The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1893-06-01
"My Partner"

An incident in connection with the
recent fire in the Silver Bow mine, Of
Butte, Montana, is deserving of special
mention, says the Mines and Mills.
On, OF the nine men who lost their
EvcskSscrifced his as an act of duty to-
wards his partner.
Back east there is little thought or
heed of the penalties attending the search
after precious metals. People have no
idea of the dangers which every miner
confronts daily, IN addition to the physi-
cal discomforts incident to the extraction
of mineral
Whenever like qualities or characters
tics are exhibited in any other walk OF
llte-such as excite no comment, il they
are noticed at ALL in mining communi-
ties--the patent Of nobility and the dis
tinction of heroism is conferred by popu-
lar acclaim and the public press
'My partner" is meaningless phrase
outside of mining camps save IN COM
mercial sense.
There are exceptional cases, but then
a modern Damon and Pythias romance
is woven around those who exhibit the
qualities or assume the responsibilities
which partnership among miners and
prospectors Is understood to impose.
When the "gold bug" journals and
other self-styled financial oracles sneer
at the mining fraternity in general, and
hint that the working miner ought to
accept remuneration at the rate at which
common laborers are employed they at
tempt to discount and belittle the noblest
qualities which are worthy Of emulation.
That Silver Bow horror, where nine
human beings were pent up like SO many
rats in death-trap, breaches powerful
sermon.
Those'blood clots on the white dollar
ought to command even common respect
for silver and those who delve after it.
Let the eastern folk read this story
of what happened in the Silver Bow
shaft:
"Evan Pugh was one of natures noble
men, and his last act on earth was to
give up his life in an effort to save his
partner. When John Kramer the pump
man, who was the last man to leave the
burning mine, went down to the 5OO-foot
level and discovered the station to be a
mass of flames, he was just in the act Of
giving the signal to hoist when he saw
Pugh running along the level towards
the station. He called to him to come
on and to run for his life. Pugh called
back wait till I get my partner and
started to run back for Ed. Pascoe.
Kramer waited until the flames had blis-
tered his face and hands and scorched
his clothing, and then reluctantly gave
the signal to hoist to save his own life.
By the time Pugh and Pascoe got back
to the station it must have been burning
tiercely. SO as to shut off access to the
shaft. They then went up the raise to
the 400, with the result as above stated
Their bodies were found lying close to-
gether. Pugh could have easily escaped
with Kramer, but in his noble effort to
save his partners life he lost his own"
Nor was this heroic act of Pugh's the
only evidence of the nobility of the min
ers OF Butte. In a timely editorial on
the tragic occurrence the Anaconda
Standard said:
"Repeatedly, groups of miners, anxious
that their comades might be saved,
generously volunteered their services for
the perilous descent of the shaft, at a
time when to go down to the lower levels
seemed to be nothing less than leap
into the very arms Of death. Once and
again the cage, manned by these stout
hearted miners, made its hazardous trip.
Deplorable as the result proves to be,
and long as is the list of the dead, the
experience of last Friday is at least a
tribute to the chivalric conduct of the
living"