Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-06-25
HE AVOIDS EXPLOSIVES.
Drifters Experiences Have Led Him to
Steer Clear of Them.


Steer Clear of Them.
Gas you say, l am extremely cautious
about handling high explosives" admit
ted Drifter, "and for man who has mixed
in the mining business l confess l am
unique. Why, actually avoid fireworks
displays, except alta safe distance, and
when the big down town stores blossom
out with Fourth Of July decorations pass
by on the other side.
81 wasn't so easily scared when you first
knew me. That's true. May be l can ex-
plain how the scare developed In me. One
day while tramping along over dusty
road I'm COnnecticut-there being no stage
line to my destination-I was overtaken by
a jolly young chap who was driving such a
wagon as cigar and candy peddlers in New
England affect. He gave me lift, and
put the whip to his horses. He went at a
hot pace and pulled away at cigar from
NY case. I enjoyed my smoke, too-that
IS, until we reached the village. Then
the driver tossed his stump in the read and
said:
d" Young fellow, fire that cheroot.
You're riding on a powder wagon, and the
boss would bounce me II he caught us
smoking. I'm used to taking chances
wasn't born to be blown up.
1.-THE very next day an explosion shook
the country. a powder plant went up in
the twinkling Of an eye, and that careless
driyer-well, no was too widely scattered
to need funeral.
Il was rattle Drained when l made my
first trip to the mining region now famous
as the Lake Of tho Woods mineral belt.
We had to pack all the supplies 10 our
camp, and when we came to portage l
took my share Of the work. picked up n
box weighing about 90 pounds and toted
it half a mile. | wanted to fill my pipe,
so l carelossly tumhlcd that box-contain-
ing canned goods for all Iknew-down on
the ground. Jack Brown, the foreman Of
the outfit. loungcd back to the trail and
said quietly:
"'Drifter, don't be so kittcnish with
that box. It's full Of dynamite. Lucky
for you and the lot Of us that l filed it AT
the winter cache near Rat portage, and It's
frozen.
Il didn't talk above a whisper during
the rest OF the trip. The next summer
went TO the mine and did my turn on one
Of the drifts One day Proposed fishing
trip. Mike, the day engineer, laid of and
went with me in our canoe. The pickerel
didn't show up to suit Mike. So padding
TO rock entirely bare Of vegetation, he
stretched himself and said;
Now, Mr. Drifter, III show you how
to catch fish He had a dynamite car
fridge in a bottle. He inserted fuse,
hacked the dangerous stuff tightly in the
neck Of the bottle and said, IN touch this
off. toss IL in the lake and heaven help the
fishes l argued against such unsports-
manlike slaughter, and Mike got ratified.
We were standing on "A naked rock. Mike s
foot slipped, that Internal bottle dropped
from his hand, and We
"No. we were not blown TO kingdom
come, for Mike just grabbed the bottle an
inch or so from the rock. He threw It out
in the lake. There was convulsion, q
vast let Of water shot up in the air and
hundreds OF fluttering dead and dying fish
lay on the surface. l couldn't have touched
one to save me from hanging, and though
Mike simply said, That was close enough,
he suggested returning to the camp, and
he was the quietest man in the outfit for
the next month.
"From that day to this have been just
q trifle discreet, as you might say. don t
nose around powder mills or try to inyes-
tigatc chemical works, and when | go
back TO mining the miner who tries to
thaw out dynamite cartridge by the fire
in our shack will get out Of the camp be-
fore he's minute older II l eaten him. "
New York Sun.