River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-03-19

II was. when described in words. to
begin al the lcft-hand branch of the
II ami cat a straight tunnel out to
daylight II would be no longer than
the other and If we met with no great
obstruction il would be two or three
feet shorter 1t was long past noon be-
fore We reached this decision. but be-
fore going 10 work we took a solemn
vow to share and share alike as to
" ork rest and the provisions There
we're two wheelbarrows in the mine,
and we had plenty of room behind us
To store the dirt. was 10 have charge
81 the provisions and | made an esti-
mate based upon an Imprisonment of
ten days The only articles which
could come under the head of provisions
we're the butter and the milk. There
was two pounds of the former ana two
quarts of the latter We hadn't an lota
If biscuit or flour aud, like all other
Ilincr>. were hearty eaters. Every man
in our camp had At least two pounds of
meat q day. saying nothing Of bread
hutter. potatoes. beans. coffee. rice and
other things. We were thankful, how
eyer. that il was no worse, and about
tour o'clock in the afternoon we began
work The tunnel was not To- he so high
or wide as tine other. but only large
enough for us To squeeze through
To follow us through each hour of the
next several DAYS would be tiresome.
When we had cut into the bank two
feet we found "A big bowlder and had to
turn IL Then we found solid ledge,
and were brought % a standstill. For
the four days we worked twelve
hours d day. Then, as we began to
grow weaker. we decreased the hours
10 ten. We were not as sharp-set for
food as might have been expected
This was probably owing To the con-
finement If we had had powder, fuse
and drills. we could have made fair
progress through the rock. but as it
was we had 10 use the chisel. hatchet
and the picks. ON the fifth day of our
imprisonment we had progressed only
four feet while had estimated at the
outset that we would be half way out
For "a meal eaca man had dab of the
butter and about "A teaspoonful of the
milk. but after tine fifth day We had To
reduce these ration>. Believing that
we would he reduced to eXtremities.
we took two pairs Of the leather boots,
cut them into strips. wa ,hed and
~craned the fragments. and then but
tered them and laid them away.
ON the eleventh day we had progressed
only nine feet. and each one of Us had
become - weakened that no one could
handle the pick above a quarter of an
hour before being Obliged To rest. Our
lights had gone out on the second day.
and we had worked in darkness most
IF the time since. Bv untwisting a
rope and uSinEa little of the butter we
had made a toy torch. but this we
lighted only at rare intervals. For the
first three days we were all unusually
Ialkative: after that each one grew
lind with either of INV companions. but
simply didn't care Ia speak To them.
After supper each one bunked down
where he pleased without good
night. and IL seven next morning We
came together without word.
II was on the, fourteenth day that we
had recourse Ia the leather, and for
dinner each man had piece about an
inch square. We chewed il as one does
"a quid Of gum. and ii tasted as good 10
me a. the best beefSteak ever ate
When We knocked OFF that night we
had progressed thirteen feet. and now
had "a more favorable soil 20 work in
This put Us i'm good spirits. and after
supper heard Deans voice for the first
time in four days. lie suddenly said:
The Lords ways are full of mys-
terry. II He so elects we will be saved
/ am going To ask Him to restore Us To
the world
lie prayed aloud for five minutes.
and as ne prayed I felt my heart grow
h-hter and the feeling of morosenesS
ro away. We began 10 talk i'm cheer
ful strain. asking how each other stood
II and have always believed that that
PRAYER was the turning point in our
situation. had resolved that -ery
afternoon not Ia do another stroke of
work. being clear discouraged: but now
7 would have been willing to labor half
the night To show You how queer
human nature is under cert ain eircum-
stances. I viii relate that all of a sud-
den Hart broke ont with.
say boys. want you to promise me
something.
--WclI2-
when we get ont am to have six
big crackers and four slices Of pork
fried brown
A. true Is 7 live. we refused to
promise him, Tie idea that he was to
have such meal Is that. or even
thought Of IT, made Us jealous, and we
wouldn't agree - it.
We b-d gone down to the block three
or four 'l.nes day, always hoping TO
hear something from our friends out
side. but the report had always been
the nothing new. We felt sure
they would try To reach rs. and as they
had everything to work with we
couldn't understand the delay. We
were all pretty cheerful on the fifteenth
day. but after that we relapsed into the
old mood and had nothing TO say. On
the nineteenth day our tunnel measured
twenty-five feet in length. but we had
then become 80 weak that we could
hardly lift the tools 70 strike a blow.
That night I served out the last Of tie
leather. and told them it was the last
as I handed each man his bit in the
darkness
Heaven help us now groaned Hart,
aS he fell % weeping.
..Man, Man, We are in the Lords
heuds." chided Dean. We can surely
keep up for three or four days yet, for
we have the rubber boots left
Next morning we did not 90 TO work.
} was So weak that fell down as got
On my feet. and the Others did not even
attempt Ia rise. on this morning none
Of us felt hungry, and / reasoned then