The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1906-08-30
MINERS FATE IN
HANDSOFMADMAN



lowest level. Immediately. however.
he threw the electric controller for
ward q notch. then another. then fun
on. and the drum began to revolve In
the other direction. Up wound the
cable the drum fairly buxxing. Perry
kept his. eyes ON the shaft. Suddenly
the bucket whixEed out OF the opening
up into the sunlight Perry threw OF
the controller. snapped on the brake3,
and the bucket stopped. bare six
inches from the top of the gallows
frame, Then OF came the brakes. and
down swooped the bucket into the
shaft again. When II got down. II
came up again; when It was up. II
went down again-ail At a yertiginous
speed And this Is the game that for
two hours. alone upon the top OF Gold
Hin. the mad engineer played.
As for Wright. meanwhile, he was
not having nice time. When Pugh
had made his discreet exit he had
found himself in a motionless bucket,
swinging idly between two levels He
was just reaching over to ring two
bells for further descent when the
bucket started down. His satisfac~
ton was of short duration. however.
Down dropped the bucket at a speed
that jumped Wright's heart into his
mouth There were big drops OF
Precipitation upon his honest brow
when the thing clambering down,
when-.z-z-x-z-z-z"-th bucket began
J to slide upward, The speed increased
to q mad one. This time he was sure
there was something wrong. and so.
very wisely. he dropped to the bot.
tom OF the bucket. making himself as
small as possible. and anchoring him.
self with his feet and back. Up he
shot; stream of golden sunlight
blinded him; he had faint vision OF
the scaffolding above, and then, Just
as he had made up his mind he was
dead--the bucket stopped II swung
second there. then down 1t went
again with dixzying swoop.
The Impressions of Wright during
the next two hours might be very In
teresting--only he didn't have any i'm
pressions. About on his third mad
trip up and down the shaft he dis.
creetly shut his eyes and tainted
away. He doesn't call 1t "fainting."
He says he lust got dizzy" So ''diz.
zy" did he get. indeed, that 1t took
most of half a day to revive him. aud
even now he xigzags crafty as he
walks, and swears he will never again
be caught In any kind OF an elevator.
Meanwhile Pugh was walking and
running down the hill toward town.
| The first man he met there was L. M.
Sullivan, the principal owner OF the
Jumping Jack mine. The two men
started back up the hill. When they
reached the top they peered down into
the hoisting house through the back
precipitous exit From there they
could see Perry intent upon his work,
alternately putting on power and
brake. The machine huzzed and the
cable whizzed. and. looking at the
mouth OF the shaft. they could see al
regular intervals the bucket shoot w
and down again. II seemed empty
and they thought Wright dead.
The concentration with which Perry
1 pidstu HtS uttuiy game WAS MS uttut
ing. Noiselessly jumping through the
window. Sullivan sprang upon him
from behind, pInioning his arms
Meanwhile. Pugh stopped the bucket
at the surface, and then the two men
after sharp struggle. succeeded II
throwing the mailman 10 the ground
and tying him up with rope. Their
they found Wright. limp, at the bot
tom of the bucket.
Perry was painting In corner OF th'
hoistroom, trussed up like sausage
What did you do that for7" asket
Sullivan heatedly.
That fellows name is Jack. ISM
ft?" counterquestioned Perry. pointinl
to the limp form of Wright
What has that got to do with it7'
We'll, ! was Just jumping the Jack
that's ALL" scowied Perry, turning hi
face to the wall.
. So far this liz the only explanation
J he has vouchsafed. and he is plainly
} insane.