Tombstone epitaph., 1892-04-10
THE OLD TIMERS YARN.
BY JACK HENNEssEY.

Who was thar when the camp vas new. Arrayed in his picturesque oyerals
 And jumpCr oi iEdi 70 blue. So bear with suileless terderfooi.
 And listen awhile to me. lis yarn of ar old-time miner
 I'm going to spin to thee; And whether lis ruth or fiction
 i'u leave that for yol to say. For couldn't doubt his story
 For his hair was a silvery gray Twas along in seyenty-twe, he said.
 When Pioche was alive with men; When the va ler-boYs bloomed on sage brush An, she was a-booming then. Saloons were open day and night.
 And 'rwant nothing strange to see A dead man served for breakfast
 Ard couple or more for tea. Twas bitter cold day in the winter
 Whea thar lived on the Eureka coach The hardest. strapping young felo@
 That ever came into Pioche; And seeing he hadn't pardner
 md having none dyesee, told him if he Wa nj particlar
 lie might share my cabin with me Well. we worked on the 'Yuba together
 And never saw. nor will Such an artist at swinging hammer;
 Say! he WAS star at drill And oh. you may talk about singing.
 He'd make you so lonesome like feel When he'd strike up song of his fan
 Keeping time the head of the steel. There was one that he sang rather ofte n
 While working away at the shift. It was La Golondrina;" 'twould soften
 The rock in the face of the drift. He learnt it, he said, in Sonora.
 From some senorita down thar Who had worked on his heart jus, little
 With her voice and her ribboned guitar. But let me get back to my story:
 To hear il see you've consented; We worked about four months together
 But Ned he was never contented. Yes, Ned was his name: Ned Farrsl:
 I could see thas he wanted to go Back thar to the land of manyana
 Where the clouds hadn learnt how to snow. So one night he figured his time up
 And said he could no longer stay; But next time they paid of the miners He lowed he was going away Now. maybe i, sounds rather silly
 To hear me remark it seemed hard. But you may imagine my feelings
 If ever youxe lost good pard. Now that night twas one week from pay day.
 We worked it and fired a round; And Ned had went in rather sudden
 To sec if we'd broke any ground, But he hadn't been gone but minute
 When bang came the awfulest crack. And knew that some shot had hung fire
 And knew that he'd never come back. Well, boys. when went in 10 find him
 found he had worked his last shift. Why. there wasn', enough left for tamping
 He was spattered all over the drift. But such is the life of miner.
 And hundreds that same way have died; Its always when you're least expecting
 That's just when you'll cross the divide. The drift was cleaned up and abandoned
 And next night came on again. And they told me might go a-stoplng
 Along with some more other men, But I reckon twas from force of habit
 went in where we had worked before; A thinking abou, the poor fellow
 And how would see him no more But Lord when came 10 the last turn Now don't think I'm trying to jost- l saw there, a-driving an upper The ghost of Ned Farrei, b'gosh. My hair seemed to turn into bristle; was shaking right down in my shoes, And reckon done some tall climbing To get out an6 carry the news. We'll, the ghost worked along until pay day A-singing and breaking that lime; And the old foreman. out of respect like. Each shift he would put down its time. And although we heard drilling and blasting From the haunted drift no dirt was run, And when payday came round for the miners Ned's ghost and its work was done And sayi you may talk abou; Bu-leghs. We found, since we put on the crape. That the ghost of Ned Farrei had drifted Just ninety eight feet by the tape; And We found not a drill nor hammer And guess i; would take an expert To fell where it go, fuse and powder
 And hat had become of it's dirt. But the spook wasn't working for nothing. Ard sure as you're born that's true, For it took Neds check from the ssfe sirs, And signed on the payroll. too. So now when you hear men a-talking That their record can not be beat. lust think of that spook. singe-handed. In week drifting ninety-eight feet. Bisbee. April 1. 1892.
 To.Gsys Work. The most important business tram