Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-12
A DANGEROUS HOME.
Miner Attacked in an Cid Roller bx
Wild Beasts.
From the San Francisco Call.

IO beasts.
From the San Francisco Call
Shut up in old steam boiler with a bea r
and rattlcsnake. That was the experi-
ence of Jake Aldrich a few days ago. and
ne says that 1t is the tightest box he ever
got into, and he has been in a good MANY.
JAKE Is a proSpector who for over a year
has been working out in the mountains a
few miles from Diamond Springs, Ei Dor
ado county. Near where Jake has been
working is abandoned engine, with all
the machinery, including the boiler. The
house that enclosed the machinery has all
been blown down, so that the boiler stands
out in the open air. The boiler is one of the
old-fashfoned kind. without f1ues.
early in the year it struck Jake that this
boiler would be a pretty good place to
sleep in, as 1t was warm and dry and per-
fectly impervious to the heavy rains that
fall in the vicinity. So he took out the
manhole gasket, which was a big one To-
Gated at the end of the boiler close to the
bottom, and moved It. a,
He found that it was just what he had
been looking for. Dark. of course, but as
warm as a house, By knocking off a
steam pipe connection at the other end of
the boiler the ventilation was perfect and
no danger OF getting wet. For months Jake
enjoyed his sleeping apartment in the boiler
and was the envy of all the miners for
miles around. But last Monday night there
snake got in. AT least that's when the
bear got in. When, the snake got in is a
mystery. 1t may have been ALTERNATING I'M
der Jakes blankets all winter for all he
knows, but he does know that it was there
last Monday night. 49, :
Jake went to bed at his usual time-about
Oakland as the night was a little warm
concluded to leave the manhole open. He
went to sleep instantly, but some hours
later was awakened by queer sound at the
end of the boiler. Rising in his blankets,
Jake reached for his miners matches.
| These are the kind that will burn several
minutes. Striking one, he was for a mo-
ment blinded by the glare. Then it flick
cred and went out Before he could strike
another Jake became conscious of a sniff
fling Gown at the far end of the boiler
| Then he got frightened, and when he
reached for his matchbox he couldn't find
it. He felt here and there, all the time con-
scious that the shifting was coming his
way. Cold sweat came out all over him
and a frenzy seized him. He wanted to
make 4 rush for the mauhoie, but fear held
him to the spot.
Then he felt for his matches again. and
this time nut his hand right on them
Striking one, mis- horror was increased. Be
fore him stood Il big bear. At sight of the
light the bear became frightened and went
back TO the end of the boiler. Jake's first
impulse was to draw his revolver and fire
but he had fear that he might miss the
bear or not hit vital spot, and so he kept
his matches burning in order to keep the
bear at bay until he could think out d
plan of flight. While this situation was at
its most strained point Jakes blood almost
froZe in his brains. for the whirr of rat
tlesnake struck his ear. 1t was in the boil
er, right in front of him and between him
and the bear. The first move was made by
the bear through the manhole.
This aroused Jake to his senses. The
match had almost burned his fingers when
his nerve came back, and he took careful
aim over the sights of his revolver and blew
the head off the rattlesnake just as it was
poised to strike.
Victory now aroused Jake's sportsman
blood. He wanted the bear.
Climbing out as quickly as he could he
saw bruin sitting on his launches a few
feet from the boiler. At sight of Jake he
turned to run, but pistol ball caught him
between the shoulders and stopped him.
He concluded to fight Jake and made a
fierce attack, maddened as he was by the
pain of his wound
AS the bear came near Jake pulled the
trigger of his revolver but the cartridge
missed fire. The bear made a jump and
Knocked him over, but before he reached
the ground Jake had put a bullet in the
ponderous creatures heart.
This ended the fight. Then Jake crawled
back into his boiler, threw out the dead
snake and went to sleep.
Next morning he was up bright and early
to overhaul the game he had bagged dur
"a ioh