OCR Text |
Show INQERSOLL WAS CONVINCED. Tho wonderrul woalth in tho mountain mado tho mines a resort Tor not only noted visitors rrom tho east but Tor ploosuro-scokors, ploosuro-scokors, and orten parties or ladles wont Tar down Into ino bowols or tho earth to seo tho virgin gold and sliver hoing takon out In tho oro by tho grimy, sweating minor. During this time the lato Mark Twain, was a roportor In a Virginia City nowsiiapor. Ono or tho promlnont visitors who had como to soo tho Goldon City and Its mines was Ilobort Ingorsoll, a noted unbollover In rollglon and an athoist. Ho wont down tho Ohplr Mino with his wiro and several ladles, and Mark acted as guldo. Tho story or the advonturo as told In Twain's words, gives on Idoa or tho lighter and darkor sldo or tho underground under-ground gold-seokors: "A llttlo bororo tho night shirt wont to work wo arrived at tho drosslng-room or tho Ophlr Mine, and a roromnn asslgnod to conduct tho party showed tho ladlos to tholr dressing-room, and handod to oach or thorn a long rubbor coat. This was not bocauso tho Ophlr was a wot mlno, with water In Its pas&agos, but bo-caus6 bo-caus6 ladlos would find in tho dressing-rooms dressing-rooms Tor tholr use exactly what Mr. Ingorsoll and I round a pair or heavy socks and shoes, a pair or Jean trousers, a blue woollen shirt, and an oilskin cap. Wo doscendod to tho rourtoon hundred and sovonty-llvo root loviM, where the raro-man raro-man told tho ladles they could throw oh" tholr rubbor coats; and, encouraged by Mr. Ingorsoll, thoy did so. Our guldo took tho party to tho various works on that lovol, tho drifts and cross-cuts and tho races or tho "stopos," all or which the Visitors enjoyod vory much; but Mr. Ingorsoll tho while was "Jollying" tho roroman about tho absence or tho terrific heat lib had hoard would bo oncountorod in tho docp workings. Llko a boy proud or a soro thumb, tho roroman was proud or the Tact that tho Ophlr could show up as groat a dogroo or heat as any othor mlno In tho lodo, and this "Jollying" mado him a llttlo peevish. Wo went to tho shart and took a cago down several hundred root lower. Thoro tho foreman whjspored to mo to detain the ladles on a pretence or showing them the coollng-olT room while ho attended attend-ed to the great agnostic. Ho took him along a blind drirt that Is, a drirt with no opening with any othor workings to give It a draught. The men toiling in tho race or tho lrirt woro supplied with rresh air which was kept comparatively cool by alr-plpes conducted from an air pump. Hut when you got Into the middle or that drirt, hair-way between tho crosscut cross-cut rrom which It runs and the raco, you were In air so hot that It almost blistered tho lips to breathe. Along this drirt tno roroman, grimly smiling, led his guost until they met a miner hurrying back, his hoad bowed over his candlo to protect his Taco from tho scorching air. "Ingorsoll stopped the man. 'Whore arc you going, Mr. Minor?' he asked. "Tho minor grurriy replied, "I'm going to holl to cool on," and walkca on. " 'I think,- Mr roroman," said Ingorsoll with a chuckle, 'that while that man may not find tho place ho Is looking for, wo'd better return and help him to look Tor It. It must bo cooler than this, ir thoro Is such a place.' " Chambers's Journal. |