The Iron Boys in the Mines; or, Starting at the Bottom of the Shaft

't stand up for an ho

the Cousin Jack Mine, smiled indulge

a fine endorsement. He seems to think you have the making of a miner i

ry to place me down in one

ll use you above ground for a few days, until I see what you are best fitted to do, an

the day, many years before, when he, also, had sought employment in the iron mines. By sheer pluck he had worked his way u

n be done for you," repe

sh you might find a place

nxious to get bel

egin my apprenti

u be ready to

w," answered S

u at something. Your pay, to begin, will be a dollar a day. Here is the address of a boardi

, s

to mix in too much with the foreign element. Let them alone and you will find they will do the same with you. Pay strict attention to duty, be punctual and work, and you will get along. Our discipline is strict, but we have the interests of

ce was neat and clean, though extremely plain. There were no evidences of luxury in the furnishings, and when he sat down to his first meal there he found the food plain but wholesome; the

n't all have chronic i

took their places at the table. The lad did not care particularly. He was rather glad that they

he asked the boarding house boss about this the boy was told to wait until n

ere he was to work, was a village of about seventeen hundred inhabitants, nestling between two high ranges of mountains. The timber had been cut of

e buildings in the village proper were mostly mere shacks, the public s

the earth, men toiled and burrowed by day and by night, penetrating

d over toward the towering, gloomy mine shafts he began to realize that he was at the very fountain head of the greatest steel industr

ropped back below ground with a speed almost too great for the human eye to follow. Men red with the metal they were handling were laboring on the surface, their faces strea

hed to waiting ore boats on the Great Lakes, to be conveyed thence to the great steel mills in the east.

away by his enthusiasm. "This is the life

im who possessed the pluck to fight his way to the front.

thed. "I, too, will be a captain of industry! I'll never give up until I am

k and the miners in their oilskins came streaming up from their underground haunts, did the lad ma

oommate. When Steve had taken his place at the table he found himself sitting opposite a boy whom he ju

the lad eyeing

ly demanded the larger of the

hen R

us

es

name. Do you hea

out it," replied Steve, his face flushi

me, you must be one of those fellows who is alwa

answered S

a Rush

sh, if that is

sh and she's a Rusher, too. That must be a pretty

out of your talk," commanded Steve qui

Do you hear t

much too busy with their suppers

, Rusher, I guess you're right at that. I had a mother once mys

"What you say about me doesn't matter much, anyway. For that matter, I do not think

t's

ou heard w

u mean, you

it plainer. I mean to say that you act like a

air. The smile had left his face

ght, eh?" he demanded, thrustin

even look up as he made the reply,

t you can't hand out a line of talk like that to Bob Jarvis," growled the larger boy

us a chance to eat our suppe

know," added another. "If you want to fight, why d

er side of the table who had defied him. Just as he was passing the head of the

!" bellow

d the pugnacious Bob Jarvis, and just in time to prevent a lively fight i

u do fight, I'll report you both to the superi

aring to take not the least bit of interest in

these fine days, Miss Hurry-up," threatened Bob in a low tone,

es

r by the dry house after supper. I prom

Steve dryly, with a sligh

won

I wil

aid,

ve work on hand to-morrow and I don't care to spoil my chances by getting

hand, Rush. You'll never make a miner until you've been properly t

r the present," warned the boarding h

n without being called down?" de

pick on a boy who isn't your size. You, boy

hen R

aid of Jarvis. His bark is

afraid of

any trouble outside, report it to the superintende

o take care of myself without reporting to anyone," added Rush, flashing a significant g

they were leaving the table, however, Jarvis edged over to where Steve was

my shift," he whisp

hy

a chance to teach

e lad in his soft voice. "I wan

t certain whether Steve really meant what h

. This is a great pile of ore dumped on the surface by a tram car as the ore is brought up from the mine in a skip, or ore elevator. Ste

step would precipitate him down the sloping end of

ted by electricity. Steve had received his instructions from the dump boss,

ch, groaning and threatening to jump the

am was going to run him down and plunge over the end of the dump. Should such be the case, t

going! You'll run off the track!"

lang. Steve Rush went down with the contents of the car falling all about him in a red, suffocating shower, burying him nearly to his neck. Some of the ore rolled down the side of the dump, and the lad would have followed

happened. By industrious blinking and rubbing of his eye

his might to free himself

up to my chin and I'm getting in deeper

estioned a jeering voice. "Why, upon

he voice as belong

and I will talk with you. I shall have a few thing

ut. How did you happen to g

se, Bob Jarvis, and you will have to answer to m