The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-01-12
4 RACE FOR LIFE.
BX a. TENDER FOOTE.

Late in the autumn of 1888 1, with
three classmates of the School OF
Mines, invested in the lease of some
mining property in Colorado. We
were young and Inexperienced in bust
ness matters, so that the financial part
OF the venture was rath unskillful1y
managed. Almost all the money
could raise was put into the necessary
plant.
Before the snow stopped operations
VIC had on the heap many tons of val
liable orc. The depth Of the snow,
however, prevented its shipment to
Pueblo for smelling, and we were
them at the time over months
wages.
made a hurried trip to New York
to see If additional funds could be
raised by two of the partners living in
that city; but was unsuccessful.
On my return reached the little viii
lasc OF Mater, some four thousand feet
below the mine, where I was told by
Reynolds. the other partner. that there
were rumblings of nm approaching
storm among the idle mincrs-about
thirty in number.
We determined that we would go to
the mine and talk over the state of at
fairs with the men. Unfortunately,
it had been rumorcd that had brought
back with me large sum OF money
which had deposited in the local
bank
Soon after reaching our snow-cov-
cred cabin and making T. fire for the
temperature was twenty degrees be-
low zero-thc door was thrust open
and three sullen-lookirg men, who
had evidently been drinking heavily,
stalked in.
They wanted to l<now-ns q commit
tee of the lniners-what we proposed to
do about paying the wages due them.
We were armed. And we knew that
they were.
replied that had been unsuccess-
full in my journey east and had re-
turned to ask them to wait for the
opening of the spring SO that the ore
could be realized on. The spokesman
interrupted angrily:
You lie! We amt no fools. We
know you've got five thousand dollars
in the bank at Mater, and we propose
to have our money and have it no,v!"
1 said / would willingly sign a blank
check and allow them to fill i'll any
amount they wished and let them see
if they could get it cashed.
The chairman of the committee
called me to the little window of the
cabin and pointing to a tree in the fore
ground, said: "Chambers, do you see
that ar tree thar?'
l nodded
''Well,'' he answered, eff at the end
of three days you don't have the money
here to pay us, Well swing you from
that lowest limb. And you don't leave
this cabin, luther. One Of us and his
gun will be outside the door all the
time. Write this telegram: II you
don't send three thousand dollars in
three days, they'll hang me- Sign it,
protested that I knew no one to
send it to; but concluded that it would
r via to
wished, and 1 wrote and signed the
message, directing it to my brother in
New York.
They then left, placing one of their
number on guard. An hour passed by
and the almost perishing man came in.
saying that he would stay inside and
watch there.
Reynolds and I, after long delibera-
ton, concluded to offer our individu al
notes to the men, payable at thirty
days. We were escorted to the engine
house, and, after some further parley-
ing, the men consented to accept and
to escort us under a guard of two to
the village below to get the needed
blank.
How we'll remember our walk down
the mountain side, over the snow trail,
in Indian. fiic-Reynolds and ahead
aud the two guards behind. The moon
was shining at the full, and from the
distance. adding a strange, uncanny
feeling to our already overwrought
nerves, came the cries of the puma
the mountain lion.
1t was nine o'clock when we reached
Mater and obtained the notes from the
banker. We had taken light supper
of unwarmed canned meat only and
were quite exhausted from tho cold on
our walk down. Retiring to the little
Office we owned in the village, we
made out our promises to pay and
gave them to the guard, who, notwith-
standing, maintained his careful
watch.
While sitting there, half frozen and
discussing our position. two of the
miners came in. They were the NAL
colin brothers, both men Of superior