Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-11-15
BISMARCK WEEKLY TRIBUNE: FRIDAY NOV. Is 1898
A MINER'SINITIATION

THE LEADvILLE WAY OF GIVING A
TENDERFCoT NERVE.
Peter Dean of Boston Was Born to BE q
Miner and Was Allowed to Fire . Shot
His First Day In the Shallow 1t Was
That Peters Hair Joined thes Silver Party,
Peter Dean, a young mining engineer,
went from Boston to Leadville to acquire
the practical part of his profession. He
tells what efell him as follows: eat Lead
vile ! met a person named Thompson
Classy Thompson, he was called by those
about him in testimony to his powers as a
oonversationalist. A barkeeper who seemed
the best informed and the most gentle
manly soul In town told me that Classy.
Thompson was q miner full of practical
skill and that he was just then engaged in
sinking q shaft. I might arrange with
Classy and learn the business. At the bar
keepers hint, I proposed as much to him.
'All right said Classy; come out to the
shaft tomorrow
"lhe next day I was at the place ap-
pointed. The shaft was already SO 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 I
descended into the shaft. Jim was left on
the surface. We went down by means Of a
bucket, Jim unwinding us from a rickety
old windlass. Once down, Classy and I,
with sledges and drill, penetrated a hole
In the bottom of the shaft. I held the
drill, Classy welding the sledge. When
the hole met the %worshipful taste Of my
tutor, he put in a dynamite cartridge, con-
nected q long I've minute fuse Herewith
and carefully thumbed it about and packed
1t In with wet clay.
SAT Gassy's word I was then hauled to
the surface by Jim. I 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 tho shaft
and quickly scampered to a distance to be
out of HARM 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 a re-
suit, tons of rock were shot up from the
mouth of the shaft full 50 feet into the
air. 1t was all very impressive and gave
me a lesson in the tremendous power Of
dynamite. I was much pleased and felt as
If I were learning.
Following the explosion, Classy and I
again repaired to the bottom of the shaft,
and after clearing away the debris and
sending it up out by the bucket we re-
sumed the sledge and drill. We completed
an0thnr hnlo and y,oro roo3u For n cooorl
shot. This was about noon. It was at
this point the miscreant Classy began to
put into action a plot he had formed
against me, and to carry out which the
murderer, Jim, lent ready aid. You must
remember that I had perfect confidence in
these two Williams. 4 never seed no ten
derfoot git along like you do Mt this bust
ness, said Thompson to me. Looks like
you was born to be a MINER he went on.
Now, I'm goin to let you fire the next
shot. Usual, I wouldn't feel justified in
allowin a tenderfoot to fire a shot for
plumb three months. But you has a
genius for mimi. It comes as easy to you
as Robin q birds nest. I'd be doin wrong
to hold you back
"Of course I naturally felt pleased. To
be allowed to fire a dynamite shot on my
first day in a shaft I felt and knew to be
an honor. I 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. I saw the explosive placed
in the hole. Then he attached the fuse
and thumbed the clay about it as before.
He gave me a few last words. After l
gets up he said, IAN me an Jim's al
ready, you climb into the bucket an light
the fuse. Then raise the long yell to me
an Jim, an we'll yapk 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's the matter with her. So bo
shore an light the fuse, an then Jim an
nell run you up the second follorin.
This oughter be u great day for you, young
man, firm a shot this away, the first six
hours you're a MINER
Jim and Classy were at the windlass
and yelled, All ready belowr I was in
the bucket, and at the word scratched a
match n lit the fuse. 1t sputtered with
alarming ardor and threw off a shower of
sparks. Hoist away!' l called. The vii
lains ran me up about ten feet and came
to a dead halt. At this crisis they seemed
to get into an alteration. They both
abandoned the winalass, and I could hear
them cursing and threatening and shoot
ing presumably at each other. 'Ill have
your heart out, 1 heard Classy say. My
alarm wa without a limit. I'd seen one
shot go off. Here I was a-swinging some
ten feet over a heavier charge and about
to be blown into eternity. Meanwhile the
c~aitiffs, on whom my life depended, aban-
doned me to settle some accursed feud of
their own.
II canno tell you of my agony. The
fuse was splitting fire like 40 1ends; the
narrow shaft was ohoked with smoke. I
swung there helpless awaiting death, while
the two r~ascals, Classy and Jim, were try
ing to kill each other above. Either from
smoke or excitement I tainted. When I
came to myself I was outside the shaft safe
and sound, while Classy and his d%isreputa-
BILE assistant were laughing at their joke.
There had been no shot placed in the drill
hole; the heartless Classy had palmed it
and carried it with him to the surface.
k Il