Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-06-09

dence. Lest the figures given above
should fail to convey the exact idea,
let me suggest comparison which oc-
CURED to me while crossing the span.
The Pulitzer building in New York
is just about one mile from the Bat
terry, and the height from the ground
to the foot Of the Flagstaff is, IL my
memory serves me, 800 feet. Now
pile six Pulitzer buildings one on top
Of the other and start from the Bat
terry in little bucket, smaller than an
ordinary clothes hamper, and 60 to
the top Of that mass suspended on a
single rope, and II you as a man will
not recognize your insignilcance moth
ing will ever bring you to that realiz-
ing sense.
BY this time l had entered into the
full grandure OF the scene and all
nervousness diappeared, strange to
say, right at the most dangerous point
of the journey. Four hundred feet
below me could see a train OF those
most abused and yet invaluable little.
burros slowly and painfully climbing
the narrow trail laden with supplies
and timbers for a nelghboring mine
Two miles down the valley lay Tellu-
ride, looking like 4 child's plaything,
and still further away miles and miles
Of dazzling mountain peaks against
the blye sky Of COlorado-bluer than
Italy ever dreamed of, and all about
me the most unique and picturesque
colorings peeping out from the un-
covered patches of the mountains.
The day was absolutely perfect, the
sun warm, and despite the constant
danger Of loaded buckets breaking
away and dashlng all of us to the
abyss below, and needless of the pos
sibility Of many things which might
happen, l thoroughly enjoyed this
wonderful view. Lam free to confess,
however TO feeling as though an in
tense strain had been removed when l
finally crossed that gigantic tower and
found myself only q hundred Feet or
so from terra frma, and only then
did discover that Iny hands had been
clutched on that bucket with a death
like grip and we're wet with prespira-
tion, while with my feet had been ex-
ertiug a tremenderous pressure
against the front end.
We soon came in sight of the upper
terminal, and upon arrival there 1
found the men had decided to remain,
accepting the slight reduction, and
there would be no party to rewGrd me
for my trlp-if indeed any reward
other than the trip itself were ueces-
sary. Let me add, however, that the
mouth Of the mine was still a mile
and a half further up the mountain,
and that the ore is brought from the
mine to the top of tram, by burros.
each carrying two sacks Weighing 125
pounds each. Well, my mission be-
ing fruitless, We reentered our
buckets on the down trip. feel per-
fectly sure that had the order been
reversed and the down trip came first
l would have backed out at any cost,
but my up-journey gave me CONT
dence, and it was considerable eqani-
mity that gazed down to the tiny
terminal two thousand feet below.
As LIr Green entered his bucket L
remarked to the man who fastened it
in place; Get that good and tight,
my boy"
lie answered. 81 am a thousand
times more anxious about this thing
than you, and will not breathe freely
till you're down"
/ then learned from him that since
the opening Of the tram %, 600 buckets
had passed given point, with only
three runaways. l did not then e
into detail of the damage d9ne, 6ut
climbed into my bucket once more,
figuring the number Of times 3 goes
into 25,eQ0. Arriving at the high
tower again, and entering upon the
l,40O-foot span, a horrible swaying Of
the bucket commenced, and hnally It
came to dead stop right at the worst
place on the linel The stoppage was
but momentary, and was done pur-
posely to give me tie full benefit.
There, on the same spau, were the
tiny buckets, with the two other boys,
and the thought came to me Of the
terrible results Of a runaway at that
particular time, for while the first
bucket containing Mansfield was but
600 feet ahead, it was at the same
time over 2OOfeet below me, and 1
could just see him waving his hand to
me by peoring over the front end OF my
cab. Wen, we reached the ground