The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-07-20
Tie NiSsionaru'6 Death

llO was Naut QAlA Nf0MeN Aeu aAe apparently no, exceeding 33 or 30 yearl old. This Lancashire miner, whose man. ncr was uncouth and whose speech was composed Of dissonants conveying quaint figures of speech. had crossed the Allan
 tic to work In the great coaldelds of Pennsylvania. and. sooth to say. he could discover little difference between tho mines Of Lancashire and those of Scran- ton.
 "You see. sir" be said Co me, I'm a real son of earth. I was born hundreds of feet below the surface. You see, sir, my father and mother were workers in the leud in which was born. They very rarely came to the top of the ground. Once a month or SO they'd do that, when therc was money in wage Co get and brandy and tobacco and food Co buy.
 "I was not only born but grew up in the galleries, and was good bit of a youugstcr-pcrhaps or years old--be- fore 1 took a seat In the bucket and was sent up the shaft Co where there was an- other kind of light. How strangely l was affected by no, only thC light of the sun, but by all saw on that first dayl Why lust thought 1 was in the paradise old Joe Blnktop used Co talk Co us about.
 Well. the shaft was upward of 900 feet from the top to the bottom, and after my first visit Co earth, which was my holi. dny-and was a regular snvogc-l found ! had work laid out Fvr mc-"ork push ing coal cars on the trumways that was sometimes beyond my chid strength Sull I worked without complaining for | remembered well the strange world l had been allowed Co look upon for on hour. and 1 asked Co bv permitted at some tu ture time Co visit iI again.
 Two yefrs later, when l was about as big and strong as Gn ordinary sized man, I came up with others, mostly lads of my own age. to enjoy for Q week the life Of the outer earth.
 That was my second visit tO the sun light, and l never went down that shaft Co work again. There yas an explosion. Let me add this much After many days, when the minc had bccu thoroughly eH' plored, DO living soul wus found in the h. l termlnable corridors; but, 60 where you would, the bodies of dead men and dead women and pale. face pinched, back bent and shoulder distorted lads and lasscs would trip you up--yes, even in the path ways.
 "The are damp had done its work h. deed
 T was too young to tSel greatly aE grieyed af their loss.
 Small time was given me for sorrow. My father and mother had hardly been a | dny In their cof1ns. lying In the earth of thc graveylrd. when l was ordered to an ] other shaf'. where was Co be set at my 1 old business Of pushing over che tram ways beneath the coal boxes.
 "Thc first peFson | recognized when ] | had got Co th. foot of the shaft of the colliery 70 which bad been assigned was ! the missionary, Joe Blluktop lt was l shrewdly suspected that thc cause of tho explosion i- q mine ih which any par cnts were destroyed grew out Of this mans negi gcnce Co comply with rules which are considered imperative and al ways necessary Co the safety Of the op ] arntives.
 However this may bc the missionary was not refused admlttancc Co thc other | ,hnfts-hy Q strange chance he was ab sent. lt was said he had been in London. at the time of ,hc explosion-and as he was personally popular with an. no mat | ter where hc went. his drinks of hquol were quite as frequent as his prayers.
 "ln thc new mine l worked hard, and ! Che little that was given me in return J | put carefully away.
 "Six year, l labored in the new collicry | In that long period of time. during which l 1 grew out of bOyhood Into manhood, ] | don't think l saw the sun as many time ns therc were added months in thos, years. l was quite careless and happy, aud l perhaps would have worked con J tcutcdly there on my life but for The ae cidcnt am about Co relate. "In the course of time the missionary wus made aware that ! wasted little of my earnings. and hc became covetous and resolved on possessing himself or my | treasure. Had be come to me and frank | ly asked for any or on Of my pounds and crowns ! should in nu probability have gratided bis wishes, but the man chose Co take them from me by suureptl' l lious means. and he succeeded in hi5 eyli l desire.
 "I In time found out what be lad donc but not before he had wastc0 an my substance. and became terribly angry, threatening, 10 my passion. tC kill hlm whenever I had a decent opportunity.
 "lt happened one Saturday afternoon ] had insensibly grown Into the habit Of going up Co the surface at the close of thc week and staying there sometimes until the following Mondny-that in a beastly condition from thc too free use ot Uu7or. the missionary was Co ascend with me. He fteppcd Into the basket and. scizinE the chains, placed himself on the edge of fhe vessel ! saw how dangerous was bis seat aud told him be had better steud up by my side. He laughed at me and cried out:
 "'So you're tfc man that's going G. take my lifef
 "This was heard by several, but before [ could reply We were a hundred feet on our way up the shaft. The basket tip ped
 "'Get ln. slry I cried. quite as much alarmed for my safety ns for his, and lnyoluntarily stretched out my hands Co cluttb aud save him: but. excited by liQ uor and possibly remembering what ! aad said when l charged hlm with steal
 ng my money, he pushed farther away trom me and did what had dreaded iapsizcd the basket.
 lee HaIHaHN aaH