Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-08-27
HIS FIRST THOUSAND.
- Romantic Incident in the Youth Of
xVaolf,v CoIoradcan

- Ncmautic Incident in the Youth Of q
Wealthy Coloradoan.
edo / remember the first 81. 600 I ever
earned?" echoed Henry Westfall,
wealthy resident of Colorado, in answer
Ito question of fellow-lodger at the
Graud Pacific Hotel
well, rather. I was a young lad at
the time, and the only child of the poor
lest family in coal-mining town in
Pennsylvania. One day, while picking
ls3ate,. heard a big commotion at the
top of the mine. The men were very
rnaef1 excited, and the owner, who was
the richest and most devout churchman
I'm the town. was wringing his hands and
itnploring the men to do something.
Running up l learned that the men
had fred fuse attached to an extra
large cartridge and had just come from
the mine, when they discovered that
tthey had left the pretty little daughter
of the owner behind. She had gone
down with her father, and while the lat
ter came up for an errand had wandered
sway. The cartridge had not yet ex-
ploded, as the fuse had purposely been
made long to enable the men to get up
THE father, you may imagine, was
agonized. He offered $1,000 to any one
who would go down after the little one.
But no one would stir. All Of them had
families of their own-except, of course,
'myself-and would not run the risk of
death. The sum was fortune to me,
especially as my father was, from sick
Ness, unable to work
Jumping on the car / called to be let
down, and, amid the cheers Of the men,
tIdescended. Each moment had death
: IN it for me- unless the fuse was longer
than was thought. But | tried not to
think of it and when reached the bot
tom the child was playing at the mouth
of the shaft. | grabbed her, put her in
the car, and gave the signal to be hoist
ed up. But the car did not move. l re-
1peated the signal, but still without
avail In agony of fear I jerked it
sgain and the car still remaining at the
bottom I bade the little girl to
stay where she was and then I
Fan into the new drift, where the ex-
plosion was to take place. A little
spark revealed the whereabouts of the
tthse. The fuse was still an inch long,
4aud took hold of it and pulled it out
IL tried to cheer, but had tainted In
fssssd
when | came to / was on top of the
,around, taken there by the men who,
when in answer to my last signal-they
lad not rece we'd the other two-had
raised the little girl and had then come
,down after me.
We'll the next day the father
stA%tked me, but said nothing about the
80, ea0. The men advised me to ask for
fit 7 refused. Then some of them
iSshed fer me and the owner told them
tt2kat they were mistaken; he had offered
lDsthing. So mad were they that they
fezreatened to throw him down the mine,
but desisted at my request A few
weeks later I was discharged, probably
because / was an eyesore to the owner.
Wy f8ther having in the meantime re-
lSevered, | went away and obtained
work In New York, and after awhile Sc
LeuFed q fair position.
Zone day. about fifteen years after
tSeis event, charming young lady drove
tup In her carriage and. coming in,
called for me. She did not at first give
her name, but asked me If I would do
jReEss- favor. Of course / said yes She
tsbeu told me that it was she whom I
had saved; that her father had died
ssbort time before. and that in looking
over his papers she had found letter
It<on some of the men to him, upbraid-
Ing him for not paying me the 81. 600.
This was the first she had heard of the
obligation, and she had immediately set
fo9t to find me. AS she said this she
branded me check for 81, 500, the extra
$500 being, she exp aimed the interest
II was about to refuse to accept the
teAeck, but she reminded me that had
promised to do her favor and that l
!rHust keep my word. So took it. with
her card, and she left. What became of
ifser? Well, six months later she be-
Jeanne my wife. Chicago Evening Post
AN UNKNOWN ISLAND