Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1893-02-01
TRACKWALKING
A RAILROAD OCCUPATION THAT MUST
GROW TO BE TEDIOUS.

How the Big Transportation Companies
Keep Their Roadbeds Ia Repair-LooIs.
Ing for Loose Nuts and Protrudine
Spikes Along the Line.
The terrible accident that happened to
Peter Daugherty. the 'trackwalker,"
gave 10 many readers new word in the
vocabulary Of trades and occupations"
That there was such an occupation as
trackwalking under the big cover Of the
starry dome not one man In thousand
ever imagined
A trackwalker. a trackwalkerT ex-
claimed one citizen when asked the def
milton Of the term. why. yes; of course.
A trackwalker is a fellow who walks
the tracks. See? Just as easyi Now
ask ine something real hard"
II pressed for "A closer explanation of
the long words meaning, the citi-
zen proceeds TO get facetious: "Oh,
watcher trying to ring In on me nowi
A trackwalker is-a trackwallxer. When
the carnivorous tramp is hunted from
his lair in one city he emigrates to an
other On the way thither, my friend,
ne is valuable specimen of the genus
trackwalker. When the manager of an
"Uncle Toms Cabin" troop folds up his
pocketbook and, like an Arab, silently
steals away. leaving sweet little Eva,
good old Uncle Tom and religious Miss
Ophelia to swear at his memory for their
salaries. why. then they are very likely
to become trackwalkers. Then, again.
you might call hucksters who drive their
wagons mp and down the street car
tracks track hawkers. He. he. hel Seer"
Which all goes TO show that the real
bona fide trackwalker is comparatively
an unknown cog in the great machine of
the world II that cog was suddenly
taken out of place and thrown away the
world would very soon discover its loss.
From the crashing of wrecked trains
would come the death rattle of the dying;
from the ruddy glare of burning cars
would come the shrieks of tortured
wretcbes pinned beneath heavy timbers,
and the one cry sounded from end to end
OF the land would be. "The trackwalker
deserted his trust. Ride along any road
for five or ten miles and you will over
take MIN plodding along beside the
track he is not dressed in the latest
.cutaway diagonal. and his trousers, if
noticed. bag at the knees. He only gets
ei.10 day here in the west. and in some
eastern districts still less. He carries
wrench and a hammer, and now and
then stops to tighten bolt in rail or
drive spike into Il tie He tramps along
thus for twelve hours out of the twenty
four and at the end Of the day "can
sleep without rocking"
A reporter found Daugherty yesterday
in one of the pleasant wards of st. Marys
infirInary Bending over him, with her
sweet face full Of sympathy, was one Of
the sisters Of the order. Hes doing
very nicely" she softly said. but must
not be excited"
"You zee. it's my shoulder there now
exclaimed Daughterty, raising his left
arm and dropping il to the sheet again
with shudder Of pain. 1T seems as
though It was under trip hammer and
the hammer was poundisg for all It was
worth. Still it isn't as bad now as it
was Good gracious. but that old engine
did hit me a clipl'
How did 1t happen7"
"All fired sudden. was walking
along between the tracks, peaceable as
you please. when down rolls a train on
the left hand Being afraid that the
steam OF something would hit me ]
stepped into the right hand track
Whackl Biff Yours truly got it in the
neck sure as you live. An engine was
flying down the right hand tracks, you
see. and merely tried to stop it by put
ting my shoulder to the wheel I don't
remember what happened then. The
lights went ont. When arrived in
sight OF myself again was here.
Ny walk Is from Carr street to the
other end Of the bridge in Madison. I'm
not complaining Of the walk at all. un-
derstand. They always treated me white
az long as I've been working for 'em.
which Is only couple Of months. I'm
Just little sorry that the company Is
such new one They haven't got any
hospital Of their own yet. you know.
That's why I'm here. OF course I'm be
ing treated splendidly here--just as il /
was 1t home-but. you see. don't know
exactly who's going to pay these good
sisters for taking care Of me. I'd hate
20 see 'em do all their work for moth
ing
Daugherty gazed reverently at thecru-
cifix hanging on the opposite wall before
answering Speaking Of the work, it's
al right get 3f.50 day, just the same
as the other laborers on the road. and it
izn't a. hard as digging. An you've got
70 do Ia 70 be eflro and no over vour Sec