The Kusko times., 1929-04-06

throb of the7drill The new compress sor had arrived and during the past four weeks. Larry and Jack had la- boed almost every day and night get ting it Gp the. gulch and installed in it's room near. the portal of the tun- mel. 1t was running beautifully. Dur ing the 4ast five days they had ad- vanced the tunel over 20 0-feet-almost months work hy hand. Just this morning the partners had decided to raise on the ore, partly to. determine how high. it went, but mostly for ven tilation... The tunel had reached a length of. 460 feet, and the powder smoke didn't clear readily enough. to. provideag ood air. For the first few, days. they. had, been running the com- pressor and blowing air after each blast, but. with gasoline costing 50 eentts a.gallon, this had proved, ex- pensive.-.
 Jack was on top of the muck pile running the drill. Larry was muck ing at its toe.. The car full, Larry decided to take five" He sat down and waited until Jack had finished the hole and shut off the drill
 Great thing" he said, "that water attachment I remember, not so many years ago, that 1 was working in- the Independence. Stopers were new then. They called them widow makers, because they soon made your wife awidow. Now they've got that water iced down so fine there isn't a speck of dust."'
 Jack laid the machine down and, seating himself on a rock, loaded his pipe for a. smoke. He was tired. The grind. of, the past few weeks. had worn him pretty badly and he was ready to listen to one of Larry's dis sertations..
 "Fact. is," Larry continued. mining isn't,what she used to be. Most ways things. are better. Take, for instance, that iackhammer-45~ pounds and she'l drill foot in five minutes in the tough granite. Remember the old Burieigh? Three hundred and forty five. pounds. Took two men-and good ones. too-to lift it on the bar, and then you worked and tugged and swore at it al lday. We get out more rock these days, but we don't work Sc hard to, get it out. Not a long shot Then take the other things-saf for instance. Around all of the big mines they have everything pretty we'll guarded. Then if you are hurt That makes me think-we ought tc have some first aid stuff down. here at.the tunnel. It's along, piece up to the cabin, and if one of us got cut it would be mighty handy, to have some thing here to bind itlup with. Guess I'll fix up some first aid. equipment and put it in. a-hox out there by the compressor"
 Larry" said. Jack, 'we,re sitting here listening to you spout while that compressor: is burning up good gas that sets this finn back 50 cents a gallon- Let's shut it. down and go home. I'm tired out anyway and don't feel any too good. Hope don't S get that flu that. hear is going E around.'
 E They gathered up the dull steel and \ started toward the tunnels mouth. 8 Yes" Larry went on,. things are #pretty soft dthese days. Especially #around the big concerns. Men are al- |xways grumbling. but just let them Hook back at what they had to do 25 Kears ago. That makes me think. We Mould get somebody interested in this ayout. Our finances aren't as flush Rs they might be. If we could. get lomehady to ,ske part of the load we kpuld go ahead faster and maybe we