Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-07-22

inSs must ever regard rs Irregular
lived a young Swede, Ingar Nelson,
when the range was new. He was Il
grinning, penniless giant of twenty.
anxious to find work. No men wer..
needed at the mine, but there was
enough for him to do in the town,
where every day he saw fresh crop
OF ilmsy buildings springing up, on
streets from which the stumps had
not been grubbed.
The stout and willing Ingar was
presently man sought after. His
hand was turned to every manner of
work, from building q house to max
ing Fifth avenue capable of being
travelled by wagons. Up to the time
of his advent the avenue had been
open to foot-passengers only, because
the inhabitants had been too busy
with other matters to clear out the
stumps and bouiders. Fifth avenue,
80 named by surveyor who had once
visited New York, began at the mine
hill and ended in a cedar swamp, and
was destined to be lined throughout
its length with miners's supply stores
and saloons.
One day Ingar visited tho mine,
and watched tho men at work there
make ready for blast. He retired
with them when the danger-signal
sounded from the power-house
whistle, stood perplexed while tho
foreman put the electrical firing ap.
paratus i'll readiness, and when the
knob was touched, was little shaken
and entirely puzzled by the instant,
decisive detouation in the mine. Back
in the drift again, the litter of riven
ore, torn from solid walls, made an
impression on the youth that was not
to he blotted out.
81 tank she bane good stolf!" he
exclaimed with satisfaction, when
shown some of the yellow compound
that had demonstrated such power to
split stone and iron.
1t was at this time that Ingar took
the contract for digging cellar be-
meath the store OF Peter Baird. Peter
had been in such hurry to begin
business that he built his store first,
and arran yed for tho excavation of
the cellar afterward. Ingar did pretty
we'll with the digging, until he came to
4 boulder so big that it was beyond
the strength Of man or beast to get it
out.
Peter Baird's disgust was extreme,
but he was treasured by the con-
tractor. 81 fix um," said the laconic
Ingar. Mr.. Baird was busy for a
time after that, and when next he saw
Ingar, that herculean Norseman had
just emerged from the cellar. Ingar
lighted his pipe and went across the
street to see how Andrew Larsen was
getting on with his new meat market.
At this point Peter Baird went into
the storage shed back of his main
building to fill an oil can that had been
sent in from prospector's camp, and
this was lucky circumstance.
In the twinkling of an eye the store
was rent and shaken as il very
Vesuvius had broken loose under it,
and in one or two more twinklings
McHale's barroom, on the opposite
street corner, suddenly spilled men
out of every door. That was where
the largest piece OF stone struck.
When his employer cautiously ap-
preached the shattered store, very
white as to face and with knees not
to be depended OH, Ingar gravely
explained the eruption that had just
taken place. In disposing of the re-
fractory boulder he had wished to put
his newly acquired knowledge Of
explosives into effect. From supply
store he had obtained a miners
''stick" OF dynamite, which looks very
much like a tallow candle, and with
it the necessary fuse and Illuminating
caps. With these it was his design to
SKATER the stone and surprise Mr..
Baird-a statement that caused loud
laughter and cheers.
"Yon done it, me boy, you done
it, yelled Pat McHale, who had just
arrived, loudly demanding to know
whom he had to thank for dropping
three hundred pounds Of very
ordinary stone upon his premises.
Even Peter Baird slapped Ingar on
the back and called him "a bird, !"
but the Swede never knew what he
meant.
Ingar hal placed the dynamite
under the boulder, attached cap and
fuse, and then applied the match. He
had notion that when he returned he
would find the stone conveniently
broken into small pieces, like the ore
at the mine, and his chagrin was keen
that the explosion should have made
such a mess of the building. He did
not make the statement at that time,
but secretly leld the opinion that it
would have been a successful opera
ton had he used only half the "stick. I"
Mr.. Baird patched up his store aud
ordered new stock of crockery.
After tina. the supply men were not
disposed to sell Ingar dynamite. One
day. however, he purchased some for
the declared purpose ct blowing out
stumps, at the some time engaging in
solemn terms not to employ any of the
dangerous substance in the course of
cellar digging.
Ingar had lodgings at large board.
ing house on the outskirts of the
town, where miners and other work
men were quartered, and in walking
down the street with his formidable
purchase ho thought Of particular
offensive stump on his landlords
promises. This stump, remnant of q
giant pipe, so firmly rooted that it had
resisted all ordinary methods OF e1-
traction, was q nuisance and an eye
sore.
Ingav recalled perfectly that the