Eastern Utah advocate. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1895-1915, 1913-02-13

ment. The high song Of the generators
in the power house. the choking puffs
OF the switch engine IN the yards and
the noise Of men and work which J had
not noticed before now suddenly
missed In the absence Of sound. There
was shufiilng OF feet ON the deck
above. and again we sank. and this
time all was darkness while We paused
for the third deck 10 Oh. Once more
and again for the fourth. Then a. the
cage started and the roar Of the shoes
on the guide rails struck my ears I
looked at the men about the. They
were talking In n whlrr OF foreign
| words. aud IN the greasy yellow light
| Of their pit lamps. which hung ike
miniature coffecpots In the brlms ~
their caps. the strong. hard lines Of
their faces doepcned The working day
was begun
As the cage shot down the wall Of
the shaft seemed 10 slip up. aud from
it, wet. Shiny surface an occasional
spattcr Of mud shot In on the faces Of
the miners Strong smells Of garlic. Of
sweat and of burning oil flled the CON-.
partmcnt. and the air. which sucked up
through the cracks beneath our feet
as though under the force OF a piston.
famed and pulled the yellow flames in
the mems caps into smoking Streaks
Then felt the speed Of the hoist
diminish. A pressure came In my ears
aud | swallowed hard. and a second
later a soft yet abrupt pause In our
descent brought mo down on my heels
The black wall OF the shaft before me
suddenly gave way. and we came 20 n
stop on the bottom OF tho mine.
II was cool. and after the heat OF a
July morning tho damp freshness Of
the air chilled me. With dinner pals
banging against our knees we pushed
out OF the hoist. and M the men crowd
I'd past me. ! stood with my back
against n great timber and looked
around me. Behind. the hoist had al
ready sunk into the stump" or pit
NJ the bottom OF the shaft IN order
that the men on the second compart
ment might pass out into the mine. aud
second later they swarmed by me
Hnd stiii l stood. half dnzed by the roar
of unknown sounds. my eyes blanketed
by the absence OF light. aud my whole
mind smothered aud crushed. ! WIS
standing just on the main entry OF
tunnel of the mine. which began on my
left hand out OF blackness and passed
again. ON my right into a seeming wall
Of darkness. The low. black roof. close /
" heamed with great timbcrs. was
held by long lines OF great whitcwash.
Ell tree trunks A few electric liFhts
shonc dimly through their dust coated
globes. aud the yellow flames from the
mems pit lamps, which had Haired M
bright IN the compartment Of the hoist
Ing cage. seemed now hut thin tongues
OF lame that marked rather than dis
closed the men.
out OF the blackness on the left two
tracks passed over great pit and
stretched on Into the hlacknesS on the
right ns though into the wall Of the
coal itself. Then. faroff. a red signal
light winked out and made distance
visible. aud beyond Il came the sound
OF grinding wheels. there was the
CLEAN OF n headlight on the steel rails
The ray grew larger and two yellow
sparks above II iamed out into pit
lights, 4 train WIS coming out Of the
entry. ana | waited until II should
pass With a grind ~ brakes Il sud
denly doomed out 81 the blackness and
into the duh haze OF light at the shaft
bottom With roar II passed by
The locomotive. a great iron box. was
built like battering ram. the head.
light set Ia IT'S armor plated bow and
behind. on two low seats. ms In rae
ing automobile. sat the motorman and
the "trip rider" or helper the motor
man with one hand on the great iron
brake wheel. the other on his control
Ter aud the trip rider swinging on his
low seat, hair on the motor and half
over the coupling Of the rocking car
behind. cllnging TO the pole OF the troll
ley, Their faces were black with the
coal dust-black as the motor and their
clothinG-and from their pit lamps the
flames hent hack IN the wind and
strenmed ont straight along their cap
tops, low above the head Of the trip
rider the wheel on the trolley streaked
out sudden bursts OF greenlsh white
sparks along the wire and as the train
passed by the roar Of the locomotive
gave place 10 the Gathering Of the
couplings Of the long string 81 stocky
ears each heaped high with It's black
load ~ coal Some one seized me by
the elbow
whats yer numberyT he asked.
40"
LOADER New manT"
I nodded.
Come along with me-"
He was a tall, thin man. who walked
with his head thrown forward aud his
chin against his chest as though 10
constant fear Of striking the low beams
overhead. followed him. stumbling
rather clumsily over the broken coar
beside the track. The train had come
20 n stOD over the nit hetwaen tho raiIs !