The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-11-19

The DELAY was really caused by tunnel
that had to be cut through the mountains
about FIVE miles to the west of the river.
Laura Chase received her twenty-siXth
letter, and seemed to grow in beauty and
good spirits day by day Then suddenly
appeared the traek-layers, and it was ru-
mored that the tunnel was nearly finished.
In less than two weeks the first engine,
rusty. battered affair, came up and halted
on top of the great embankment. 1t had
brought up long line of fat cars loaded
with heavy timbers. The neighbors said it
was to build bridge for the temporary
bridge was long ago swept away by the
river foods. There came also a swarm of
carpenters and laborers, and stationary
steam engine. The Chase mansion began
to be exceedingly undesirable as a resi-
denee, but the farmer did not care, for he
drove lively trade in hay for the horses,
vegetables for the men, and fuel for the en-
CINE He had even dreamed of cutting up
the farm for house lots, for there was hint
in the air of a station 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 him
self 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 in 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-
les. 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 countryside came in
focks to see the great heaps of metal, and
to inspect the huge wooden structure that
had been erected in the river between the
abutments 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 work
men. The officers inspected everything
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 has books by
night They knew him as a hard studen,
and competent workman. Besides this.
The work was all finished. he had seen If
put together once in the shops, all the parts
were plainly marked and he had only 10
Join together permanently what he had a.
sisted to erect temporarily. The only mis-
take 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. and the timber sca5olding under the
bridge was removed, leaving il self-sup
ported. a perfect whole spanning the 6tful
Minnesauken, one hundred and eighty four
feet in one bold leap through the air Il
was through truss Of the finest Amer
lean design--hght, airy, and vet firm as the
solid hills, strong enough to carry half
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 re
conciled and approved the match Real
estate 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 the other. As for the reward
herself, she could not keep away from that
wonderful bridge. II Was a mystery, a
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 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 moving load, and how
wonderfully large was the factor of safety
He took her up on the abutment ON the
Lawson side of the river, and pointed out
the steel rollers, placed under the bridge
to give the beautiful creation chance 10
stretch itself in warm weather. He also
showed her how space had been left be-
tween the end of the bridge and the ma
sonry to give it free room to contract and
expand in the heat and cold The reward
declared she undertook everything perfect
", and that bridge-building was perfectly
lovely
s.Your father said We may be married as
soon as the bridge is accepted The Off
eers of the company win be here tomorrow
to meet the president Of the railroad
Rails will be laid over the bridge and en-
gines win be run out upon il to test it, If
everything is all right, the president viii
accept the bridge, and then the company
are to give me a permanent position at a
good salary.
"Then we are within one night Of hap
piness.
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
we're gathering the materials to lay the rails
over the finished bridge. He was glad and
triumphant. Now all his trials and waiting
we're over. He could claim his reward.
As for the reward herself, she greeted him
with kiss, and led him in to breakfast at
her fathers house. Peace had been de-
elared between the families, for the modern
Romeo had built railroad bridge to reach
his Juliet.
In the midst Of the merry breakfast a
man came to the house, asking to see the
young bridge-builder at once. The man
was excited and frightened, and for a mo-
ment the young builder could not under
stand him.
sIt's true, sir it's as true az you live J
Old Jimmy Walsh found it when he laid
the first tie. The bridge is out of place
four inches.
The young man ran like deer up the
steep embankment, and came to the bridge
where all the men were standing about idle,
and with their tools on the ground.
aWe thought it best to tell you before
the bosses came.
ssGive me foot-ruie.
His hands shook as he took the tool and
measured the space between the end OF the
L-;1,.o anJ tha ahufmanf Then he