The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18
TRIFLE WITH EXPLOSIVES.
Drirter's Experiences Have Led Him to Steer
Clear or Them.

Al you say. / am extremely cautious about
handling high explosives admitted Drifter.
land. for a man who has mixed in the mining
business, / confess l am unique. Why, ! actually
avoid fireworks diplays, except at o safe dis
lance. and when the big downtown stores bios
som out with Fourth of July decorations l pass
by on the other side.
Il wasn't SO easily scared when you first
knew me. That's true. Maybe l can explain
how the scare developed in me. One day while
tramping along over a dusty road in Connecti-
%cut-there being no stage line TO my destina-
toni was ovcrtaken by a jolly young chap
who was driving such a wagon as cigar and
candy peddlars in New England affect. He gave
me II lift, and put the whip to his horses. He
went at n hot pace. and pulled away at a cigar
from my case. I enjoyed my smoke, too. That
is, until we reached tho village. Then the
driver tossed his stump in the road and said:
"'Ioung fellow, fire that cheroot. You're
riding on a powder wagon, and the boss would
bounce mo II he caught us smoking. I'm used
to taking chances. Wasn't born to be blown up
THE very next day an explosion shook the
country. A powder plant went up in the twink
ling of an eye, and that careless ~driver-well, he
was too widely scattered TO need a funeral.
81 was rattlc.brained when ! made my first
trip to the mining region now famous rs the
@<'~ oh fhNhNtes DSa- A~1 "
pack all the supplies to our camp. and when we
came to a portage / took my share OF the work.
| picked up II box weighing about fifty pounds
and totcd it half a mile. ! wanted to I'LL my
pipe, so / carelessly tumhled that box-contain-
Ing canned goods ( r all / ~knew-down on the
ground: Jack Brown. the foreman of the outfit.
lounrcd back TO the trail and said quietly:
"'l)rifter, don't be so kittcnish with that box.
It's full of dynamite. Lucky for you and the lot
Of us that ! tilled 1t at the winter cache near Rat
Portage and it's frozen.
I" didn't talk above n whisper during the rest
of the trip. The next summer ] went up to the
mine ana did my turn on ono OF the drifts. Ono
day proposed n fishing trip, Mike, the day en-
The pickero! didn't show up TO suit Mike, so.
stretched himself und said:
MIR. Drifter, I'll show you how TO catch
FISH, lie had u dynamite cartridge in a hottie.
tightly in the neck OF tho bottle, and said: IN
touch this of, toss it in the lake, and heaven
help tho fishes argued against such un-
sportsmanlikc. slaughter, and Mike got ratified.
We were standing OH a naked rock. Mikes foot
hand. and we
NO, we were not blown to kingdom come, for
Mike Just grabbed the bottle mn inch or 30 from
the rock. lie threw H. out in the lake. There
tho air. and hundreds OF tiuttering dead and
dying fish lay on the surface. i couldn't have
touched one to save me from hanging, and
though Mike simply said That was close
enough no suggested returning TO the camp,
and no was the quietest man in the outfit for tho
next month.
From that day to this / have been Just q triie
discreet, az You might say. / don't nose around
powder mills. or try to investigate chemical
works. and when ! go back TO mining tho miner
who tries TO thar out a d Mantle cartridge by
tho fire In our shack will get out Of the camp
before he's a minute older, II / catch him."