Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-12-02


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 Fir of station
near the bridge. Real estate had already
risen, and suffers began to seek the hand
of the probable heiress. Her father well
coined them in the hopes that they might
make her forget the farmer lad who went
away to learn trade.
Size refused them all, for SHE knew her
lover too we'll. When he left home he had
gone at once to technical sch0 |. and af-
ter two years. hard study he had joined
himself to a company of that country who
built iron bridges. Then came more no.
table events ard another letter. Then ar
rived. on the railroad, vast pieces of iron
work, strange shapes in metal, and of I'M
| meaning 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 fanta stic patterns, and every piece
marked with curious letters and numbers
in white paint. The people in all that
countryside came in f1acks to see the great
heaps Of metal, and to inspect Che huge
wooden structure that had been erected in
the river hetween TIE abntmen,s on either
shore. Suddenly in their midst came the
the bridge eneineer-Thomas Lawson.
The improbable had come true. With him
came the bridge building company and
about twenty wnrkmen. The officers in
spected ever ytfng and ten 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 hrme and took up hammer and file
by day, a, d his books Ivy night. They
knew him as a hard student and a compe-
tent workman. Besides this, the work
was all finisht d he had seen it put tngeth-
err o. ce in the shops, all the paris were
plainly marked. ana lie had only to join to-
gether permanently what he had assisted
to ert ct temporarily. The only mistake
was in putting the young man on his first
important piece Of WORK just at that par
ticular spot.
In twenty-four working days the bridge
was finished and ready for the rails. Every
part had been accurately I'll ted into place,
and the timber scaffolding under the bridge
was removed. leaving it self-supported, a
perfect whole, spanning the itful Minnesa-
uken, one hundred and eighty-four feet in
one hold leap through the air. 1t was q
through truss'' Of he.finest American
design-light. airy, and yet firm as the
solid hills, strong enough to carry half u
dozen locomotives, and wonderfully beau.
tiful.
Farmer Chase was pleased and satisfied.
The young man had done well. He should
have his reward. Both families were rec
4aGeilpd and approved the match. Real es-
tate had risen on both sides OF the river,
and both learned, as if it were something
truly remarkable, that one family was
quite as good as another. AS for the re-
ward herself, she could not keep away from
that wonderful bridge. 1t was mystery,
source of endless admiration, and he had
built it.
He tried TO explain to her the charming
details of the law of strains in bridges. the
truly beautiful way in which the strain Of
compression was taken up hv the massive
hollow beams. and the strains of tension
distributed with exact justice among the
rods and eye-hars. lie told her all the hap
py thoughts developed in preparing for the
strains under a moving load, and how
full 1nrV tho factor nf safety.
He took her up on the ahntment on the
Lawson side of the river, and point' out
the steel rollers, placed under the bridge
to give the beautiful creation a chance to
stretch itself in warm weather. He also
showed her how space had been left be-
tween the end of the bridge and the ma
s ,nry to givs it free room to contract Al d
exp md in the heat and cold. The reward
declared she Undertook eve, ytliing perfect
". and that bridge building was perfectly
lovely.
Your father said we may be married as
soon as the bridge is accepted. The Off
GERS of the company will be here to-lnor-
rev to meet the president of the railroad
Rails will be laid over the bridge and en-
gnps will be run out upon it to test it. If
everything is all right, the president will
accept the bridge. and tfen the company
are to give me permanent position at
gond salary.
Then we are within one night of hap
pIness.''
Early the next morning the yonng man
crossed the stream DIR, -shod hy leaf ing
from beam to beam of the great bridge hr
had assisted to erect. Already the work
men were gathering the materials 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 ard. AS for the reward herself, she
gree, ed him with kiss and led him in to
breakfast at her fathers house. Peace
for the modern Romeo had built railroad
bridge to reach his Juliet.
In tie midst OF the merry breakfast
man came to the house, asking to see the
Young bridge-builder at once. The man
was excited and frightened, and for mu-
ment the young builder could not under
stan him.
Its true, sir! it's as true as you live
Old Jimmy Walsh found it when he laid
the FIRST tie. The bridge IS out of place
four inches."
The young man ran like a deer up the
steep emhanknent, and Came to the bridge
where all the men were standing about
idle, and with their tools on the ground.
s'We thought it best to tell you before
the bosses came.'
s'Give me fcot-rule."
His hands shook as he took the tool and
measured the space between the end of the