Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-17
A MINERS INITIATION
rHE LEADvILLE WAY OF GIVING A
TENDERFOOT NERVE.
Peter Dean Of Boston Was Born to Be
Miner and Was Allowed to Fire Shot
His First Day In the Shaft-How 1t Was
! That Peters Hair Joined the Silver Party.

His First Day In the Shallow 1t Was
That Peters Hair Joined the Silver Party.
Peter Dean, q young mining engineer,
vent from Boston to Leadyille to acquire
the practical part of his profession. He
tells what befell him as follows: "At Lead
Vile I met a person named Thompson
Gassv Thompson, he was called by those
| about him in testimony TO his powers as
conyersationalist A barkeeper who seemed
tbe best informed and the most gentle
manly soul IN town told me that Classy
THOMPSON was a miner full of practical
skill and that he was just then engaged in
sinking a shaft. / might arrange with
| Gassv and learn the business. At the bar
| keeper hint, proposed as much to him.
'All right said Classy; come out TO the
| shaft tomorrow
1.-The next day was at the place ap-
pointed The shaft was already 80 feet
| deep. Besides myself and this person
| Classy, who was to tutor me, there was a
| creature named Jim. That made three Of
| us. At the suggestion of Classy he and |
descended into the shaft Jim was left on
| the surface. We went down by means of a
| bucket, Jim unwinding us from rickety
| old windlass. Once down, Classy and l,
with sledges and drill, penetrated hole
| in the bottom Of the shaft l held the
| drill, Classy welding the sledge. When
| the hole met the worshipful taste of nay
| tutor, he put in dynamite cartridge, con
nected long five minute fuse herewith
and carefully thumbed it about a.d packed
it in with wet clay.
AT Gassy's word I was then hauled to
the surface by Jim. l added my strength
to the windlass; Classy climbed into the
bucket, lighted the fuse and was then
swiftly wound to the surface by Jim and
myself. We then dragged the windlass
aside, uncovered the mouth of the shaft
and quickly scampered to a distance to be
out of harms reach. At the end of five
minutes from the time that Classy had
lighted the fuse, and perhaps three minutes
after we had cleared away, the shot ex-
ploded with a deafening report. As re-
suit, tons of rock were shot up from the
mouth of the shaft full so feet into the
air 1t was all very impressive and gavo
| me d lesson in the tremendous power Of
dynamite. I was much pleased and felt as
if / were learning.
Following the explosion, Classy and
again repaired to the bottom of the shaft,
sending it up out by the bucket we re
sumed the sledge and drill. We completed
another hole and were ready for second
shot This was about noon. 1t was at
this point the miscreant Classy began to
put into action q plot he had formed
against me, and to carry out which the
murderer, Jim, lent ready aid. You must
remember that l had perfect confidence in
%L,. x,,l1 tn,N
derfoot git along like you do at this bust
ness, said Thompson to me. Looks like
you was born to be a miner, he went on.
Now, Pm goin to let you fire the next
shot Usual, l wouldn't feel justified in
allowin a tSlderfoot to fire shot for
plumb three months. But you has a
genius for mimi. 1t comes as easy to You
as Robin a birds nest I'd be doin wrong
to hold you back
"Of course naturally felt pleased. To
be allowed to fire a dynamite shot on my
first day in a shaft felt and knew to be
an honor. / determined to write home to
my friends of this triumph. Classy said
he'd put in the shot, and he secured one
of giant size. l saw the explosive placed
in the hole. Then he attached the fuse
and thumbed the clay about it as before.
He gave me few last words. After I
| gets up, he said, IAN me an Jim's all
ready, you climb into the bucket an light
the fuse. Then raise the long yell to mo
an Jim, an we'll yank you out. But be
shore an light the fuse. Thar's nuthin
more discouragin than for to wait half an
hour outside an no cortride goin off. Es-
pecial when it goes off after you goes back
to see what the matter with her. So DO
shore an light the fuse, an then Jim an
neil run You up the second follorin.
This oughter be q great day for you, young
man, firm a shot this away, the first six
hours you're miner
Jim and Classy were at the windlass
and yelled, AN ready belowp ! was in
the bucket, and at the word scratched a
match and lit the fuse. 1t sputtered with
alarming ardor and threw off shower OF
sparks. Hoist away! 1 called. The vii
lains ran me up about. ten feet and camo
to IA dead halls. All this crisis they seemed
to get into on alteration. They both
abandoned the windlass, and L could hear
them cursing and threatening and shoot
ing presumably at each other. I'm have
your heart out, l heard Classy say. My
alarm was without a limit I'd seen ono
shot go off. Here l was a-swinging some
ten feet over heavier charge and about
to be blown into eternity. Meanwhile tho
caitiffs, on whom my life depended, aban-
| doned me to settle some accursed feud of
their own.
II cannot tell you of my agony. Tho
fuse was splitting fire like 40 1ends tho
| narrow shaft was choled with smoke. l
swung there helpless awaiting death, while
the two rascals, Classy and Jim, Were try
ing to kill each other above. Either from
smoke or excitement / tainted. When l
came to myself / was outside the shaft safe
and sound while Classy and his disreputa-
Bile assistant We're laughing at their joke
There had been no shot placed in the drill
hole; the heartless Classy had palmed il
and carried it with him to the surface
AT my very natural inquiry, made in
a weak voice-for l was still sick and
brollen-as to what it all meant, they said
it was merely il Leadville joke and intend
ed for the imitation of "a tenderfoot 1T
gives 'em nerve, said Classy. 1t puts
heart into 'em an does 'em good AS soon
as / could walk 1 severed my relations
with Classy Thompson and his outlaw adj