing quart of nitro-glycerine.
"Good,H he muttered. They'll max
good bombs. could throw one of then
about one hundred feet, l reckon, ON
pinch" -