The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-04-24
OLD MARK HAVERLY.

tention TO business, and supersiii 49,
One day a comrade WAS passing, and
Mark ctIed him up with: jack. do you
hear that noi-e-a sort OF II griu.il X
sound that comes and goes? Hank!
can't you II ar it now"
"Its just like any machinery makes.
mo. no, jack; it don't lelong to the
machinery; it's voice. tel you from
the other world. I've heard that SOU d
for two days now. and it neans death,
death close at hand "
"Oil the engine, old boy aAI it'll be
all right.
The other passed on and went down
the Shaft Mark, meanwhile, bent his
ear to the machinery, and out If the IL
d.stnguishable din of dozen sound,
caught this strange noise which hal
such an Influence upon him, heard l.
constantly above the clauk of levers
the roar of wheels, AMI the hiss Of
steam. Presently a bell sounded at his
side II WAS the signal FROM the 1000
level to no g. the Gaze. lie pressed tin.
lever. aud the great reel began to wiiri
the cable from the lower depths. HIS
eye followed the long finger of the indi
cttor as it slowly pointe ont the sta
tons passed The cage had aluaos
reachel the top when the horr.b gri d.
ing noise, like Il Inoan from the grave
came from the machinery at his side.
The sound made his VEINS melt. He
turned his head toward the spot shud-
dering, viii his ha us it c. as, ed the
lever was like child's. TIE cage sho!
up from the shafts mouth; he grasped
the lever and threw his weight upon the
brake. Too late; the cage rushed into
the "sheaves
The floor of the cage tcc9mr vertical
as it ruck the wheel. The cable
stretched under the fearful rain. and
then snapped like thread, aid the Gag
fell back to the shafts II outh Three
of its occupan had len ell uron the
timbers and hung suspended; the other
two had mad the same Leap, but their
fingers SLIPPED from the Shiny timbera.
made so by the long contact with the
vHpors from the mine. and they fell onA
after the other hea Hong down the shaft
Meanwhile Mark had stopped his en-
glue, resumed his coat. and staggered
out of the works. On such OCCASION
an engineer is consd red discharged
without notice He actually cease, to
be in the ell ploy of the company whe
the cage strikes the "eheavrs," and
such an accident " axes lis discharge
peri etual with every mine on the Com.
stock.
For the next week or two lp wandered
about the town like Il man barely in his
senses. He finally got work under
ground, but was oftener found some
where about the hoisiing WORKS. near
the machinery. He woull at times sit
for hours watching the work of those
metallic giants. occasionally turning
toward the mouth of the Shaft with "a
shudder, and again bonding is head to
catch hat he called the death moan.
His comrades said he was ~ little off. "
One day the writer entered into
conversation with him. HIS supersti-
ton had not left him. 81 tel you, said
he, "Pve studied everything about II
miEe above grou"d and blow. You
brntes who write FIR tie pres take a
sneerirg view OF everything. You
laugh " len l say an engine vrs " arm
ing of death. Y.u call this p pca of !.
machinery Il thing inaaiuia.r. l tell
you that it has Il Construction in all re.
spects like a man. 1t has lungs and
sinews, ard a big heart that thrubs and
pulsates. 1t las its faiigues from over
work At times it whirls merrilv, and
work seems nothing; then it erolns and
laLors as if exl,aus ed W. treat it as
we do the Sic. Wien its lungs Get
cogged With ":cale" we feed it COM
position that nanes it we'll again 1t
has voice, and roars. sings, groans,
laughs. and snbs in turn. When l
touch lever feel a magnetism such
as flows from flesh and bio ii.
"The dark levels b low us are full Of
mysteries. Learn more and more of
its secrets every year. You rememb T.
how Jack He"ly died He tainted on
the Ophir cage, and went down the
shaft A few days before it ! noticed
as worked beside him how the flame
of his candle pointed directly toward
him like mariners needle Wherever
he novel the lime followed. H. didn't
notice it, but did, and it had wavy.
uncertain motion for a day or So One
day it bec,me steady, as steady as if
carved in stone. l knew the crisis WAS
not far off We came up on
the cage; as we passed the first
station the flame burne low, and
at the %. station it was almost gone
Suddenly it went out; jack reeed Lack
against the timbers, and was twisted
under the cage at once. 1t was but
moment. heard his dreadful cry ring
out as his homes were crushed be wrpn
the stage floor and the timbars and his
body shot down the shaft.
Hawkins. who used to work for Joe
Cowan. had the same kind of warning
Wherever he worked IL shadow kept
close to him on the rock. His lantern
made one shadow. but this was deeper
and darker one, and had splrate mo-
tions. and it seemed to get b ac;er ev..ry
shift Ii" worked til blast tore away
his chest. l have seen a mans light
blow out, and, in a sort of will o the
wisp, keep ri Int "ver his head Sach
man had better leave the mines ut once.
"When worked in the S wage l IL I'D
tn 600 q shift of SIaII,,r. W, ri. ii,,r ~, ct