The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-08-27
UNDER THE FIR TREES.
BULLY BEN WAS THE TOUGH
EST MAN IN CAMP.
How the Miners Found Out That He Had
Heart After All-when He Died
They Gave Him Decent Burial
"A Bit OF Life.

On the hill above our camp just
where the trail from Red Dog Dig
gings came winding down to cross tho
creek stood three fir trees They
were close together with the largest
In the center In those days we had
a name for every thing. and as those
trees were sort OF landmark we
named them Mother and Children.
No doubt every miner looked rough.
says the New York Sun, and no doubt
we fell into evil ways. In our camp
somebody was shot every week or two.
and at least once month we had 10
hang some one in the interests of pub
lie safety. For all that however we
had all come from the East. most of
us had wives and children waiting our
return. and the roughness did not
reach down to the heart Many time
have seen miner who'd shoot you
off-hand on the slightest provocation
sit down OF an evening with tears on
his cheeks as he thought OF home and
his loved ones.
The toughest man in the lot was a
chap we called Bully Ben. He
seemed to 60 about seeking quarrels.
and he had no fear of any living man.
Twice We warned him to leave White
Horse Creek or pay the penalty with
his life. but he did not go. Once the
Vigilance committee started out to
hunt him up and hang him. They
found him. He had his back to
Hnr n a sn
he defied them. We hated to admit
that we were afraid OF Bully Ben. but
1t was fact that we were, and he
knew it. We could have downed
him had the whole crowd made
move. but WREN every one OF us
realized that it would cost four or five
lives there was lack OF enthusiasm
to begin operations
/ used sometimes to wonder what
his past had been-if he had a heart
like other men-if there was q better
had ever seenP Sometimes / caught
him looking steadily into the camp
fire. as II the flames were weaving u
picture for him. Then the hard lines
OF his face would soften. the evil look
fade out OF his eyes and Bully Ben
would appear to be a stranger to our
camp. One day he got caught in q
cave-in on his claim and was terribly
injured. When the fact was reported
almost every man rejoiced over it. 1t
was at first expected that he would
soon discovered that he was hurt in
ternally and 1t was only question OF
hours when the end would come.
1t was an unwritten law with us
that when a miner got hurt or fell
sick the one whose claim was next to
him on the right should attend to him.
/ was next to Ben and so it fell to me
to nurse him as best l could. From
the first he had no complaints to make
and no questions to ask. 1t was al
most shutdown one afternoon, and the
mark OF death had been plainly
stamped on his face when he quietly
said to me:
Last night dreamed of Mary and
the children. l saw them coming
over the hill and they kissed me be-
fore l died. Poor Mary-poor child
rent"
| l looked down into his face, and
there was such a change that / could
hardly credi. it. 1t had grown soft
and gentle and the eyes might have
belonged to a woman. There was
something to touch the heart in his
voice as he turned his eyes to the
open door and continued:
.Yes. Mary and the children. She
was leading them. and they had come
to see me die. Do you think they
will be here In timeP"
I soothed him as best knew how.
and pretty soon he seemed to fall
asleep. Darkness had hardly come
before the great full moon lifted her
self above the hills and poured such
food OF light down upon the glori-
Gus sight when Bully Ben aroused
from his lethargy and said:
MARY and the children are coming
over the trail! I must watch for
them as they come over the hill!
Draw me to the door, and let me be
the first to see them!" .EI,
I moved his cot into the doorway
and propped him up that he might
face the hill The blindness OF death
had already como to his eyes but aft
err minute or two his vision seemed
to grow clearer and he pointed to the
fir trees and called out:
{ Il knew they would come! 1t Is
Mary and the children. and they will
kiss me before die!'
I looked up at the three trees
Mother and Children" and for a
time believed them to be human be-
ing pausing there moment to look
down upon our camp had never
seen the moonlight bring them out in
such way before.
/ MARY knew!----"
I had turned my head away l
heard him gasping. and when / looked
down upon his face again no was
dead. left him lying there in the
moonlight for the men to look upon
as they filed past. They wondered at
| the smile upon his face and when
told them OF Mary and the children
and his vision they said
..Then he had heart after all and