Telegram-herald., 1890-09-13
LAYING THEASPHALT
A Jolly Gank OF Southern Darkies
az WORK
TIE SANE SCENE WILL HlEPEs HERE
Some Idea a. IS How tsusl-st-s WI
Look a. so0H as Thoy Gst th~ Pre-
parstory Work nons and be-
ga Fattlag Doan Asphalt

asphalt pavement IN Detroit Is eompar-
Atlyely new thing and is novelty a.
tracts hund reds OF those Who have time
and opportunity for watching the oper-
ation. Though asphalt mas been talked
OF, written sbOut and lSwed over IN De-
trolt 10 an extent that crowds the
record, small proportion of these who
watch the paving operation have full
knowledge Of what il all means any
more than they have Of the equitable
rights of those now mixed up in red
bot and complicated row over their re-
specuye claims. Yet il is new thing,
It has many points of interest, II affords
opportunity for putting IN spare time,
and hence draws ike a mustard pias-
ter. This can be seen on Jefferson-aye,
where busy laborers are nov pushing
their work along as though going in
prize contest, and rapidly converting
the impossible thoroughfare INTO one
that will be a smoothas billiard table,
and one of the most popular drives IN
Detroit, leading as il does TO Belle Isle
and the Polnte, and running through
beautiful part Of the city.
just now the avenue is IN that chaotic
condition incident to tearing out and
building up again. The railroad COM
pany IS not whit behind the city in
the character OF work done or material
used. Their new rOadbed s litlle less
substantial than the solid rock. The
rails rest upon cross ties after the man
ner adopted IN steam railway coustruc-
ton and are what are known rs john
stown Orders. The name is apDroprl-
ate from the fact that the rails are
made at Johnstown, Pa j. and after the
style OF IRON girders used in building.
except that they have the shoulder or
ilange, which Is, of course, necessary N
a street car track. They are very heavy
and holted instead of spiked down, the
result being q surface so smooth and
solid that the cars glide over it with
none OF that jarrlng, Jerking and jolt
ing so Objectionable IN Old style tracks.
The fange Is a light one, 20 that in
driving over the track there Is iIttlc
an axle, so thai the street ear line viii
be almost no obstruction 10 the immense
travel which is inevitable.
1t is not the street railway workers,
however, that attract the curious
crowd. They present 70 new features
either in appearance or the character
of their employment. But with the
asphalt paving gang IT is different.
scr ,f J. "A
work, but of those who perform II
They are genuine, fat-footed, thick
Tipped. long g-heeled plantation darkles,
such as are lmmortalized III the stories
OF slavery days, and still retain many
of the quaint characteristics that gave
spice 10 the Southern lie III the ante
bellum times.
"Heah, boy, git often dat asphalt
quieker'n de Lawd'll let you; fore /
frows dis rake trough you. Pears 10
me desc heah 'Troit kids amt got
sense 'nough to beat two spot, and
dey's got feet on IN like baby cofiins.
Look at dem tracks dar. | lay DAT I'll
stop dis heah prlscuous runum' round
on ouah pavamlnt or dey'll have to git
NOAH white hearses IN dis town. OATS
what dey will. We amt layin' dis
amt.
Look out dar, boss. Look out dar.
Don't walk on de asphalt, sab. Ii isn't
'nOugh. sab, TO walk round, sab"
This to a finely dressed citizen who IN
vsded the forbidden territory.
"Git ont oh Dat. What2 You won't
move. Go on, ,.now, fore | done smite
e. 4. .,sHf
Gus bum is incOntlnently bounced.
IL Is thus that the man on guard
keeps the vocal music going and IS the
first to attract attention, but i Is the
merry crowd that does the artistic
work of laying and smoothing the
asphalt which draws the audience.
They can carry on side splitting
comedy without dropping n stitch at
their work, and the frequent syahl
YAH yah ~ that splits their shining
faces wide open shows how ghtly they
carry the burden of existence. They
discuss science, religion, politics, sports
aud current gossip. Iney guy each
other increasingly and the victim Of a
good hit seems 70 enjoy the fun just as
heartily as the rest OF the fellows. Oc-
casonallv one threatens 20 iron out
Z
smootheTs used in hardening the newly
laid pavement, OF to cuff MIN up n a
peak with = shovel but t's only part Of
the play. Their DISCUSSIONS are on the
rough and tumble order and the nan
Who can tickle the gang the fnost =
held ode chamnlon debatah." They
enjoy the attention winch they attract
and. after the manner Of tbeIr cisss.
do a large amount of playing t0 the
grand stand.
Some Of these oolored laborers have
been working continuously for the War
ren-Scbsff company fifteen years and
over. They have tue Work II spread.
ing the aspnst iown - scence. aUd
can msu pulate a shovel "a dexter0us s
as Hermann ~ Keller toy " th csr3s.
some Of tie ol3 hands vll toss shovel
fuli ~ tne soft asphalt ten feet 3 the
ar. and eaten IS on the saovei before it
fails 20 the ground Ihe forcuea cf
Z the Jrf rs9u-aTe. gang sas t.sck as
tae ace of spades, an5 fle war hs u e
. his ewes ~ = .sZEng saoreIeT would
make AZ erd Dan in a mnsfrrI per-
{ farmsnce Sex nta envy Tha nen.
as general tang. tao1e G3 ngt
sarE t gr ud svaT IKE nar ne
E ten n1nrs isv One 81 fsm 81
more wnrs f91r nogrs taa- me ~
. tse frss emp oyed - tse c.fq 8a t8e
streets RI an ~ caV.
The fouoastoa uroo nh the
F ssr.rait i spread e 1a8a ~ cenrrrss-
F hF.a stle sra tI sn
.saes deep AcHso1 eaat 81 assas &.
short hsf an HcH ftcs f-ss spread
/ on tie foam adstoa. aoa Ehen sass hsfs-