Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-26

/ fore it went by with rush
| l couldn't help it-perhaps it was
| through its all being so new to me-any-
how, | came over all of tremble, and
felt that scared l could hardly hold the
pick [ had brought with me.
What would Polly feel if she knew l
was here? l thought and felt quite
| pleased that | had not told her what it
| was | had to do.
The next minute we were making on
| further into the tunnel, but we had not
| gone far before there was the loud hollow
roar coming again through the darkness;
then like a couple of faint stars we could
| see the engine-lights the word was given,
and we got into the man-holes once more
Then the faint stars gerw and grew till
they flashed and glimmered on the wet
brick walls-grew and grew till they
| seemed coming to burn US up-and then
there was roar and a flash, and the
whole train was by, and we were all
walking on.
1t was very slow work, for there was
train about every three minutes and we
had to get into safe place pretty well
half minute before it passed. Long
enough, you'll say; but it was
the custom with the men to get
out of the way in good time, to
be on the safe side; so that, counting both
ways, think seven trains passed us be-
fore we got to the place where we were to
begin.
To new hand it was a dismal, cellar
like place the air smelt burnt and foul
as if the engines had used it up halfa-
dozen times over, leaving only bad
steam in its stead. Our lamps were hung
up on iron rods we brought with US, and
| Il Iotr +lo+
lines, and there we stood ready to begin.
1t puzzled me to think how we should
ever get the Job done, for it seemed as if
we should be able to give about half-a-
dozen strokes with a pick and then leave
off, and ours was likely to be longish
bit Of work, for the line had settled, so
that what we had to do was to clear away
the ballast, then with the long levers
bodily hoist up length of rail and the
wood sleepers it rested on, and shovel the
gravel underneath.
Well, it was like this for hour after
hour: just a few strokes of shovel or pick,
and then the shrek of an engine and its
two bright eyes glowing in the distance,
and seeming for all the world to me there
in the darkness like the horrors of a fever
or nightmare, or something of that kind.
| couldn't get myself to think and feel
that it was real. I kept expecting
to wake up in bed to attend on Polly,
or on one of the children that was
sick. | couldn't, of course, make out
what that hollow roar or those two bright
flaming eyes had to do with it, but there
they were, seeming to fascinate me; as
they came nearer and nearer the noise
grew louder and louder, and then the
train dashed by, seeming to take my
breath with it. leaving me crouching close
to the Shiny wall, as iflOnging to force my
self into it, till the CANCERS voice reused
me into knowing where | was with his
husky voice and his "Get on, my lads"
How | got through that day l never
seemed to know; but though | breathed
freely when outside the tunnel and took
all the reckless jokes of my mates in good
part, there was a regular load "a my
heart, and | could only think of going in
next day with sort of shudder, for I'd
got it into my head that one of those
trains would be the death Of me, and the
shrek of the engine and the hollow roar
of those coming and of those going away
rang in my ears till | got to my own
door.
l found Polly very bad, though she
wouldn't own to it. Her face was burning,
and her eyes looked bright and unnatural,
but she would have it that she was going
on all right, and, in spite of the pain |
was sure she was in, kept on talking
cheerful till all the children had gone to
bed, and then, poor girl, she broke down,
and lay crying for her helplessness, with
her poor feverish head on my arm, and
me doing what little | could to comfort
her, which wasn't much. After a time
she began to doze off, and | hadn't the
heart to move her; but after about an
hour she reused up little, and | thought
she was going to ask me for something;
but she rambled off into all sorts of
things, going back to our country days,
and frightening me, for she began to talk
OF green leaves and grass and flowers.
That was weary night. [ had come
home tired and almost i'll, but there was
no room for two of us to be i'll then. so [
nursed her as well as l could, and toward
morning she dozed off into a quiet sleep,
leaving me to think of what | had bet
ter do.
| was obliged to go to work, so the only
arrangement | could make was to ask
neighbor to step in and attend to her, and
SIX O'Clock saw me with the ganger and
his lot on the way once more to the
tunnel.
Thinking of what I had left at home, l
uCtCl ul1uCu W uSuG QOWu JuS I06llng VI
fear | had on the day before, telling my
self that | was a coward, and that the job
was done by other men, so why should /
be afraid? twas all no use, though, for,
do what l would, every train that came
by gave me a regular shock.
You see, the sitting up all night, after
being tagged the day before, made me the
more unfit than | should have been; and
what with wondering whether the doctor
would remember to call, and our neigh
Dor to go ia, and the children to do all l
had told them, | often got into such a
muddled state that it was like being
Weakened out of sleep when the ganger
called to US 10 stand aside
1t was the custom there to work very
slowly and easily, or else I'm sure they
would have had something to say about the
sleepy way in which | handled my shovel :;
and over and over again a train was close
on me before l moved
| should think that it was getting on
for twelve O'Clock that, as | was shovel
ing away there, everything seemed to
pass away from me, and [ was back
watching by Polly's bedside My arms
were busy enough handling the tool, but
my mind was gone, and if ever man
went fast asleep standing up [ did then.
Fast asleep? Yes. and dreamed, too ;
for | seemed to be telling the children not
to make so much noise, for they were draw
ing something about in the next room.
The lights were burning, and the place
was very hot and stuffy, owing to the