New-York tribune., 1921-09-05
Mine Var Costs Tribune IS;
Not Euen Bullet for Memepto
Wounded Reporter Adds Bet He Lost With Trooper
to Expenses; Hill Snipers Quick on the Trig-
ger-First Shoot Then Investigate

We talked loudly We wanted TO be
heard, but we kept following Ball until
he said:
"Our men must have gotten out of
here. Pm kinda lost, but let's stroll on"
Miss Morris was bit in the lead
there, If anything; then Ball decided to
turn back. The firing had stopped.
Jacobs asked:
How far apart have the lines been ?"
Ball replied: Sometimes half a
mile, just out of thirty thirty range;
sometimes right close together"
He stopped minute, then COM
manded:
"Hush! There goes a machine gun"
The noise we heard was as though
some vigorous person was beating a
carpet with two sticks.
Right in there is low gap. The
other fellows are right on top, They
face both ways" Ball volunteered.
1t was then that we met two other
miners. / don't know their names even
yet. They had no guns. They wore the
usual costume of blue. Instead of q
jumper one wore blue serge coat over
his overalls.
1t was explained to them that we
were trying to get a sight of what we
believed to be the last of the fighting.
1t was also explained that we had no
desire to be foolhardy; that we not
only wanted to get our story, but to
write it when we got it.
"Well, we can show you where the
firing has been," said one Of these
men. Right up on top Of this hill.
This is Blair Mountain. The top of it
was nearly shot off the other day"
The four of us, with our three guides,
then started up the mountain side. 1t
was steep and slippery. We climbed
up and up for what must have been
along newly made path, the earth and
stones still black and wet. Clearly
many men had used this path.
When within about fifty yards of the
summit every one stopped to rest on
| a fallen tree. The angle of the noun
tain slope seemed to US to exceed
as degrees. We were hot and tired
from our climb. We heard no firing;
had heard none for some time. Some
one suggested that probably all the
forces on both sides had withdrawn
Our guides seemed to think the de-
tenders of Logan County were con-
mountain top across from the summit
| of Blair.
Easy Targets for Shippers
One of them led the way. He walked
carelessly along the path that skirted
the summit of Blair. At times we were
exposed to any marksmen who might
have been on the opposite summit, a
couple of hundred yards away We
had frequently altered our respective
places in the single file line. 1t hap
pened that now | was walking just be-
hind the miner who was leading the
way.
Abruptly we were fired on at close
range. Shots splashed up leaves and
earth at our feet The miner ahead Of
me threw himself to the ground.
was not far behind him, but was or
the wrong side of the all too slender
half-rotted tree that had fallen there.
lay there with my face buried il
the moldy earth and watched leaves
anu mud jump in strange patterns
range of vision. There could only have
been few seconds of this, but | saw
some of the flashes from rife barrels
I heard shouts and more sharp cracks
than | then had time to count. There
was slight bump along the top of my
head. Ny right leg was thumped d
/ trife.
/ determined to get on the other side
of that log and dived over from al
creature might. / fairly plowed nal
way into cover.
Some one of our party had begun t.
call "Friends!" Others, myself includ
ed, tried to outdo them. / wondered
why hadn't thought of it first, bu
then my mind had been filled will
thoughto that should have occupied j
an hour o. SO earlier.
Marksmen All "From Missouri"
Friends" meant nothing to the me-
whose targets we were. | didn't knoy
then whether we were being shot at b
Logan defenders or Boone miners
| Some one began to Veil. "IInarmed.