The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-09-03
TIE Ni6sioDdu'5 Death

old. This Lancashire miner, whose man
ner was uncou,b and whose speech was
composed OF dissonaRts conveying quaint
figures Of speech. had crossed the Allan
tic to work In the great coaldelda OF
Pennsylvania, and. sooth to say, he could
discover 'Ntle difference between the
uincs OF Lancashire and those OF Scran-
ton.
"You see. sir" be said to me, I'm a
real son OF Garth. I was born hundreds OF
trct below the surface. You sec, sir. my
father and mother were workers In the
lead IN which 1 was born. They very
rarely came to the top Of the ground.
Once a month or so they'd do that. when
there was money In wage TO get and
brandy and tobacco and food to buy.
81 was not. only born but grew up In
the galleries. and / was a good bit Of a
youngstcr-pcrhaps q or 5 years old-be-
fore took a seat IN the bucket and was
sent up the SHAFT 70 where there was an
other Kind OF light How strangely was
affected by no, only the light OF the sun,
but by all l saw on that first dayl Why,
just thought ! was In the paradise old
Joe Bliuktop used to talk TO US about.
We'll the shaft was upward OF 900
feet from the top 20 the bottom, and after
my FIRST visit TO earth, which was my holi-
day-and I was a regular savage found
had work laid out for me-work push
Ing coal cars on the tramways that was
sometimes beyond my child strength.
Still / worked without complaining, for l
remembered well the strange world l had
been allowed % look upon for an hour,
and asked TO be permitted az some fu'
ture time to visit IL again.
1.-TWO years later. when I was about as
big and strong as an ordinary sized man,
came up with others mostly lads Of my
own age. to enjoy Tor 4 week the life OF
the outer earth.
That was my second visit 70 the sun.
light. and I never went down that shaft
70 work again. There v0s an explosion.
Let me add this much: After many days,
when the mine had bccn thoroughly cK-
plored. no living soul wac found 10 the In
terminable Corridors but, 90 whore you
would. the bodies % dead men ana dead
women and pale. face piuched. back bent
AMI shoulder distorted lads and lasses
would trip you up-yes. even In the path
ways.
"The are damp had doac its work In
deed.
Il was too young TO feel greatly az
grieyed az their loss.
"Smal Time was given me FOR sorrow.
Ny fathe, aud mother had hardly been a
day iu their coins. lying In the earth Of
the graveyard. when | was ordered 70 an
other shar. whore / was 20 be set az my
old bu,inc1s of pushing over the tram
WAYS beneath the coal boxes.
'The frs, poison / recognized when /
had got tc On. loot Of the shaft OF the
colliery 70 which had been assigned was
the missionary. Joe Bliuktop. IL was
shrewdly suspected that the cause Of the
explosion g., a q mine In which my par
euts were destroyed grew out OF this
mau's ucgl gcucc 90 comply with rules
which are considered imperative and al
ways ucccs AIRY 10 the safety OF the op-
tratiycs.
However this may be-, the missionary
was not refused admittance 20 the other
shnfts-by u strange chance he was alb
sent. it was said De had been In London.
at tho time of the eVplosion-and as he
was personally popular with all. no mat
ter where Dc WENT his drinks of liquor
we're quite ns frequent as his prayers.
In the new mime / worked hard, and
the little that was given NE 10 return ]
put CAREFUL. uwuy.
six years 7 'aborcd In the new collicry
In that long period % time. during which
/ grew ont 81 boyho0d into manhood. ]
don't think I saw the sun as many times
a. there were added months In these
years. was quite careless and happy.
and / perhaps would have worked con
tentejly thc.y au my life but for the &C
cident I am about 90 relate.
"Iu the course of time the missionary
was made aware that wasted little II
my earnings. nul he became covetous
and resolved on possessing himself OF my
treasure. Had De come 70 me and frank
" asked Tor any or all Of my pounds
aud crowns / should In all probability
have gratifed his wishes, but the man
chose % take them from me by suireptl-
uOus means, aud he succeeded In his syl
desire.
81 in time found out what be had done,
but not before ne had wasted all my
substance. aud became terribly angry,
threatening. 10 my passion, L. kill him
whenever had q decent opportunity.
1T happened one Saturday afternoon
| had insensihly grown into the habit OF
going Up 90 the surface at the close Of
the week and staying there sometimes
...su ~. e.ff,.rgrr. ATnuNov- that In n
beastly condition from the too free use
OF liquor. the missionary was 10 ascend
with me. lie fteppci into the baske,
and. selzIng the chains, placed himself
on the edge OF che vessel ] saw how
dangerous was his scat and told him
be had better stand up by my side. he
/ laughed az me and cried out;
$50 you're TIE man that's going o.
take my llfer
This was heard by several. but beforS
I could reply We were a hundred feet on
/ our way up the shaft. The basket tip
ped.
acct Ga. slry ! cried. quite as much
I alarmed Tor my safety as for his, and
Involuntary stretched out my hands "a
/ ,lutsb aud save hin; but. excited by liQ-
uor and possibly remembering what
bad said when I charged him with steal.
/ ms my money, he pushed farther away
/ hon me and did what I had dreaded
,apsiEed the basket
''The man was instantly OUT OF my
Ight. I heard q heavy thud. A. Of the
/ falling Of a soft body from a. great dis
lance below me. and knew that the
missionary had been crushed TO death.
II was not blamed FOR his Death" add
"a the miner. ''but ! could DO longer stay
/ aud work In England with comfort, nnl
40 came hither, where with q good