News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-01-16
GIANTS, IN THESE DAYS.


Some Powerful Men Who Pull
Trains and Bore Into Noun
tains.
1.-The most powerful man l ever saw
was Zulu, called 'Spotlet,' who
worken next to me when we were dig
cling the Panama Canal" remarked
Patrolman Conklin, of the Indianapo
lis Anannias club 'What in other
men was strenuous effort was to him
the meresJ child's play. He saved the
company great deal of money in
blasting powder alone. Anything he
could get firm grip on had to come.
l have seen him toss twenty-ton
rock out of the ditch as easily as
Patrolman Davis can jungle weiner-
wurst.'
when WIS in Paree," said Patrol
man Asch, Il saw a man used instead
of locomotive ON one of the rail-
roads. He would be coupled to train
and would pull it at good, fair speed.
OF course, he didn't make the time
that an engine would make, but if my
memory serves me right he made
about fifteen miles an hour. | had
d Gdlh WIFI GLc VI
the road, and he was much pleased
with the experiment. He said the
company would very likely use men to
haul its trains exclusively. 1t was
much cheaper, and the danger from
collisions was not great. This would
make up for the lack of spee1. The
expense of shoeing and feeding the
man was considerable, but still he was
cheap as compared with the average
locomotive.
"A funny thing happened on the
road a few days before | left. The
man-engine DIR nix too much wine, and
in staggering from one side of the
track to the other. kept derailing the
cars, and the entire traffic of the road
was delayed for several hours, or until
the engine got sober enough to go
abe d. The scheme like this would
be a good thing in this country, l
think"
Sin 1850 l was in San Francisco"
Clipped in Patrolman Jim Pope.
The gold fever was raging, and every
one had exalted ideas of the wealth
that was to be found in the earth. l
was much younger than | am now
though you would hardly think it to
look at me-and, like every one else, l
went to the mountains to dig gold. l
had peculiarly formed pickax, which
used with great success. In the
point of the pickax was placed dyn-
amite cartridge, and every time /
would sink the pick inches into the
rock. the cartridge would explode, thus
blasting out the stone and saving
great deal of extra work. | had been
oioIy fo, oh t,uo
top of a mountain and had made quite
hole The yield was pretty fair,
and | had about $4,000 in gold mug
down into my mine and was working
away like good fellow. Suddenly
the stone floor slowly raised for dis
lance of feet. l yelled to my part.
ner to haul me up, for | didn't know
what was coming. Don't be alarmed,
friend, said a voice under the stone
'I'll be out in minute, and then I'll
talk to you sure enough head pop
ped through the aperture.
Did you say howdy?" said the
stranger with a laugh. i know I said
howdy. Pretty tight squeeze, but
made it Of course you understand,
friends, was considerably ratified.
"'Who are you and where did you
come from?" l asked.
"'Before furnishing the required
diagram and accompanying explana-
ton let me inquire if you have any
chewing tobacco about you?' said the
stranger l handed over a slab OF
black strap plug, and after helping
himself literally, the stranger handed
the plug back, remarking: That's
ctr 20 hn T
not ashamed to tell you. My name is
Sardanapalus Boiling, Esq. My home
is in Boston. You needn't tell me
your name, for know you. You are
Jim Pope, of Indianapolis. l suppose
you want to know how / came here.
Well, | have no objection to telling
you. About three months ago l start
ed tunnel at the side of this noun
tain, thinking that l would find plenty
of ore. / met with poor success, and.
after l had gone in half mile. l had
about made up my mind to abandon my
claim, when something seemed to tell
me to bore up instead of down. L
| thought it wouldn't do any harm to
try it just for luck, and so ] COM
menced. had taken out a good deal
of ore when l heard you pounding up
above me, and concluded to come on
and join you, and here l am
q" But where are your tools?' ask
ed in establishment. 'Tools? exclaim-
ed Mr.. Boiling, of Boston. Il had no
tools. l did all my tunneling with
my hands, head and feet. would just
put my head against the earth. whirl
around. and have hole about to my
shoulders, ana then would tear out
the earth or rock, or whatever it
might be, with my hands. Sometimes
| would lay down on my back and kick
hole with my heels, but / didn't like
to do that very much, because would
get dirt in my eyes. Well, to make a
long story short, the mining firm of
Pope & Boiling was formed, and we
worked together for three years. We
became very wealthy. established
line of steamships between San Fran
ciso and Cape Cod, and when Boiling
died he was worth SO, 600. 900. The
money made I've got yet"
And then the Ananias Club adjou rn-
ed.
A Golden Iamn Worth $40 On0