Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-07-02

came up and halted on top of the great
embankment. 1t had brought up long
line of flat cars loaded with heavy tim
bers. The neighbors said it was tc
build q bridge, for the temporary bridge
was long ago swept away by the river
floods. There came also swarm OF
carpenters and laborers, and stationary
steam engine. The Chase mansion
began to be exceedingly undesirable as
residence, but the farmer did not care,
for he drove lively trade in hay for the
horses, vegetables for the men, and fuel
for the engine. He had even dreamed
of cutting up the farm for house lots,
for there was hint in the air Of sta
ton near the bridge Real estate had
already risen, and suitors began to seek
the hand of the probable heiress. Her
father welcomed them in the hopes that
they might make her forget the farmer
lad who went away to learn trade.
She refused them all, for she knew her
lover too well. When he left home he
had gone at once TO a technical school,
and after two years hard study he had
joined himself to a company of that
country who built iron bridges. Then
came more notable events and another
letter. Then arrived, on the railroad,
vast pieces of ironwork, strange shapes
III metal, and of unmeaning design.
Square beams, hollow within and closed
on two sides with lattice work, long bars
with eyes like those of darning- needles,
rods, bolts, and blocks of iron of fan
tastic patterns, and every piece marked
with curious letters and numbers in
white paint. The people in all that
country side came IN flocks to see the
great heaps of metal, and to inspect the
huge wooden structure that had been
erected in the river between the abut-
ments on either shore. Suddenly in
their midst came the bridge engineer
Thomas Lawson. The improbable had
come true. With him came the bridge
building company and about twenty
workmen. The officers inspected every
thing and then went away, leaving the
young man in charge of the work. In
this they felt quite safe. They knew
the young farmer lad from the day he
left home and took up. hammer and file
by day, and his books by night. They
knew him as hard student and com
petent workman. Besides this, the
work was all finished, he had seen it put
together once in the shops, all the parts
were plainly marked, and he had only
to join together permanently what he
had assisted to erect temporarily. The
only mistake was in putting the young
man on his first important piece of
work just at that particular spot.
/. In twenty-four working days the
bridge was finished and ready for the
rails. Every part had been accurately
fitted into place, aud the timber scat
folding under the bridge was removed,
leaving it self-supported, a perfect
whole spanning the fitful Minnesauken,
one hundred and eighty-four feet in one
bold leap through the air. 1t was a
through truss" of the finest American
design-light, airy, and yet firm as the
solid hills, strong enough to carry half
a dozen locomotives, and wonderfully
beautiful.
Farmer Chase was pleased and salts
fed. The young man had done we'll
He should hGye his reward Both
families were reconciled and approved
the match. Real estate Lad risen on
both sides of the river, and both learned,
as if it weie something truly remark
able, that one family was quite as good
as the other. As for the Reward herself,
she could not keep away from that Won
derful bridge. 1t was a mystery, a
source of endless admiration, and he had
built it.
He tried TO explain to her the charm
ing details of the law of strains in bridges,
the truly beautiful way in which the
strain of compression was taken up by
the massive hollow beams, and the
strains of tension distributed with exact
justice among the rods and eye-bars.
He told her all the happy thoughts
developed in preparing for the strains
under a moving load, and how wonder
fully large was the factor of safety. He
took her mp on the abutment on the
Lawson side of the river, and pointed
ont the steel rollers, placed under the
bridge to give he beautiful creation a
chance to stretch itself in warm weather.
He also showed her how space had been
left between the end of the bridge and
the masonry to give it free room to con-
tract and expand in the heat and cold.
The Reward declared she understood
everything perfectly, and that bridge
building was perfectly lovely.
"Your father says we may be married
as soon as the bridge is accepted. The
officers of the company will be here to-
morrow to lleet the president of the
railroad. Rails will be laid over the
bridge, and engines will be run out
upon it to test it. If everything is all
right, the president will accept the
bridge, and then the company are to
give me permanent position at good
salary"
|. "Then we are within one night Of
happiness. "
Early the next morning the young
man crossed the stream dry-shod by
leaping from beam to beam of the great
bridge he had assisted to erect. Already
the workmen were gathering the mate
rials to lay the rails over the finished
bridge. He was glad and triumphant.
Now all his trials and waiting were over.
He could claim his reward. AS for the
Reward herself, she greeted him with q
kiss, and led him in to breakfast at hen
fathers house. Peace had been declared
between the families, for the modern
Romeo had built railroad bridge tC
reach his Juliet.
In the midst Of the merry breakfast 6
man came to the house, asking to see
| the young bridge-builder at once. The
man was excited and frightened, anC
for moment the young builder coulC
] 4 I.