Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-06-07
JERRY'S BABY.


the shaft were running rapidly, and some
where in that strange, chimneylike hole
that extended to the faraway daylight the
elevator was falling like missile A
subtly strong odor of powder, smoke, OIL
gas, wet earth was eternally in the nostrils.
Suddenly from behind those curtains Of
Unlike night that stretched before the
passage that led away from the foot Of the
shaft there came mystic low rumble, the
clank and rattle of the chains, the whis-
Ting slash of whip and boys shout.
Then a train of two cars, drawn by tan
dem Of straining mules, appeared from out
the darkness. The driver, tiny, begrimed
urchin, yelled imperatively, swinging his
long lash. The train stopped at the foot Of
the shaft, and as the urGhin unlocked his
team and swung them about he yelled to
the men, "Ain't it near quittin timer
The elevator suddenly appeared, like an
apparition, with its load of miners, whose
lights flickered and 1uttered in reddish
movements. The "inside" foreman, as he
stepped from the platfrom, called sharply
to the urchin: "It'll be quittin time fer
you if you don't hustle out more trips
Git in with them thar mulesp
With another shout to his team, the ur-
chin started them on their return journey,
and the rumbling Of the wheels on the I'M
even track continued until the little dane
ing flames on the boys cap and on the
head of the lead mule were but mere yell
low points of light.
In the chamber at the foot Of the shaft
the "inside' foreman spoke to the men,
"Mr. Williams told me tn babys comm
TUbnp tnj cbiftc che OPP
"Git out Is she9'
"Jerry's babyr
"Sure she is, )" said the "inside" fore
man.
The men smiled. Jerry's baby was pop
ular with the miners of Maffet's Patch
shaft. She gave them adorable confidence.
She was such charming and trustful
friend to these men, rough, grim and dark
with coal dust, who labored all day in this
deep hole in the earth, far from sunlight.
Jerry's baby, with her lisped sentences and
little gestures treated them all as COM
rades. When they spoke of her, one might
think they were talking Of a little silver
idol of some religion. And her power was
never questioned. Her baby smile ruled
men, and, moreover, she had done that
which no man in the Maffet's Patch had
succeeded in doing. She had tanned Jerry.
Had you asked, three months before this
time who Jerry was, the stable boss, if
you were a man, would have told you in
q most vivid and picturesque manner,
which, though it might have shocked,
would have forever impressed you with
Jerry's character. If woman, the stable
boss would have said, after a little time to
collect in his mind words to fit the occa-
sion, "He is the viciousist, contraryist
stubbornist, wickedest and worst kicking
mule in all the Lehigh and Wilkesbarre
Coal oompany's mines"
In the first place, Jerry had bad REQ
ord He came from the south with lot
of others, and was sent down the mine to
wear his life away in the damp, lamplit
darkness, pulling heavy cars during the
day, eating mush and corn, sleeping in a
little stall, and having rats as large as kit
tens run over him at night.
This was decidedly Objectionable to a
mule Of Jerry's high spirit, but he appar-
emily realized he could not help himself,
and forthwith proceeded to make life as
disagreeable as possible for those who had
anything to do with him. He could work
If he wanted, and when, as the driver said,
hO AihN % winning Oll, LO COulu
pull heavier load and do it quicker than
any other mule in the mine. But he did
not always have working streaks on"
He was not different from ordinary mules,
except in one particular. His hind legs,
when he was walking, appeared to have no
joints One MINER when Jerry's life as a
mine mule commenced, remarked this fact
and said:
"That mules no good; his joints Is
stiff, " and he scratched Jerry's leg with a
long wisp of straw. 1t tickled, and the
man lodged just in time to escape Jerry's
hoofs which splintered the end of car
against which he had been leaning. Thus
Jerry earned his reputation as vicious
animal.
He killed one man. The fellow was a
brute, and Jerry was obstinate at times;
consequently the mule was sometimes hor-
ribly beaten and kicked. One day the fell
low resolved to get rid Of the animal for
ever and mixed a lot Of broken glass with
his corn.
There" he said as he completed the
operation, "that'll fix you'll" and he aimed
terrible kick at Jerry. The heavy nailed
boot cut open the flesh. Jerry's hoofs flew
out with lightning speed and struck the
man. In the excitement which followed
jerry did not eat his corn, and his next
driver discovered the glass, and threw it
away.
Thus twas that Jerry sustained his bad
reputation and added to it at various
times, to the terror of the driver boys and
stable bosses
The baby was the only child Of young
John Williams, the clerk in the mine Of
flee. She caught heavy cold during the
winter, and the doctor was called in and
prescribed medicine which the baby swal-
lowed with greater or less avidity, accord
Ing to its sweetness or nastiness. But the
medicine did the baby no good, and she
was growing so weak and thin that Mrs.
Williams found tears starting to her eyes
as she looked at her, and Mr. Williams
went to the office with q very grave face
and worked nervously over his books.
Then Grandma Williams came to the res
que. "Take that child down the mine"
she said, land let 1t breathe the air there
for half an hour each day for week. That
will cure her."
Down the minep exclaimed Mrs. Will
Hams Mortified.
Yes, down the mine, and she shall go
his very day, and will go with her."
Butt demonstrated Mr.. and Mrs. Will
Hams in unison.
mo butts about It," said Grandma