The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-21
BLIND PIG IN A DEEP HOLE
Capture of an Illicit Saloon 75o Feet
Under Ground.
From the Minneapolis Tribune.


From the Minneapolis Tribune.
A newspaper man of this city who
has been up in the iron mining country
for some time reports the capture of a
blind pig by a deputy sheriff of st.
Louis county in the Chantler mine. $50
feet beneath the surface of the earth.
The Chantler is one of the numerous
mines in the Vermillion range, or hard
ore belt, in the northern part of the
county, and 80 miles from Duluth. The
miners that work on the range and in
the different mines are mostly Hunga-
rians or Ffnlanders They are very
fond of alcohol and when under its in
nuence are quarrelsome. They all
carry knives with blades about four
inches in length and wooden handles.
which they make themselves. These
Knives, worn in a belt, are drawn on
the slightest provocation.
Several of the miners were arrested
for fighting in the mines and sent down
to Duluth for trial. and everyone of
them, when taken from the mines. was
drunk The men who went down the
shaft to work in the morning perfectly
sober would come up at the end of their
shift gloriously drunk. The managers
of the mine and the authorities were at
a loss to account for it until one of the
miners who was seriously cut in one
sold liquor to the other men while they
were supposed to be at work Notice
was sent to the sheriff of st. Louis
county and deputy was ordered to
investigate it,
on arriving at Ely the official was
taken to the very lowest shaft, where
the informer had told him he would
find the blind pig. This was over 700
feet underground. The man who was
sold to sell the liquor was called by the
foreman and asked about it, He could
not speak English and another miner
was called to act as Interpreter When
Mosteckja, for that was his name was
made to understand what was wanted.
and that one of the men present was
an officer sent to arrest him. he wilted
at once and took the party into a shaft
that had not been worked for some
time, and showed them his bar, which
consisted of a board, one end resting
on a pile of ore and the other on an
empty powder key. His stock on hand
at the time of the arrest consisted of
four quart bottles of raw alcohol. three
quart bottles of very bad whisky, and
three powder cans full of beer. He was
very much alarmed at the prospect of
going to Jail. and claimed that he did
not know it was against the law. This
made no difference, however and he
was taken to Duluth and bound over
TO the grand jury. His name was Or
ma Mosjeckta, and before he was taken
from the mine he admitted that he had
been selling liquor 10 the men for near
ly two months. and said that he made
on an average of about $3.50 a day from
the sale OF alcohol alone
There are numerous galleries or
shafts in the mine, and they are worked
by different gangs under separate fore
man. When man wished TO get
drink he would slip away from his
gang, which was an easy thing to do.
as the only light furnished comes from
the lamps in the mems caps. Mosjeck-
ia worked by himself around the bot
tom OF the main shaft. and so was able
TO avoid any interference on the part
of the foremen.
At the hearing I'm Duluth his bonds
were fixed at $780, but as he was unable
to furnish them he was sent 20 the
county jail to await trial.