The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-23

chap worth knowing. Indeed, no was.
Devil Dick, we used to call HIM, and /
don't know but what it was ltting
name for him. Devil Dick. He was n
nitroglycerin handler in the early days OF
that sudden and capricious explosive
agent, so useful to the oil operator, but so
capable OF mixing up and changing the
aspect Of things generally when it gets
going at the wrong time aud plact.
Dicks way of handling nitroglycerin was
so disingenuous that when Dick had a
load OF the stun TO deliver TO a well every
body else at and about that well took to
the woods. Unless 1t might be Dan SUIT
ton. Dan wns chum of Dicks, and had
as calm and unruiilod a manner i'm hand
ling nitroplyoerin as Dick himself. Why,
I've seen Dan and Dick play catch VITA
nitroglycerin they were unloading Dick
tossing can after can TO Dan, and Dan
catching it, just as If they were unloading
brick, although the missing of a can by
Dan would mean that in less than Sec
ond you couldn't find so much as tee
nail of either. But Devil Dick was the
better worth knowing OF the two Ho
was oTlgiual. he nai Boulus' 2lo was
great
For instance, Dan Sutton would never
have thought of doing such a thing as
Dick did once down mt Roen's camp.
Dan might have been willing to do II. but
he could never have thought it up. A
driller named Peterson, got a regular
Dutch rolling skaks on one day. and was
blowing around about what things he
could do. when who should come along
but Devil Dick with load of glycerin
The load wasn't for any we'll around tho
camp. but Dick stopped to listen To tho
drunken driller. Pretty soon he got OF
his wagon and says TO the driller
Pete, he says I'm bet you $50 you
can't hit can Of glycerin with stone
at 90 PAGES once out Of ten times, and I'll
hold the can.
"That was enough TO make everybody
around there prick up his ears, aud when
Peterson said he'd take the bet and Dick
stepped To the wagon to get the can, we
all made tracks for high ground. by the
time we got TO n safe place and stopped
to look back Dick had paced of the dis
tance and stood there holding the can Of
glycerin at arms length. and the driller
was getting ready to make the throws
Five throws were wild. The sixth one
struck Dicks arm not three inches from
the can. That Jared the can out Of
Dicks hand, but he caught il before it
reached the ground, or the throwing
match would have ended there and then,
with the total separation of Dick and
the drillcr from all further toll and trib-
ulation. The last four throws We're all
Gloss TO the can, the last one actually
erazed it, Dick won his bet, got his
money, put his can back in the wagon
and drove on his way.
"That was genius, wasn't itS And look
what, it did. When Peterson got sober
and came to think over what he had done
he sigued the pledge. and never touched
another drop of liquor. He ia living.
rich and respected. He never would have
heen cit her If it hadnt been for Devil
Dick Warner Lots of men profit by
other mems genius just that way. Lots
of 'em.
"In those days the woods all through
the oil religion. and the oil region ran
tty much all to woods, We're alive
with wild animals of all kinds, and it
was no uncommon sight to see bear, or
panthsr, or n lynx or some other savage
beast prowling around the camps or the
isolated oil towns. The lynx, especially.
seemed to have liking for oil-well men,
and one particularly big aud savage ono
had its eyes on Devil Dick almost every
day when he was carting nitroglycerin
over tho lonely Corker Run road, and was
Watching its chance TO get away with
him. One day Dick was.on his way to
well with n load Of torpedoes, and he
picked me up on the way. was going
TO Jones new drilling. On q stretch of
the road through Conway's woods dis
covered big Canadian lynx stealing
along through the branches Of the trees
at one side of the road and keeping only
o few feet behind us.
"'Great Aaron, Diok,' said I, pulling
Dicks sleeve. Look at that"
StI seen it this mile or more. said
Dick. 'It's hankerin' after me, and
only hope it'll keep on after US till we git to
Keery's opening. I'm aching for it to do
that. Then III surprise it,
"Keery's opening was gap in the
woods, and a ravine 20 feet deep, mile
or so further on. The lynx kept right on,
aud when We got to the opening the
animal was still with US.
Now,' said Dick, see me scatter
himi'
1.-The lynx had crouched down only few
feet from the edge of the nearest wall of
the ravine. Before had any idea of
how Dick intended TO scatter him. he
grabbed up n can Of nitroglyceIin and
purled II with all his might at tho animal
which was not moro than 90 feet away.
The can struck the side of the lynx with
a dull thump. and the yielding flesh and
fur did not offer resistance enough to ex-
plode il. The force of the blow keeled the
lynx over on its back and the con began
TO roll slowly down gradual decline that