Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1904-09-10
DENNY
By Lands MILLS


T HE incident was told to me years
back, when | was second assistant
engineer with the Golden Crown Min
ing company. at Red Dog. At the time
il raised by several notches, in my opin-
ion, those rough miners with whom J
was SO constantly associated; and in
later years | have often recalled It when
the course OF events has brought me
face to face with The hypocrisy of a
large city.
It was told me the Y before st. Pat
rick's day, for | remember having start
ed for a ball given by the Irish element,
The night was clear and cold, but the
wind was so sharp that | was chilled
through, and stopped at the Travellers
Rest for a warmins glass of stimulant.
| pushcl open the door-the old bull
|ieu-scarred door. with its heavy hinges
and entered the bar-room, The usuai
crowd was not in evidence, and of the
five occupants, four were in the act oil
taking their departure. They carried
their shovels with tlem and as they
passed me and went out on the windy
street they wished me a good evening,
The door closed behind them, and was
left alone with Parson Sam.
| walked to the big stove, and while
warming my hands asked il the boys
were going to work that night.
Sam pulled at his pipe, and replied:
mo"
| remarked the fact that they had
their shovels with them. and asked foI
what use they were intended. Sam
took the pipe from his mouth, eXpec-
torated in the direction of the base OF
the bar, and replied: Coin to give
Denny an airln'."
"And what is the matter with Denny,
and where is he?" | asked,
"Nothin' at present" he replied;
"he's in the cemetery oil the hill"
"Dead?' | asked.
"Yes," he replied.
"And who was Denny?"
A look of surprise came over his face
AS he asked: You haven't heard OF
Denny, Mr.. H%opkins?' and then, after
a moments pause, be added: We'll
maybe that amt SO strange, after all.
You've only been in Red Dog some
six or eight months, and Denny died
just five years ago, comm Tomorrow
And why Go they remember him so
we'll now?' | asked.
Sam removed his arm from the back
of his chair, rested his elbows on his
knees, and, gazing through the open
door of the stove at the pickering flames,
told me the story of Denny.
you see. Denny was sorter mild like,
awfully gentle and quiet spoken, you
know, so the boys didn't pay much at
tention TO him, 'cept when they were
In bad humor, and wanted some one 20
take it out on. He took il all in a quiet,
good-natured sort Of way, never thinkin'
of hittin' back. so we all thought he
didn't have no sand. Atleast that's what
we thought until that st. Patrick's day
about which I'm tellin' you.
'"Therc was a good deal of drinkin'
goin' on the night before, and four
patriotic lrishmen kept it up until they
were regular blind. They were a sorry
lot when they showed up for work the
next day, and the boss gave them 4
rnuulnr rnlipo down
THAT mornin' was the first time |
ever saw Denny show any temper. He
was mad clear through at the thought
of workin' on st, Patrick's day, and re-
fused to take his pick out Of the tool
shed. When the boss comes up to
him, and asks what's the matter,
Denny just points TO the green rib
bon pinned on the front of his Shirt,
and says: It's st. Patrick's day, ana
| don't work
"Any other man would have bees
given his walkin'. papers as quick as
shootin' but somehow or other. The
boss always made an allowance for
Denny.
"'But we can't stop work, Denny.
he says.
Denny stood sort of s~tubborn-likc,
and replied: Well, you oughter have
some sort of celebration, or, at least,
run up a green flag over the office
"The boss was for humorin' him.
and says: And we arc goin' to celia
brate. At ten o'clock we be a-goin' to
fire off a blast, in honor Of old St.
Pat. that will blow all the snakes ont
If Ireland
"'At tenn says Denny.
Eyes. at ten replies the boss.
That sort of satisfied him. With
out another word he grabbed his pick.
and went after the boys, a-singin'
some Irish song.
"The boss wasn't jokin', for just
about the time he said, he called all
hands to quit work, and the engineer
came in. and placed the dynamite
cartridge and the machine for settin'
it off.
I'VE all got at n safe distance. ans.
stood there awaitin' the explosion,
Denny was almost beside himself with
delight. and, steppin' out a little dis
lance in advance, he called out for
his pal, jim, to Join him and sec the
snakes come wrisglin' out Of the shaft.
But Jim didn't answer, for he wasn't
there,
1.-THE engineer. who was a-holdin' hts
watch, seem that things went off IN
time, turned round when he heard
this, and got awful white. 1t didn't
take no time for us to find we were
four shy, and them four the ones that
had been so drunk the night before. Not
q man spoke, 'cept the engineer, and
he said MY Cod We all knew then
Iellers were still in the mine.
Then 1t vas that Denny made tn:
60 of us out to he towards. and him