The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-16
PUMPKIN VINE MINE.

d sad, sullen look to the whole thing.
Pumpkin Vine mine should have done
better. Alongside of it was a sister mine.
the Goldenrod, which every one was reach
ing for. One SO golden, the other luster-
less or course, like feminine nature, the
Goldenrod was coy; had a shrinking from
familiarity, as miners said. But the very
shyness of the mino made the interest in
1t more intense. 1t was like Irritation,
getting ore out Of the Goldenrod. To do
SO was highly exhilarating; made all
hands cheerful. What pity that Pump
kin Vino hadn't been coquetteS But it
remained a stalk. Yet 1t hadn't been
blown away when John Anderson became
25 years OF age. The seven directors Of the
Vine at that date were men OF sterling
quality and undoubted ability. They fed
off good things at other times, but when
they met, now and then, over the grave OF
the Pumpkin Vine they supped only on
bitter weeds.
At 25 John Anderson had saved by his
own earnest efforts enough money TO
marry and start home. He had a son l2
months old, for whom he had great expec-
tations in the future.
Ono rainy afternoon In November he
was looking over old papers when he came
unexpectedly on his ten shares of the
Pumpkin Vine gold mine stock.
Anderson attended the annual meeting
Of tho mining company of which he was
q small stockholder, held the second week
In December. After tho meeting the query
as to what could be done with the mine
arose ever In John Anderson's mind. He
put it to his wife one evening after supper
and lay back in his armchair and smiled.
His wife was young enough to bo foolish
and old enough TO be wise. The wife's
advice was for him TO apply to the board
Of directors of the company 10 be made SUI
perintendent of the mine; to leave her and
her child, and, with gang Of sturdy rock
breakers, proceed to the side of that rugged
mountain, where the mine was, pick,
crush and dig until they could, as it were,
And out how much of nothing or how
much of something there might be In the
body or stalk of tho Vino.
But who was going to pay for this sort
Of thing? Where was the money to pay
John for going on all fours, week In and
out, and the gang for food to make them
Drawn, and for rum to keep up their spir-
its, and for oil for their headlights, and
for machinery, tools, coal and what notf
And even SO suppose, after all, nothing
was found9 Going through n mine isn't
easy or cheap, like highwayman going
through miner.
The wise wife had a secret which she
now let out. But there was lying In the
bank drawing 2 per cent interest 81, 600,
which John could have for the proposed
work to the Pumpkin Vine. John did
not know that his wife had had an uncle
| who had been n sea captain, who had died
| and left Johns wife $4,000 from an es.
| tate. This great secret she had kept from
| John that she might recall 1t when an oc
casion happened important enough to un'
/ seal her lips.
At tho next meeting Of the Pumpkin
| Vino company John Anderson was ap'
| pointed superintendent of the mine.
One Sunday afternoon the latter part OF
| the following May ho stood on the side OF
rugged mountain on which lay the
Pumpkin Vino mine in a sullen sleep.
They wero a tough looking lot. Poker
Jim, kind of leader of the gang, who had
been recruited at a considerable expense,
was considered the best man of all to scent
out gold.
His men stood about silently chewing
tobacco. 1t was gang sworn TO be mum.
Poker Jim allowed that he was the man
who had said no one of them would got
away whole should any break faith. Ger
tain prospecting had led to well laid plan
Of assault, and the next day, Monday, the
opening work on the mine was begun.
At the end OF 30 days John wrote home
| that If there was any good news IL would
have to come from the other end of the
line. He wrote letter to the president of
| the company and told him briefly that
L Lar Ia q. Ha xvn
| Poker Jim was not discouraged.
When John had spent $4,000 OF his
wife's money in the hole, he had his ten
shares of Pumpkin Vine stock transferred
| to his wife's name, which was certainly
laughablc.
Then there came storm Of wind and
| fierce rain The Pumpkin Vine mine was
| flooded. II took three weeks to pump out
| tho mine and it took big lot of money tc
| do it, 1t was then near the end OF August
| John telegraphed his wife that he was
| down with rheumatism and then dictated
| letter to the home Office, telling them
| there that Poker Jim had broken his righ,
| arm in three places, but was not discour
| aged.
| John had 81, 900 more to drop into the
| hole; his wife had wired him g., 900 more
| the last of the S12, 900. Poker Jim was In
| an i'll humor, as his right arm always hurl
| him now, and John was irritable, for the
| rheumatism had settled in his knees ant
ankles. Jim had called John Anderson q
rag, and John had called Jim "blowzy.
| They had drawn off for q crack az eaoi
| other when two wires" arrived from th'
| superintendent and telegram for Poke
| Jim.
One of the dispatches to Anderson wa
from the home Office telling him to shu
down and close up and come homo; to stoI
at once the whole miserable business Th
other was from his wife, saying the chilli
was i'll very i'll, and that she was dowi
with grief and anxiety. And there wa
Poker Jim standing like one stunned too
Then no gave an unearthly whoop and |
shout and tore around in a circle like ,
madman. While Jim was doing his hins
Nasty Jack, n member of the gang, rushed
I'D so overcome with emotion that he slut
tered, stumbled and fell and cried out
"Goldw Poker Jim's dispatch was from
London and informed him that his nearl.
forgotten father had died and left him
fortune Nasty Jacks cry of gold mean
that the old Pumpkin Vine had yieldc'
again at last.
John wired TO his wife to expect him b
the first train. Ho wired to the homo ofiic
that 1t was no time to close up when "a
Pumpkin Vine was putting forth leaves
Anderson found his wife and child doin
well.
A few months later ohm had ten sharu
OF the Pumpkin Vine .old Mine company
which he had trans erred TO his wife
framed and hung up In tho library, for h
could afford 90 do 50.
Poker Jim soon left for the old countr
to shed tear over his fathers grave an
claim his fortune. Nasty Jack suddenl
reformed nnd is now doing missionar
work somewhere In Colorado. o.-Cinoinna'
II n..ul