The Opelousas courier., 1898-09-24

olteltllneS tnefe are many branches OF
small gangways leading from it. Now
the coal is blasted out of chambers
called breasts, which are located al
regular intervals hke, with great pill.
lars of coal and rock left standing be.
tween them to support the roof; en-,
gineers and miners have to be mighty
careful not to blast away any of the
pillars, for the roof reaches way up to
the surface, and besides the millions
of tons Of soil and gravel and stone
between tho miners and the open air,
there may be a forest on top of the sur
face, and often towns and cities stand
over mines that are being worked.
So you sec that it is q risky job to rob
the pillars by blasting away part of
them, specially when you remember
that three hundred feet below a city,
with hotels and banks and factory
buildings, there may be one lift; and
two hundred feet below this one, an
other, and a third and o fourth hun
dreds of feet below the others-mind
you, with scores and scores Of miners
in each lift blasting away, and load
ing coal into little cars that run on
rails along the gangways from the
breasts to the foot of the slope where
they are hauled up to the surface.
But like sailormen and railroad hands,
minors get so used to danger, day af-
ter day, that they don't scem to feel
it always; and fools that they are.
when the supply of coal begins to give
out they will, at times, run the risk of
robbing q pillar in order to make their
work last q few wccks or months
longer.
swell, Oh this particular July day,
years ago, I tumbled out Of the car at
the foot Of the slope, and started along
the gangway looking about and in
specting as usual. There wero some
little repairs needed at the mule
stables, [ remember, and I spoke to
the stable-boss about 'em. DO the
mine mules live under ground?' you
ask. OF cours they do, for years and
years at a stretch, without ever seeing
daylight. Save us! But I could tell
ye some curious tales of those big,
mine-mules, and maybe I
will some time. But as [ was sayin',
nothing particular happened that July
lay until about noon, when I hap
oened along by Lazy Tins breast,
ust as he was openin' his dinner pail.
Anyway, he sang out to me, Come
llong an eat here, Jim,' and I sat
Town beside him, at the same time
the lid off my own pail. We
alked politics and one thing and an
,ther until I lighted my pipe. 1 said,
Tim, why don't you fire up with your
'ipe?' aud he replied, MY matches
re beyond in my coat there, and [
bought I'd wait until you finish that
'ipe, and start another, when I could
lse your match. This didn't surprise
ne, but I mention it just to show that
azy Tim was still Lazy Tim at the
&c of thirty, and when the father of
wo children, n Of them a little girl
with something the matter
nth her back, so hat she couldn't
'alk. And then he stretched out,
nd told me that Mary was getting
ONE better, the company doctor said,
nd that very day, for the first time in
er life, she was going away from
ome-poor little thing! Where's
he goin' Timmy?" I asked, and he
nswered, She's going on a Sunday
,hool excursion with my wife and
too. There's to be three Sec
ons in the train, and all the Sunday
,hools Of the region have joined in.
he never was strong enough to go
nywhere before, and She s been
Ilkin' and latin over this for weeks!
he train starts at noon sharp, and
Re last.section is due to pass over the I
lrface above here where we're work
I at 1890, but it's likely they'll be {
'n%siderable late, they always are j
:owever, from IL. 80 till one I'm just
Din to lay here and smoke and look s
p at the roof, and think of little !
AIRY goin' on her happiness-party, t
she calls it, 1 nodded with APP
'oval, and said, Good for you, Tim
VI / wanted to say more, but I ]
for thinkin' of the white
ced little mite with big eyes, and
gs and arms nc bigger than my pipe =
em, and on her first happiness :
Save us! but it makes me all y
loke up to think Of it now, and it q
years and years ago. q
"Finally I got up and put my pipe .
my pocket and started to go on !,
Jain, but I stopped q minute, lookin' l
the breast he was working in, and I!
id: 'Ain't you beyond your line on l
at pillar, Timmy?' 6
"a little, p'raps,' he replied, but d
haven't cut away much of any, and e
g inside boss hasn't kicked yet U
cts no business of mine, Jimmy,
It as a friend, l want to tell you that I
bbin' a pillar is risky 7
81 know that, Jim,' he begain I
ain, but I must have work. Before c
IL go, what time is it?' j
I pulls out my watch. Just half v
st twelve, time for the train to be t
ssin' overhead with your kids b
oard.'. a
g Yes, but it's like to be some time
t before it does co. was the answer. O
I'd then Lazy Tim leapt to his feet il
d stood trembling. In another p
cond he gasped: What's that, Jim? =
, ye hear anything? Quick, man, Il
eaki' 4
4 strained my ears and peered out "
10 the black gangway, I think I 8
az squeaks, Tommy-but T dun. c