Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-08-24
A COMMONPLACE HERO.

A COMMONPLACE HERO.
Morning at Erie. A faint breeze is
blowing of the land, that makes only
the lightest ripples on the surface of the
lake and bay. A mile or two out from
the shore few sails are outlined against
the horizon, and the course of pro-
peller so far distant as not to be seen
may still be traced by light line of
smoke. The courthouse clock strikes
four long, lazy strokes, according to its
deliberate habit, and little later the
keeper of the Presqu' Isle lighthouse at
the entrance of the harbor puts out his
light. He may well do so, for the flush
in the east has deepened into a flame.
The slender shaft OF the water-tower is
crimson at its summit, and the city
spires one after another are tipped with
fire. Upward comes the sun and down.
ward sinks the glow. The water-tower
is crimson pillar now, the ungainly
elevators at the waters edge look al
most beautiful in the fair light, the trees
on Presqu' Isle are bathed in it, and tho
distant sails reddep as it touches them.
Still upward comes the sun till the hori-
Eon line can no longer conceal it, and
1t seems as if it must in moment more
come rolling in fiery splendor along the
blazing path it has burned across the
water. A small boat from the life
saving station crosses the glowing track,
and red drops flash from the cleaning
oars. And now the whole broad lake
glistens as the sun climbs higher, but
the red glow has gone, the glory has
faded, and another commonplace day
has begun.
A commonplace day to you or to me;
but never yet did there dawn a day that
was not ere its close consecrated by
some act of loyalty to the best emotions
of the human heart. You or l may
have watched the splendor of the dawn
ing day from Garrison Hill, and gone
home thrilled with its grandeur, only
to forget few hours later the fine
feelings that have sprung up within us,
the vague aspirations ii at the sight has
evoked. For us, then, the splendor has
been exchanged for the commonplace.
/ -ank Gaskell has had no time this
morning for seeing the sunrise from
Garrison Hill, had he wished to do so,
which is quite unlikely. A sewer con-
tractor with large force of laborers in
his employ is not usually a man to
whom sunrises appeal in any esthetic
way, or one who indulges in vague talk
about the commonplace. And, looking
at Frank Gaskell, you will say he is the
last man of whom anything vague"
can be predicated. A tall, well-built
fellow OF thirty, only passably good
looking, but with firm mouth, and
eyes whose angry flash the workmen
under him do not care to encounter.
When he speaks it is in short, nervous
sentences that leave no doubt of his
meaning. Alert, keen and energetic,
he allows no idlers about him, and you
would call him merely pushing, COM
mon-place man, and seek to know no
more of him. At present he is con-
Quoting the excavations in Poplar street
preparatory to constructing sewer for
that locality, and very busy this occu-
patton keeps him. Through the middle
OF the street for several squares the cut
ing extends, its course marked by two
long lines of sand and gravel. A yawn'
ing chasm twenty or more feet deep il
is, its walls carefully boarded at inter
walls. Down there in the half darkness
some of Gaskell's men are laboriously
digging, while others are hoistins
buckets of earth to the surface and add
ing thus to the height of the yellow
piles on each side of the cutting. 1t il
nine o'clock when Gaskell, after care
full directions to the laborers on tn,
excavation to make his daily inspection
of the work there. As he passes slowl,
along his quick glance takes in ever.
feature of the work. Now he stops tt
direct some clumsy workman to use hi
spade in less awkward way, and nov
he pauses to tap the boarding at variou
places to see if it can sustain the pres
sure of the looser earth behind it. Sud
denly he turns about angrily.
Didn't tell you last night to hav
this place right here boarded on bot
sidesp" he says to one of the men near
est to him.
~ belive you did," stammers tn
man, "but there want no good board
here then, and Jim Mulligan said h
would bring some the first thing thi
morning. but he hasn't come yet"
Gaskell hardly hears the excuse, h
is SO occupied with his examination {
the walls of the cutting.
"This ought to be boarded for fift
feet each side," he says, land it's &c
to be done this morning. Send Ma
haffey here to me at once. He's u
above there by the Sixth street cross
ing;" and the man thus hidden hasten
away.
The place where Gaskell is mo-
standing is about midway of til
length of the sewer cutting, and b,
tween him and the northern end som
thirty laborers are digging busil,
Toward the southern end the excavi
ton is shallower, and several ladder
near furnish the means of ascent or d.
scent. One of these is about sixty fe
south of Gaskell. While he is waitin
he surveys the distance between it an
himself with his eye.
~ don't like the looks of thinl
along here" he says, half aloud. 9
believe I'll have boards put up as I,
as that ladder. anyway" he continue
as he walks toward the south.
The men at the northern end a
working toward him, deepening II
cutting in his direction, and while
PAGES back and forth dozen or mo
Of the workmen are rapidly extendiI
their work toward that part of the G
cayation.
.. Be careful how you jump roul
thera.'' he calls sharply to some M
on the surface who are hoisting up I
earth removed by the shoyels OF the
borers below, "them banks amt no
too strong, you know. Johnson"
says TO one Of the men who are pee