The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-19
y HIS VIEW rEAR,S RESOLUTION.
One In 1900 was to Get Out ma Ono In 1897
Was to stay Out.

Ss@y oe'
They were huddled around the stove in a
mountain station on the Union Pacific road
seven or eight OF thcm-waiting for a delayed
train when the talk turned on New Years re-
solves. One after another related his various
" resolves for several years back. and finally
1t came to the man with the Van Dyke beard
and Gold.rimmcd spcctaCles, whom everybody
had put down as n professor.
well. gentlemen" he began, 81 don't know
as any OF my resolves will interest you, unless 1t
is the one l made in 1896. i was lying on my
bed when the old year died and tho new year
was born. AS the last stroke of the bells died
away l determined to begin operations at once.
and five minutes later saw me at work on my
tunnel"
Excuse me-" said the man with the sandy
whiskers as the Professor paused. but were
you in the mining business T.
mo, sir. AS l said. I began work on my tun-
mel. and though l had only a broken knife to dig
with I had made an excellent start before day
light came, and l had to abandon the work.
That resolve seemed to put new life into me.
and I was impatient for night 10 come and start
in on the work again.
Couldn't you work on the tunnel in the day
time y asked the same man as before.
mo. SIR was the reply. No; my only
chance was from 10 O'Clock at night till about
ioui III shc hioI hhu Il lubl Us L Jug INC
dirt and cement out / had to conceal the stuff
from ali prying eyes. 1t was terribly hard
work. but, I was determined to let nothing
daunt me-"
THAT was a queer tunnel. Were you digging
to strike some other claim: and were the other
fellows suspicious of your
"Oh. no. As near as I could judge the dis.
lance by my eye | had a matter Of forty feet to
go. must, however. sink my shaft a depth of
four hours per night. l got hold OF an old chiscl
to dig with. hut it was a matter OF three months
before finished the shaft; 4 score OF times !
that New Years resolve. always came up to
Look here. Professor" said the man with the
sandy whiskcrs. you couldn't have been en-.
tomSed in = miner
And you were not running a drift into a
No sir. When I finally got my shaft sunk
TO the required depth it was easier digging. and
! made better progress, but it WAS heart-break.
ing work after all. l think it was six months
before l reached the wall. and there was not an
hour in all that time when my work was not
liable to discovery. / had to go down three feet
extra to get under the wall. and then the foul
air"
Say. now!" exclaimed he of the sandy
whiskers MS he rose up in his excitement, " I
want to know where you were"
In State Prison." quietly answered the pro-
fessor.
An you were tunnelling your way outr'
And yOu-you escaped y
A you see. Yes: l finished my tunnel and
got out only two weeks ago. and my New Years
resolve for 1897 was to stay out"
They all looked at the professor. but he stroked
his ,whiskers and bent over the stove and re-.
marked that 1t seemed to he growing colder.
The passenger who had asked all the questions
wanted TO ask one more-what crime the pro.
fessor had committed-but the ethics OF the far
West forbade him to do so. and he went out for
u walk up and down the platform.