The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1902-11-20
rsr MINERS OF COPPER ISLAND

I gold- -~ineu tosslsef sf B@ndiso' Hie'
slvu- nisiss si Brot.n Hill. ssd ., isie
a.ts vortea ass by siie 10 tbs iia nine
al Moant Il chat. in T.snsti', betiss
esad aeiies several prospeelins trips Of
oaf osu soooulL
o. Coneell vss . msa Tor vbon bad
sbole.one respect He v. qais'
reserved sooi ns,utsd fsiIos. sho psrs
sf.nk TOO nuch.sa vho hated po'hins II
this world q ote than sfow. He vas % 81
OF i'm utnts physical strength. 90 eIpst
boxer, spd . ntsbi6sent skinner. Hi
tlseid demespsr hid sn led emiisbls tpiri
sni would - soon have i1nsh. t:esn
roller % jim o'Connsll, tbs ooe voalt
bsve been ~ unsompronisins 40 ~ The oihe
II su on ons Of our prospecting tiip
thsl Jim told ms ths particulars OF BIZ
strssss eIperisros.ou Cooper island.
bdef hins OF which he'd slrssdy obtsiset
iron . police court paragraph some tint
before iu the Bnsbsts Connsr.
II seems Jim YES 10 sydney out OF wors
vhen be say one day al advertisement IL
tho Sydusy Morning Herald nkips for
bsli.d,zln miners to proceed to Copper
i,lsud an uniohsbnsi hisDd lying b.
tseen Brisbane and Tborsdsy island -snd
there prospect for copper. OConnell iu
medistsly made application TO the sdssl
iiser. one Captain D.. . mining expert
D. hsd oonttol OF the business on be
bali OF . well known Sydney afm OF ship
owners, Who held . concession for mining
on the island. O'Cosnell beiag . prscticsl
miner Of vide experisncs vas made the
boss" Of ihs gang. and five other men
having bsso sngsgsd aud contracts signed
Tor six months. the little party we're taken
BY Captain D. 10 the scene OF their op
erslions 10 Q scheonsr chartered Tor the
purpose.
Hsvins duly landed the men on the
island, whose sole inhabitants they we're to
bs. D left them, promising to return
st the beginning OF each month With the
rstions, etc. For . lime oil went we'll. The
men we're amply provisionsd, ,snd. b,side',
there wss some festhersd game TO be sbot.
ash TO be eau. bit. and . fair supply Of eggs
OF various kinds. The men soon settled
down to work 10 esrnest. meeting With coo
siiersbls success 10 their search for cop
per. Bat tbs month expired, and, con
usry TO their expectations. Captain d -
schooner came not. There vas still plenty
OF food on the island. however, and the
men kept at their work end we're NOT un
essy, Bat when . second month elapsed
aud s,ill there was no sisn Of The sehooaer
they began TO get seriously alarmed.
Tue stores became exhausted. and soon
alter . isr greater evil beiell. Hitherto .
plentiful supply Of water had been obtain
sbls. d . spot. where the islanders fonsly
imagined . spring existed, bat no rein had
fallen since their landing. and the basin
beeomins empty. 1t vas seen that there
had been msrsly . surface supply. and
now no. . single drop vas to be found on
the whole islsndl
10 this swkwsrd difficulty O'Oonnslrs
soon showed itself. Every
body nstarslly looked 10 him; even had
be net been their "boss" 1t would have
been just the same. Digging for wstsr
proved barren OF results. and, % there wss
evidently no water on the island; O'Osn
uell dsssrained to look elsewhere for it,
Abeut mile 10 tae westward Icy smother
email islsnd, and thithsr be determined TO
usks bis wy. He suggested thst one Of
bic mates should accompany hin. and that
they should tsks ~ empty cask In TOW
and bring back . supply Of water II any
we're found. Four OF the nes ssknowlsde
cd themselves TO b swimmers, bat not ono
for the mile svim through the
shsrk-iniested see.
Az II vas more thss ons man's work,
however, to TOW . lsdsn cssk in the ses,
lots we're ultimately est and . man
ssllsa Ginge set forth With O'Oonnsll.
Ths two rssshed the island without any
we're fortunsts 10 fnd -
ample supply Of water, snd brought back
their we'll allied oAsk iu safety. They had
bat ono essk. sad. - il held only . sssnty
,upply for one week. it bsesne necessary
10 make periodical visits to the other
island. II wss Of course. impossibls for
lhsa 10 take up their residence there.
Not ouly vas one Of their number . non
winner. bot they had no means OF trsus
Isrrins their srms snd snnnnitisn = upon
which they nov largely depended Tor sub
.istsncs their tent. sookiue utensils. tools
s,c. Every Saturday, therefore. . visit
vss paid 10 water Island" % 1. came to
bs ksovs, snd eseh time the voyage VS.
nsds lots we're cast for who should -
ssmpspy O'Oonssll for tho brave bose
llsays insisted upoa personally oonduc.
Ins the expedition. There are probably -
nsny sharks 10 these Walters ~ snyvbere
% the face Of the globe. snd the hrst few
Inps we're made 10 fear snd trsm bling
Bat - tims vent on snd 90 nischsncs 90
surrsd the men gained confidence. sltbo'
The sight Of triangular 6us occasionally se,
'heir hearts bsstips unessily. II 10 prob
able tbs. the presence OF the sssk discon
csrtsd The sharks, bot certain il 10 they did |
res vsstnrs 10 molsst the svimmsn.
The miners 5000 settled down to . duil
routine Of starvation rstions; tie monet
ony Of their life only broken BY weekly
trips 10 Tstsr islspd. Would the schooner
never cous' Anspole vo risssd up 10
he hsps Ct eonnssic,,ins With some
passing sbir, bot, ai,hough . ssil vss
,onstimes sees on tse hor.r,a no vessel
svsr cane Besr snoash TO zee their sisssls
\ - t,stIs