A Mining Superstition

Minors, esppciully tliose who hnvo eünne trom foreigu eomurlos nml i reseut a past gcimration of their clnss, nee givcn to roany sti perstit iotis l'curs. Tii! yuungor minera - tliose boni in tlüs country alll[ who have grovru np Httilcr the iúlluonco of its onllhtenlntf iiisiitiitions- do not, is a general tltliiir, shiire in this supcrstUious belief, a thou;rh sume of theui place as muflí miiortaiice ou "sians" mul "oiiiciis" of gooi and cvil as do tlieir moro inorant ancestors. Ainon tlie siipcrstitions cherishod by niincrs is tlmtof wliistlinginn mine. To whistlo in ft mine is considerad in cvil omen. Minors nevci' whistle while al vork. öoniotiuies they sing whilc töSling in the dai-k, ilamp, iiarrov cliainbcr ot' the minos, liiindrc.ls of icet below the surttiue, but nover loudlv, and only plniutive tolk songa ív'ikI btllads tlmt li.ivo boen cronncd over lUo eradles üt jiCiionitionsof their class. Jt is a singular íUct that, dospit'! Mie pcril tlmt cüiistautly bcsets t - ■ .i. .....ii #lii-fc j-umi l_m i nul1 lij ll - lililí UI L11U lIlllH"j v,viui iiw.iv ■' - way3 clMJcrful unid it all. Lcfc one ■vvliü may visit a mine biit whislle while among the workmen, aud tlio clieei-ftlitesa lie lias notloud as cliaracteriziiíg tliem will be yone at once.- Most ill oíd minera believe tliat a "g-oo,L luck spirit" lurka inevery mine, and tliat at a sound of whistliug it fli an I leaves the minora at the ínerey 3f the snirit of evii. il íll bet'alls mv of the vrorkmfln that day the bolieva-s iu tliosuurglitionBcribeiU cause cntirely to tiie frihteuiíig awuy oí the aood luok spirit by the fatal wliistie. in ltj40 thcre was a grcat mmc disaster at tliis place. Beveral müiera were buried i oue of tho Delawaro and liu.Uon Uunal Cotnpany's minea liy a sudtlen cnviilg-iu ot' thu roof. - Altlicutfii tlio cau.se of the caving was kiiown to luivo been a lack of proper support by pillars and timburs, at least one old miner, a survivor of the ilisaer, stitl liviujf hei-o, has always maiutailiod, and still niaintains, that il was caused by a "dare-devil-inin or," uamed Juck Richards, wUUtling in the mine while workillg witli lus iraiur, ftirauist tlic prótesis oí nis coinnuit. " Richards was a skeptioal young Welshinan. who ridiculed all the guperstitiuus of liw lellovv-worknioii. Wiili tho olvl minor mentioued aburé and tifleen olhoivs, lie was Wolkiug in Liic mine, a niile tVoin the cnti-ance, ou ihe üay of the catastroplie. Tlieinine was well known lo be scantily pi-opped, and the minors wcre 'ïobbing" it prepiiratory to its abau(Uiiiineiit. lle U Ueacribed as haviug been a merry ïuilow, fond of leasing liis coiupauioua. ün tliis occasion he su, Kiuni v l.uu down his piek and liounued to liis fellow workinen that ha inusiidod to "whistle thcm up to the'liigs "' Barley.'" The nmien worc uu mist at the tliouglu ot liwlxaids thuB living in the lace of mine luck, and tliey uegged of him hol to uluise the goud-luiiK .spirit avvuy. Jle lm 'lioa ;it thoir ie.irs, aud with olear, lou'a noies nuuie the chaniber ring vVltti ilic Hvoly Suotuli aif. Nut content witli tlmt, suys the old ïniuer, Bliuildering at this day over tlie sacrile'áou.s temerily of the inerry luán, as liu raUleü olí n jig uiiown uy Míe minera as "Tho üuvil Among tho Xailors," and euded by tulling' tlio good-lucfc spirit to "take a danco to lliat, :ukL Lie ulüwcd tü it." Nono oi' ilu; minera could speak forsome time. Buuie ot Uioiii triou 10 worfc agaiu, bufc tho íuor uldisasior was so siroiy up011 Uicm thiit tliey all made preparatious to quit the mino. Tho oíd niuicr who recalls tliis incident, Baya lio luid u and a son workiiig in anolher riart of tüe uilue, and lio made up liia min 1 to go to thcin, tell thom oi' Jack Richards' fooluarduiess, waru liicín oí ita cuiíst'qiienccs and escape with tlieiu froiu tlie mine. Jack U.oiiards coulil uut coliviuco aiiy ot tlieiu ot tlo oliildialmeM oí tlieii" intcudud Öuddcnly, wlñlc they vrere gatherincr np tlicir tools, a noiso üke tlic soñnl ofilistant tliundcf canie to Uie ears of Uie (igitetcd minors. Thoy kiiew too welf what tho sound praKgOl. The roof was "working," and a cave-in tlu-caunied. The minors turnod to Jack and charged him with brinfinjf disaster upon tlicm by his (leü,uicu ot' the irood-luck spirit of the mine. Jack replied that it 1 lic root wus falling it was bccane of iiisulheient support, and not bccause of his whistliug, and knowing tho danuer that encoiupassed thein all, lie couusclcd his coiuradea to lose na tune in ""CttHi ■ atop." uut bcfoi-c tliey could uketheflrstitep toward reaohhv the Burfaoe a scoond shock rau tli'rougli the mine. Tuis time U was liko a olap oC noar the eorlb. It was followed by a crash that coul.l be made only by the fiilling of masses oí rock and coal f rom the roof, and by a "list of wind that hu ried the muiera asmiuèt the iay;ed wallsof ber. ïlien the mine feil in all about thcii), and the scventeen minera and the car horso were imprisoued bolinul a wull ot tallen coftl, in a spaco not more tlian torty l'eet square. Tlielr ]i"lits weve extingui8hed, aal tlicro was not a match in the party. V itli tlcath awaiting them in one oïita worst fonns, they oureed Jack Richards, and one ot the minors tried to iind him in the dark to brain him with a piek.- To aseei-taiii whether any of the tang had been kiiie.i by tlietïilliugcoal, tlie name of each one was oalled by one ot the minei-s. All responded bnt J.ielc llkliards. He was Ibund dead halt buried bcneatli the wall of rook and coal. The men worked for houw, many oí tliein workiug the fleuh u-om their lindera iu the sbarp poal. Sotne of theui lost all lic:n-t, and threvr thou.selves on the damp Boor ot their undor"Toun l prisou uid bewailed their late! Budueuly u ray of liglrt broke through a sniall opening i 11 the wall. ïhou a lauteru was pusheu througti, t'ollowed by a inan's head. Tlie mui criedout: "la there uny wan hure tltat isalive?" A yladshont trom the minera was the reply. The mau pulled hiniself thi-uu-n the openinsi mto the ehaniber. lt was boydun the supci-inlenlent. ile took the dead body of Jack Richards on lus back and ied the way.and two liours afterward the miuen were in the anus of w ives, pareut and sweethearts on top. llicnar.ts had no relativos but a criuplea sisLur, wlw was dyillg witli consiunption. Öhe elied tliu next day. Tue bivther an i son of tne nanator of tiiis tra-ic incident and tueive other miuen woro ueveefoaud. Turee days aller tlie f.UI, ALme üoss llosie, wño luid been in v ui-stant yart ot tlie niine wbeu the toot c.ivud iu, ciner-eü IVoin its depllis, worn to a skeletoii. With liis iali he liad dug I his WT for more Ihan a nnle Ihrough an aliuosl, soiui wan, wituout a uutu offouUoradropoi water Lu ausUiu Uüu Tuia iuiuu tnitfeuy tonus om ui the i'avorilc 11 nrraiive ui lüu oia unbc uf tbia roiou, uu t afwr relaliug it to iuquiriug Vwiwra tney uever taa to waru Uiem uot tu wlusilo U tlio iutund goíu w u h .iniiiu.