El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-04-05
CBy Joseph Keating)

hooter roaring at you to get out OF
= bed at half past four on darn
damp. cold and clammy morning!
The racuous noise so vicious aho
noverfuI. seemed to be blowing the
turf off the hillsides and tearing the
roof from the engine house, where the
stream which created the dpr0er was
supplied. It forced its way through the
darkness from pithead to miners
dv-e1lfous through stone walls ana
burst into the bedroom where Dal We
sleeping It did not cease even tnO1e =
he tried to obey its order. anu 50
far as sitting up and ripping hlS Ssfd
There's the hOOCers boys, ne SG4H
superfluOusly to the other three IN t--S
bedroom, and he was quietly sWeaLln5
at the inTenience the hooter o1ca-s 'OiiS0
DAT was the first Of the four down
stairs. In the kitchen the shiVerlhs
landlady. with q turnover 1luns We
her shoulders, was trying to start
fire. A lighted paraffln lamp on Ll-e
table helped Dai to pick out his per-
sona1 garments from huge neap q
black clothes by the fireplace, and the
floor flags were slabs OF ice unQeL
his bare feet The working clothes
ought to have dried during the night
but the fire had not kept In Inc
Uweat and caked dust Of yesterday Sun
chung TO them and chilled his SKIN as
he put them on
When everybody was down the kitchen
was crowded. There were some lodg-
ings where the first man got the pest
clothes; but this was a decent place
where every ledger picked out his own
belongings They gulped down bread
and butter and tea for breakfast, and
fed to their respective pits with box
and jack.
bread and a bit OF American cheese.
But by way Of balance 10 the two but
tcrfly wings of bread, he carried
gigantic Jack of steWed tea He worked
IN very warm pit. where dust and
heat took away his appetite and ere
ated q half gallon thirst. A misty rain
soaked into his jacket and trousers
during the 20 minutes walk to the pit
head. He was glad TO get down out OF
the way. and as he had to walk nearly
two miles along tunnel underground
his clothes were nearly dry again by
the time he reached the coal
His stall was just the usual sort OF
place turning off a level. a little TO the
rise where the coal worked freely. His
Pit lamp flashed on roof timber rough
stone COB walls and rather neat cOgs.
He hitched his lamp to his belt put
his box and jack down in the dust
stripped off his coat waistcOat and
shirt. and hung them carefully on the
out jutting end Of a cog stick, cOughed
cOmplacently, and took a first drink Of
his half gallon of steWed tea TO wash
down the dust which had stuck in his
throat during the walk from the shaft
bottom
Then he began the serious business
OF the day. A full tram, close in near
the coal, stood waiting TO be changed
for an empty one Dsi began to get
coal ready He took Up a bottom man
dril, which threw a shadow from his
light as big as the anchor Of an ocean
liner His lamp was still hitched to his
belt He lifted the light and examined
the black face Of the coal, which gilt
tered pleasantly under the yellow rays
Dai was looking for the exact spot
where he should scientifically attack
the coal
He gently struck the face with the
middle OF his mandril, sounding, asking
nature what mood she was in this
morning. Around him all the slight
posts holding up the roof threw long
shadows from his lamp. A small stone
unexpectedly dropped, and brought
blood and skin from Dais left thumb
as he used the great pick 1t was moth
ing, he had found the desired spot, and
he swung his bottom mandrill skilfully
Roof and coal shuddered under his
blows, which were cutting right in at
the very tenderest spots; a trfcSle OF
small stones poured down at every
point from face and clod. In a quarter
or an hour he had withdrawn the rem
nants OF a back slip. Half a tram OF
good coal was readE.
Fortunately a hau1ier came Just in
time with his horse, hauled out the full
took all the coal he had ready and
wanted another half ton to be COM
plete-
After another swfE Of stev-ed tea "a
Tefreshment. Daf took his top mandriI
which was like a little Alpine pick: and
with great care he trimmed the ton line
OF the immense face slip. He practical
" separated the upper edge az the coa1
from the clod. He sounded the roof
to make sure 1t would not come down
ineonEeniently It rang clearly; 1t was
tolerably safe. He used the big man
drill again to dig out the bottom line
He had to kneel at this and the face
slip lowered over his naked body like
an inverted mountain. He rose and
sounded the, coal It was becoming
free. 1t creaked here and there IL
groaned, too, and complained. because
Dai was threatening to get il out OF bed
unwihngly' just as the halfpast four
hooter had treated him It stretched
across the entire width Of the stall.
With ms lamp swinging at his belt TO
show light he went down the lower
erd, and cut away until he was assured
tt-at notnlng there would interfere with
the final operation at the uDper. end.
Back at the face he sounded the clod
epoVe his head with his knuckles.
which were still raw and bleeding from
a solid ring.
She's all right" he said: and trail
ing his bottom mandril behind him he
went, half doubled because the roof
was low, to the upper end Of the slip
de had to wind in and out between the !
props that kept the overhead safe.
He dug his pick into the coal until
the slip began to cry out that II he /
didn't stop it would fall. From end to I
end It was trembling and small bites OF /
lcosened shale rolled down its face like
Copious black tears. But IL would not |
come down, II was stubborn.
Dali changed the mandril for a long
bar Of iron, which he gently, cleverly |
introduced into the jOinture behind
His bare chest against the iron put I
enormous pressure into this lever and |
whether the slip ike It OF not, Il was