News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-06-09
UNION SAVINGS BANK AND TRUST CO.,
Morrisville, VT.
a week, an that raiches a long way,

MOrTISVIllS, VT.
a week, an that raiches long way
wild proper manigemint."
Whether the 'Boston company
were short of hands, or were pleased
with Willie's honest face, is not known
but they employed him at sight, anC
gave him work at once, as a mule
driver on the night shift.
1T fixes US right nice and comfort
able, Anna," said Willie, hurrying to
tell her of his good luck with bright.
ened eyes, land maybe sometime III
git to be inside boss; then father
shall have a fine stone at his grave. y
Anna, looking through the one
window of the upholstered littleroom
saw their goat quietly browsing up
on a sOrrel patch near by; saw that
the coal bank creeping into the other
corner of their ,1ot" was getting
nearer and nearer to their house,
and so much more convenient to
pick and riddle coal from, for their
winters use; saw that the home
made fence of laurel wood and lag
gins still securely framed their bit OF
ground from strolling pigs and geese,
and a feeling of contentment and
comfort stole into her heart that she
had not believed possible an half
hour before.
"Willie" she said, Il might "a
known it would come out all right,
an We'll try never to worry no more.
The following afternoon, long be-
fore the four o'clock whistle had
called Willie to his new work, he was
equipped for his first night under
ground. Upon his head was his fa-
theirs fireman-like miners hat the
crown well padded to make it fit
him, while diminutive coffee pot
shaped, whale oil lamp was hooked
into leather piece upon the front of
the crown, above the brim. His fa-
theirs can packed with thick slices OF
bread and molasses; with the "tin''
of cold coffee, was swung by strap
across his shoulder, and on his feet
were stout boots, their thick and
nail-driven soles adding much to his
usual bare-footed height. 1t was nc
wonder that Willie felt every inch &
miner, as he started on his long, lone
l.y walk to the mine.
''Take the cross-cut, by old Ham.
mer's, an don't let anything 'appen
to yOu," called Anna after him, as he
STROBE out of sight.
$50 it bees mule-driving, your goan
to thry?" said a party of slate-pick-
ers, as they passed him on their way
from work, their faces black with
coal dirt, and their eye-balls glisten-
ing with a goulish effect caused by
the rim of coal dust about them
which, with the blue scars and bruis-
es upon cheek and hands, is the indis-
putable trademark of the coal-mi-
ner's calling.
ga going to be a mule-driver?-
that is ;" answered Willie stolidly.
"Well, good luck go wild We, thin, 4"
and one after another of them gave
him a good-natured punch with their
little black fists as they went merri-
ly on, their cans like COW bells jang-
ling at every step.
Willie was carly for his shift, but
finding a car, or "buggie, 'just going
down the slope, he hopped in, and in
a few seconds was 400 feet under
ground.
"Ha! you're the new lad for Billie
Haywood's drift" said the inside
boss, "sizing" the fresh hand at a
glance; you're in plenty of time,
but if you wants to git the looks of
your job afore the Others come on,
We can jist go right ahead"
''Yis sir, but where do Ia GO tor"
asked Willie, blinking hard to see
which way to turn, in the big, black
place.
"Aisy enough, aisy enough!" re-
peated the inside boss, "when yer git
yer night eyes on. Go straight a
head for mile, mostly, anenst the
car-track, then it's your fust right,
fust left, fust right agin. One place
there'r foir damp hescaping, so you'd
bist not loight your lamp till yer git
to where yer Job is. Mebbe the boys
will give yer lift on the car, too...
"All right" replied Willie, and he
struck off, into the unseemingly end
less, black space.
For while all went well. Willie,
following the car track, heard only
the drip, drip of the water overhead,
or as it trickled down the sides of the
close passage-way, and an echo,
dulled by it's long journey from a dis
can't part of the mine. Once a dunn
my-engine near by threw him from
the track, so suddenly it steamed up
on him, drawing a train of heaping
coal cars in its wake.
Recovering from this surprise, he
hurried forward again, and was soon
in a high, room-like space, against
whose walls of coal two or three
Davy-lanterns were hung, showing
the rainbow tints in the peacock
nuggets of anthracite here and there
"Myl but it's still, half whispered
Willie to himself; "this must be a
mile in. guess I'll turn to my fust
right now," and he strode off into
another gang-way.
"This is the ole workins for sure"
he continued to himself, after having
gone a 1ull quarter OF a mile, ana
stepping boOt-top deep into sticky,
yellow clay, that was as 10th to let
him escape as any quick-sand. The
car track, too, had become disjointed
and misplaced, rocky powders pro-
jected from above and below, and a
place where the water lay stagnant,
smelled strongly of sulphur.
"Where am | a gittin' to, any
how?" exclaimed Willie, shivering,
as an old eat ran past him, and a
bat tapped it's wings in his face,
pears like this aint right. / would
light up fly didn't hear fire-damp a
bubbling away in that water, an we
don't want no 'splosions; 'spose l
turn fust left"
The first left but increased Will
ls,fs, I. 4