The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1896-08-22
TRAGEDY OF A MINE,

From the shoulder Of Badly, where
the mine was, you could see far out to
westward where the Pacific rolled in
blue sheet, which was the undulating
reflection Of the heavens above. II
you were on Badly you would say thar
there could be nothing more sublime
In the world than the ocean, and II you
were out at sea you would be firm 10
the faith that no more magnificent
thing could exist than the great senii-
mel mountain.
Young Bradshaw was just from col
iege when his father sent him up to the
mine as a sort OF general manager to
serve through the late summer and the
coming winter. The water supply
showed plain indications OF early ex.
haustlon, and so the fifty or more men
who had been employed In bombarding
the gravel with a six-inch stream, were
called down to Los Angeles and paid
up and discharged. The exodus was
general. Even Yardley, the most re-
spected and most efficient deputy sher-
In who had ever hired to a mine COM
pany, In order that peace might be pre-
served In an official way, went with the
others. Only Young Bradshaw ana
Burleigh were left TO tenant the cabins
and watch the pipe. 1t was eighty
miles to Los Angeles In a horizontal
line and nearly two more miles straight
down toward the center of the earth.
The mountain was wild and majestic
and inaccessible and when the men
went away that meant solitary confine-
ment. In the building of the pipe line
5000 tons OF iron and steel had been
dragged and maneuvered up a shoulder
for many tortuous miles, every pound
representing human effort, as even a
burro could not go into that labyrinth
set on end. As Bradshaw's father, the
president of the mining company, had
said In the beginning, 1T took some
thing that could swear and yell and
get out of the way quickly to get that
piping in place"
Burleigh was a man of 30, giant IN
stature, with the magnificent health
which demands association with
healthy things He was not born to the
mines as was Henky Pete, who could
spend days In solitude, speaking no
word to any one. Henky Pete was
ordinarily the man who was left over
winter when the snow piled and the
cabin for six months was filled with
the smoke which could not 20 up and
which, therefore, was absorbed by his
person, making him resemble In the
spring cured ham. But this time
Henky Pete was taken to Los Angeles
with the others and turned loose. Bur
leigh, a man of reasonably intelligent
parts, was preferred by young Brad.
shaw as a companion. for the latter
thought an Intelligent and well-demean-
ored mlne-mate would be preferable
to the stupid Russian. There could be
some sort OF Intercourse between them.
IL was July when the men had gone
to Los Angeles, and by the middle Of
September Young Bradshaw had finish
ed Strabo and had got well on the way
OF translatlng him backward. He had
by this time read every newspaper
which had before been pasted to the
wall OF the cook-cabin, and had one hy
one washed the journals or with warm
water so as to see what was printed on
the other side. He had started diary
and had returned TO II fifty times. only
to find that he could possibly record
nothing more than "MOnday-both wen.
Cloudy below" He and Burleigh had
wandered up and down the sub-pipe
line TO the reservoir. until the familiar
rocks had grown unhearable in their
familiarity. Sometimes they turned on
water and washed for few hours, and
tried In this hydraulic search for gold
to distract thoughts from the frightful
lonesomeness OF close mountain and
distant sea. Burleigh found the soil
tude harder to bear than the boy from
the college. for the boy really found
odd little things to take up minute sec
lions at least OF his boyish mind. Bur
leigh. a man Of experiences. could nor
do this. He grew morose and fretful
and cooked villainously. Both had dys.
pepsia by the last of August.
Toward the middle OF September
young Bradshaw came In from patrol
of the pipe line and found that Burleish
had cooked for ten instead OF two. The
plates were set, also, for ten.
Whats this for?" the boy cried with
Astounding delight. Are there some
tourists in camp?"
Burleigh looked ferociously about.
Nor he snarled. "Who comes into
this he'll Of loneliness? No. But an
going to have company. have cooked
for Harkins and Frye and Jaquith and
half dozen of the best of the men who
were here, and If they are not on hand
to eat it's no fault of mine. l shall
Imagine they are in the mine anyway.
and In that way perhaps l can get com.
fort. Here, Gordon" addressing the
space which was fronted by the tin dish
at his left, here, shave some bacon"