The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1907-11-08
Electricity
And Dynamite.

ana they had good cause to. II Their
was ever fend in human form it wa
Ramirez. the Spaniard. He had com,
ashore on the coast OF Chile with tn,
wreck OF Spanish vessel, and within
fortnight he had committed robbery
and murder and had been obliged I,
nee to the mountains. There he got .
little band together and killed ant
robbed as trade. After the officers
Of the law had failed to kill or capture
the man he was pursued by the sol.
dters and finally driven into Peru.
When the war broke out there wer<
hundreds Of adventures who would
have gladly Joined Ramirez, but afteI
increasing his band to a hundred he
would take no more.
Up among the mountains, Just over
the Peruvian line, the American Min.
ing and Smelling company had been
developing the Humboldt silver mine.
1t was a rich mine and had paid a
goodly sum for its concession. Rami-
rez had come within Eve miles Of It ON
two or three occasions before the war,
but had then hesitated and turned
back. 1t was guarded by over a hun
dred government troops, and the poems
who did the mining had been armed
by the company. The war called the
troops away. 1t was then that the
poems were drilled and told that they
must defend themselves. They entered
into the spirit Of the thing for the next
two weeks, but then an event hap
pened that caused all but about TWEEN
ty Of them to desert. Ramirez paid 4
visit to the mine in person. He ap-
peared one afternoon unaccompanied.
He was dressed In a white duck suit.
carried cane and wore a new SOM
brero, and the manager at first took
him for some prosperous resident of
the valley. The BLACK Death" entered
the Office as any gentleman would,
and, taking the proffered chair, he
quietly said:
II am Ramirez. You may possibly
have heard of me-
mot Ramirez, the-the bandit!' ex-
claimed the manager.
"The same, If you wish to apply the
term. I have called on a little matter
Of business. l have not hitherto dis
turbed you because you are Ameri-
cans and are taking no part In this
war, but am now in want Of money.
have assessed you at $4,000 In
gold"
But, my dear SIR began the as
tonished manager.
There are no butts with Ramires,
sir. want $4,000 in gold, packed on
mule, without unnecessary delay
The managers first feeling of awe
and fear fed away as he looked at
the man before him. Clean shaved
and well dressed. the dread Spaniard
did not look ferocious or formidable.
His eyes and mouth betrayed inherent
cruelty. but here he was all alone.
and the manager had 300 men at his
back. The fellow seemed to know
what was passing in the others mind,
for presently he laughed In a sneer-
Ing way and said:
Go ahead and try 1t IL you wish.s
Il shall not pay you the money"
was the firm reply.
"Ah. see! You will depend upon
your poems. Very well. Let us make
one single experiment You there! /
want you in the Office a moment"
It was summer time, and the win
dows were open. He had called to
half dozen men outside who were
moving a piece Of machinery. They
came into the office and stood with
their hats in their hands while he
looked them over with a grim smile
and Queried:
did any Of you ever see Ramirez7'
Holy mother, but you are the manr'
shouted one as he turned and fied. fol-
lowed by his companions, spreading
the news as they fed.
You see." said the 'Black Death"
~ ne turned to the manager, ..your
ransom is now $4,000"
I'll never pay a cent of II. neveri I
stand"
Just as you will. You refuse to
pay. Take the results
With that he turned on his heel and
walked out Of the Office and fingered
or q couple Of minutes that the men
night see him and be duly impressed.
mat evening there were only fifteen i
men out OF 300 left at the mine, The
est had run away with the fear of
leath upon them. The fifteen labored
III night with pick and spade. It was
'nly at noon the next day that their
abors were completed. Then the only
lpproach to the mine had been trench
q and mined and electric wires car
led into the ofice building. Ramires
lad threatened there would be results.
me manager was ready to face them.
That day went by without alarm. So
I'D the two following. Ramirez had
twenty-five miles to 60 and return.
10 had to call in his raiding parties
nd at them out.
AT IL o'clock on the morning of thu
curth day he appeared at the head Of
is hundred men. They lost NO time in
orming up. Ten minutes after the
rst man had been seen the whole
and uttered blood curdlfng yell and
ashed forward at the building. Rant.
ez had been told that the poems had
eserted. but he knew nothing of dy-
amtte and electricity. The manager
~,sA ~ I