Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-02-21
4 MINERS INITIATION
THE LEAOVlLLE WAV OF GIVING A
TEND-RFCOT NERVE.

That Vctcr's Hair Joined the silver Party,
Pctcr Dean q young mining engineer,
went from Boston to LcadVille TO acquire
the pea.. seal part of his profession He
Tolls what hcfcll h.m as follows: AT Lead
Niiic uet a person named Thompson
Classy Thompson. he was called 10y those
about him in testimony 10 his powers rs n
cuuYcr-at ,oualist \ barkcapcr who seemed
the best informed ana the most gentle.
manly soul in town told me that Classy
Thompson was a miner full of practical
ssiil and that nc was just then engaged in
sinking shaft. | might arrange with
Classy and learn The business At the bar
\ opcr's hint. I proposed Is much TO him
All right, said Classy; come out TO the
shalt tumorrow
The next day ! was at the place ap-
pointed The shaft was already 90 feet
deep Besides myself and this person
Classy, who was TO tutor me- there was u
creature named Jim. That made three OF
us. At the suggestion of Classy he and l
descended into the shaft Jim was left on
the surface. We went down by means of u
bucket, jim Unwinding Us from a rickety
old WindlasS Once down, Classy and /.
with slcdgcs and drill, penetrated a hole
in the bottom of the shaft held tho
drill, Classy welding the slcdge When
the hole mot the Wor-hipful ta~tc OF my
tutor, he put in adynamito cartridge, con
ncctcd long five minute fuse herewith
aud carefully thumbed it about and packed
il in with wet clay
"A Ga>sys word | was then hauled 10
the surface by Jim. | added my strength
10 the wi0dla.-; 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 tn, mouth Of the shaft
and quictly Scamprred 10 distance 10 be
out of harm = reach At the end of five
minutes from The time that Classy had
lighted thc fuse, and perhaps three minutes
nftcr we had cleared away, the shot ex.
plodcd with dcairuing report a, a re.
suit tons of rock were shot up from the
mouth of thc shaft fuu 80 feet into the
air II was an Norl impressive and gave
Inc "a lc SOD iu tae tremendous power OF
Dynamite | WINS much pleased and felt "a
il / were learning
"Fo lowing Tie explosion, Classy and I
again reuurcd tpth. hattom of the shaft,
and al,or cleaning away the debris and
scndiue it up out 10y the bucket we re-
st'tl u Iit @lDNLi' tNN Qtllt. We tOlllDlClcu
another lo,, and were ready for "a second
shDt. This was about noon. Ii VAS at
this point the mis,rcuut Ga..y began to
put into action "a plot lac had formed
against Ilc, and to.c4try out which the
mudcrc. Jim. le-trgadr aid You must
remembers had perfect confidence in
these .Ni.Iiau-. 4 never seed no ten.
Gc..u.. u.tslrr.. like v0u do at this bust.
ac--. .id THOMPSON 40 mc Looks like
WOW va-horn .Jl en miuc. nc went on
Now IN. gom tp '.t llu ire the next
sl.t. tl. v.,l0,I.t feel Justified i'm
all.Vin "a t.ll..Gu, o. Ire d shot for
rnura three. n.nt.. But Won has n
aclu+ ulntl II coar.. easy 20 YOU
81. r.lI,f..a rir.-. most Idhp. dnin wrong
to hold Won i,.,.
"0r c..,.... ,at,r,ll,. folt rlr,scd IN
hoo .,''o,,... l..a .d.u. rtfc shot q, my
r.., ,,..f...,. fol- and lkuoy IN be
am ....,.r .,.i,,.l ~, writ. hor,.. ia
NM. ,,i.,,,f- ,r,..... ,...Ii,,Ib Gassv .aid
No. t.,,t il, tf. .l.. ..l ha secured ono
'.r..f.,.t 49,. r.,,.tI... ,v,,i,.i,., ,,loccd
,,..i,I..t. q.,,,, T.. ......'.r.l thn frsc
,...'.,.,.l ,t.,,'. ..l.. ,r,. hof,ro
a.. ....''..,.,., ,..... ,f,,r
r.....l r..,. .lI
'I' ' -' ' ' So