The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-08-14
Tony Piper at
~ Giant No. 3. ~
BY DENNIS Il. o y

II He first time he came into the dig
gings he was a short, black
eyed, grizzly-faced, straggly-haired
little man. His clothes we're far too
large for him, so that he had much the
appearance of a wandering scarecrow.
He approached Watts, the foreman,
who was piping at giant No. 3, and
asked for work.
did you ever work in a placer
mine?" Watts asked, as he eyed him
critically.
Eyes. Ten years worked placer
mine, Colorado" His word were
sharp and jerky and they gave Watts
the impression Of a foreign tongue
just what he could not guess.
What can you do"
..Pipe. Yes, pipe eight years Colo
rado."
Watts was in need of a day shift
piper for No. 8. He had been operat-
ing the giant himself during that part
of each day when time allowed, but
he wanted q regular man.
$50 you think you can handle a
giant?"
Giant? No savyy."
"You don't sayvy, Ell? Well, that
settles it. How in thunder can you
pipe if you don't know what a giant
is?" 1t made Watts angry to think
he had listened to the grasshopper.
"Giant? You giant call that?" and
the shrimp broke out into a loud pan
tam laugh. 'sYou giant call thatr'
he repeated, when he had recovered
his breath. and pointing his finger. at
the ~cannon-like nozzle. I'VE call
that monitor. Colorado"
Watts angered c~ountenance was
frightened by a smile. The diminu-
tive individual did know something
about a placer mine sure enough.
To further. prove his claim the
loose-clothed man brought forth a
bunch Of soiled and worn letters, each
introducing Antonio Martinez. They
were all from prominent Colorado
men. One was from an ex-governor
of the state, and others were from
leading mining men, some of whom
Watts knew, for he had come from
Colorado several. years before. The
letters were eloquent in their recon-
mendation of the bearer. According
to them Antonio Martinez was an ex-
pert placer miner and knew the en-
tire business from the su%perintend-
ent down to the ditch-walker, and
from tie head piper to the diggings
roustabout.
Watts considered himself fortunate.
Here was just the man he needed.
After a careful reading of the budget
Of recommendations he hired Antonio
and told him to go to the bunk-hoIse
and wait till noon when a cot would
be assigned him. After dinner lie
would begin work. Heswould take the
day shift at giant No. 8.
When the miners fled in and seated
themselves at the benches about the
mess-house tables that noon, Antonio
Martinez was among them. He was q
minnow by the side of most-of them.
They all eyed him curiously, and one
big miner, between his gulping bites
of beef and beans wondered which
wind blew that cricket in anyhow"
Of course the name Antonio Mar
tinez was altogether too lengthy for
ordinary usage. So they cut it down
to "Tony," by which name he was
known from the moment he donned
the big rubber boots, coat and hat
and wool mits given him from the
mess-house store.
Tony went down into the diggings
and relieved Watts of his grip o. the
DETECTING lever with the air of one
who had been q piper all his days
Watts did something then he had
never done before-put an absolute
stranger to piping. His usual method
was to break EN- IN" first at the dig
gngs, rolling powders, blasting and
doing other turns to show that they
were at home in a placer mine. Tony
wa Watts one exception in this re.
spect. He took the newcomer to BIZ
just what the ex-governor and Other
Colorado citizens declared him to be-
I'm A 4 man, Tony, on the other hand
did not inquire into the history OF No
s. II he had he undoubtedly woult
not have taken hold Of the defect
Ing lever with such u~nc0lcern. III
did not know thatsoid No.3 was,
m~an-killer; that old No. 3 was til.
wickedest giant In the whole batter,
sof Imonetera that highland day hurles
stEsjr mighty streanassagainst that LON
anN SSnr1f6n0 SmOuntaa