Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-02-14
Willie's Service.

Willie Lealtz Is a MIXERS soH, twelve
yesws cid, and lives in a stumbled down
Sllanw beside the Illinois Eeraral rail-
road at Rutland. mining camp situ-
ated in the lower end of La Salle
county, illinois,
One afternoon drEl,ing the miners
strike While went with several boys,
up 10 THE Santa Fe pend to fish, for
should he succeed, he Thought, in
bringing home even II few bullheads,
DIT would serve fOr ONE meal at least
The SANTA Fe pond is depl, sSion of
about 300 feet In length and fifty feet
ir width, made a couple of years ago
On eXcayattng for tine main extension
of the Atcllison, Topeka and SANTA Fe
railroad from Chillccothe to Amcona,
Illinois. This aaflrotpd crosses the ILL
nois Cenltltll at a podlgt two miles north
OF Rutland
Willie spent perhaps two hours sit
ring in the dot sun on. the west bank
Of the pond with a long, green willow
rod in his hand, TO the end of which
was Fastened a strong piece of linen
thread, a bent pin and AN angleiwolnn.
But the fish didn't bite. Willie had
caught three. and ONE of his COM
panions had landed a miserable little
slmdish. Sc tire boys were growing
ttred and discouraged.
Lets get up ON the track and look
around, suggested James Bfudy, u
brown eyed Irish boy.
The boys reached the top of the
embankment and played about for
some time, throwing pebbles at the
birds as they would alight for a mo
memt ON the telegraph wires, walking
the rails or wBtching the farm wagons
as they crept sis wly along the smooth
prtaifie roads Willie finally wandered
down the track toward the wooden
bridge, and as he reached 1t began
10 pick his way over tfle heavy ties.
Suddenly he noticed THAT Gil had been
poured over tire beams, and tiny pools
with their. dark green scum, l.iy in the
hollows and cI'evices. He went to the
other side and saw PARTIALLY concealed
beneath rail a piece OF rQu1d mon
pipe while from the end there pro-
truded short piece of rope. The child
looked mt the spot Mortified. He knew
what all this meant The miners We're
going to set fire 20 THE bridge and
blow it mp.
AS this twelve-year-o boy stood
and looked ut the gas pipe, with its
rope fuse, he tihoueht of the passenger
tinin that was due to pass over this
very bridge early in the evening and
of tire coal train that would follow an
hour later. The thought frightened
HIM 80 tlIat he could scarcely stir,
Willie ait last found tongue TO shout
down to his playmates;
Come up here!'
''WThait We want?" inquired Jamesy
Brady as the boys slowly approached.
Dye see thajt?" said Willie, as he
pointed seward the bomb.
"Humphr calculated Pete Robbins.
the big boy of the crowd. Pete was
fifteen years ofaage and felt his au-
thorlty among his comrades, Guess
they're going ter blow her up"
''But think of them people that'H be
comm over here i'm that passenger"
replied Willie, feeling something he
did not like i'm Pete's tone. ''WAat If
they'd touch 1t off tonight? Ther'd
be an oqful lot Of folks killed.
well. I'm agin THE 'noplies," de-
clared Pete stoutly. initiating as wen
as he could the speech of his father,
who was known among the strikers as
an agitaltor of some note. Eye JUS got
ter do EN- up every possible way We
kim
I'm goin' TO tell the piece de
clared Willie, with firmnesS.
NO We Amt" said Pete quickly. az
amt goin' ter low 1T.
well ! will" and before Pete knew
what had happened, Willie had given
him 4 sudden push that sent him roll
inc over and over down the north side
Of the embankment. Before the other
frightened and astonished boys could
make move Willie had darted down
the south side Of the en.bankment and
was running along the wagon road
toward Rutland as fast as his little
bare feet could take him
The boys, In their loud and excited
talk. had not noticed the slow APP
pinach Of 4 lame Italian. who had
been stationed by thu strikers to watch
the bridge He had been doing near
the track but hearing the noise had
aroused Ii nlSelf and was now hobbling
toward the bridge. shouting and ges-
ticllating He caught sight of Willie
down the rpad. and surnIiSfng that
something was wrong pulled out an
Il u