The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1904-08-04
no tunnel, lead, or shaft in that direc.

ho 'uhHei, Icdu, UT SnaIt III tnaJ O1r0C
ton, as the sea is but short dis
tance above and beyond YOU"
look of reproach filed big Ton
Cheeseman's eyes, plainly showing how
keenly he felt the insinuation of his
superior. He turned without wore
and had raised his big sledge hammer
to resume his labor upon the rocky
wal when the signal for knocking
OFF, came, and, without so much al
looking at any member of the pavty
Tom dropped his mash" and started
down the level toward the main shaft
His car. nearly filed with sparkling
fragments of ore. stood upon the
track which led TO the main level, and
1t waited only the touch of hand
level, while the echo of a human groar
caused the air to tremble and vibrate
for several seconds.
"Howly Mither," he gasped. 'it's a
ghost!" and he never stopped running
until he had reached the toll.boy's
shanty at the main shaft.
Number Six is ha'nted!" he sput
tered, and then, as the empty cage ap
peared, going up, Tim jumped on
board. and has never since been seen
in the vicinity of the big mine.
However, this sensational incident
led to an investigation. The next
morning two reliable men were sta.
toned at the farthest extremity of
the big lead, with instructions to as.
certain, If possible, the occasion for
all this alarm. For an entire day they
waited, listening in vain for some
sound which should furnish clew
to the mystery. But none came, until,
just previous to the hour when the
day shift was about to quit work,
one OF the watchers suddenly raised
his hand with warning gesture.
Both men listened, and each distinct.
ly heard Il clicking sound. as OF some
one beyond the barrier picking at the
iron. Then came faint moan of bit
ter distress. followed by the distinct
ly audible sounds of q human voice,
calling in agonized appeal:
Help! Help! God save me or l
shall perish.
This cry was Immediately followed
by sickening groan, as though the
suffering victim had exhausted every
energy in making this final call for
aid. Then all became silent as the
grave.
Immediately the two miners awoke
to realization of the fact that some
thing must be done, and that, too,
without delay.
GO for help" cried one, as he seiz.
ed his sledge, and. while that madden
ing echo still vibrated in his ears, he
swung the ponderous hammer against
the unyielding barrier.
Then, while his companion rushed
for the outer shaft TO spread the
alarm, this sturdy miner toiled as
he had never toiled before.
Then he looked at the fragments Of
glistening ore that were heaped about
him as the result Of his labors, and,
with a glad cry, he sprang to his task
just as score OF fiickering lamps
turned corner OF the lead one hun.
dred ieet away.
The rescue party was at hand.
Six months later four men might
have been seen descending into the
big iron mine OF Maitland, led by the
superintendent, and each bearing the
section OF some scientific instrument
by which an investigation was to be
made--for the mystery of the six.foot
lead had not yet been solved.
The rescue party had worked inces.
sanity for four days and nights, when
1t had been discovered that the long
tunnel was approaching an end, under
and though the ore found here was
OF a quality superior TO that in any
other portion Of the mine, 1t became