“Let your light shine.” Do not go to places where your light
will not shine. Sam P. Jones says: “Some years ago my father had
two Irishmen digging a well for him. They went off on a drinking
spree, after they had gotten the well about three-fourths done.
They returned to finish up, but long experience and observation
had taught them that what is known as ‘fire-damp’ or poisonous
gases, sometimes accumulates in the bottom of a well. They came
to the house and asked my mother for a bucket and a candle. They
set the candle in the bottom of the bucket and lowered it slowly
into the well, and the candle went out. Pat said, ‘Ah, Jamie,
there is death in that hole.’ They got some pine brush, tied
a rope to them and swished the well out with them. They again
lowered the candle and it burned brightly clear to the bottom.
And the Irishman said, ‘The candle burns bright; she’s safe
now.’”--“Famous Stories of Sam P. Jones.”
(1851)