Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-04-26
JERRY'S BABY.
BY P. S. RIDSDALE.

A little group of miners we're il
the low rooted chamber at the fOOI
of the shaft. The orange glare
from the little oil lamps on theil
caps made occasional swift It fec
/ tons upon tho black walls, and
, when the men spoke OF smiled
there was marvellous flashing of
teeth from out their dark faces
Always, toe, there could be seer
the cleaning OF their eyecalls, of
free stee. cJlOr in this sOmbeT
light. The greasy cables in the
Shaft were running rapidly, and
somewhere IN that strange hOminy
like hole that extended to the fal
away day light the elevator was
falling like missile. A subtly
strong odOr OF powder smoke, oil,
gas, wet earth was elernally in The
uOstrils. Suddenly from behind
those curtains of Unlike night,
that stretched before the pass
age that led way from the foot OF
the shaft, there came mystic low
rumble, the clduk and rattle OF
chains, the whistling and rafting
slash of "A whip, anu boys shout.
Then a tram of two cars drawn bN
a tandem of strainlDg mules, ap'
peared from out The ddi kncSs.
The driver, tiny begrimed urchiD,
yelled imperatlvely, swinging his
long lash. The tram stopped at
the foot of the shalt, and as the
urchin unlocked his team and
swung them about he yelled to tue
men: "Ain't it near quittin' timer
The elevator suddenly appeared,
like an appAritiOn, with its load OF
miners, whose lights fickered and
Huttered in reddish movements.
The "inside foreman" as he stepned
from the platform, called sharply
to the urchin. "It's Qullin' time
yol yer don hustle out more
trips. Get in with them thai
mules !!
With another shout to his team,
the urchin started them on theiI
Return journey, and the rumbllng
of the " heels OH the uneven track
continued until the little dancing
flames Oh The boys cap and on the
head of the lead mule we're but
mere yellow points of light.
Lii the chamber at the foot of the
shaft, the "inside foreman spoke
to men. "Mr. Williams told me
tue baby's comm when lh' shifts
change"
"Git out2 Is hep
'Jerry'S baby"
'Sare she 49," said the "lnside
foreman
The men smiled. JcrrS's baby
was popular with the miners of the
Maffeps Patch shaft. She gave
them adorable condolences; she
was such a charming and trusted
friend to those men, rough, grin
aud dark with coal dust, who labor
ed all day 10 this deep hole IN the
earth, far from sunlight. Jerry'c
baby, with her lisped sentences
aud little gestures. treated them
all as cOmrales. When they spoke
Of her, one might think they were
taking OF a little silver doll of some
religion. And her power was
never questioned. Her baby smiles
ruled men, and, moreover, she had
done that which no man in The
Maffet. Patch had succpeded IL
doing, she had tauPd j rry.
Had yOu asked, three months be
fore this time, who Jerry was, th'
stable bOss, If you were a man
would have told yOu in a mos
vivid and picturesque manner
which, though it mighthaye shock
ed, wOalJ have forever impressed
| you With Jerry's character. If
woman, the stable boss would hav'
said, after a little time to collect II
bis mind words to fit the occasion
"He is the viciOusist. cOutraryist
stubbOrnist, wIckedest, and wors
kicking mule ia all the Lehigh AM
Wilkes Barre coal company
mines"
In the 6rst place Jerry bad
had record. He came from th
South with lot OF others and wa
sent down the mine to wear hi
life away IN the damp lamp u
darkness, pulling heavy case durin