Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-04-05
Slaves Of
The Mine

Slaves OF the Mine, the new COM
edy drama by Daniel L. Hart and G.
&. Callahan ii ! graphic story Of life
il the coal fields oftPennsylvania. The
first act occurs outside the cabin OF
James Reid. q miner who has daugh.
ter, Nellie. : truehearted. winsome
girl just budding into womanhood and
engaged to Joe Tomkins, an engineer,
but in love with Tom Dawson col.
lege man who has been compelled by
stress OF circumstances TO seek EN-.
ployment In the mines. Charles Broad.
head, the superintendent Of the Vulcan
mines, whose advances have been re-
jected by Nellie. discovers the condi-
tion Of affairs and seeks to cause tron.
BILE between thsm BY exciting Tom
kin's jealousy. but ID thwarted In this
By Dawson's self-sacrificing nobility Of
character. The third act occurs at the
bottom Of the mine. an exceedingly
vivid scene showing the mine In act.
ual operation. Nellie. who has in the
meantime been married to Tomkins
arrives down the shaft. Here she has
come 10 warn Dawson Of his threat.
ened arrest upon charges trumped up
by Broadhead. Dawson refuses to
save himself BY flight, and whilst
Nellie Is stlll pleading with him they
discover Broadhead about to descend
into the mine. Nellie conceals her
self, but Dawson remains to face him.
In the meantime. however, he dis.
covers that the mine has become fill
ed with fire damp and noxious gas,
which will prove fatal to the men who
are at work In another part OF the
mine, unless they are warned In time
or the danger which menaces them. He
at once goes to warn them. During
his absence Broadhead puts In an ap
pearance. seizes Nellie. who has be.
come insensible, places her In the car
and with her makes his escape to the
shaft. leaving as he believes, the min
ers to their fate. The scene Is one
Of startling realism and the explo-
sion at the bottom OF the mine one OF
the most effective ever produced on
any stage. The last act occurs In
I3roadhead's office. "A strike ID In pro
|gress, The militia have been called out
and are about to fire upon the strik-
| ers when Dawson who has made an
eloquent, but Ineffective appeal 10
Broadhead In behalf of the men com.
pels him at the point Of q pistol y
sign an order to suspend h0stilities,
Old Henry Stroll, the original own.
er Of the property. and according e
Pennsylvania law the rightful owner
Of the coal deposits, who has been de
mented, RECEIVERS his reason and con
| fronting Broadhead with his villainy
demands an accounting. Broadheat
finding himself defeated, on all sides
agrees to leave the country on con
dition that he is not to be prosecuted
Tomklns having been killed In the ex
plosion OF the mine, Nellie Is now free
and accepts Dawson as her future hus
band. The comedy Of the play Is sup
piled by Samuel Potts. insurance
agent, Nancy Davis, a coal girl, ant
Hughy Dougherty, her lrish.Amerlcai
lover, who hates "Furriners. Th'
various characters are studies iron
life by Daniel Hart who lives at Wilk
esbarre, Pa, In the heart Of the Goa
fields. Mr.. Callahan has spared no ex
pense in securing a first class com
pany and in mounting the production
/ in such a manner as to make II an arr
istic as well as financial success an,
carries all scenery used In the produt
tIon, which Is from the well know
studio OF James Fox In New York. A
the Duncan opera house Wednesda,
|eyening, April u.