The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-01-20
TRACKWALKING.
ARAlLROAD OCCUPATION THAT MUST
GROW TO BE TEDIOUS.


ing fo- Loose Nuts and Protrudine
Spikes Along the Line.
The terrible accident that happened to
Peter Daugherty, the "trackwalier, -
gave to many readers new word ih 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, n trackwalker?" ex-
claimed one citizen when asked the def
milton of the term, Why, yes; of course
A trackwalker is fellow who walds
the tracks. See? Just as easy! Now
ask me something real hard"
If pressed for closer explanation of
the long words meaning, the citi-
zen proceeds to get facetious: "Oh,
watcher trying to ring in on mo now?
A trackwalker is--a trackwalker. When
the carnivorous tramp is hunted from
his lair in one city he emigrates to an
other. On the way thither, my friend,
he is u valuable specimen of the genus
trackwalkcr. 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 Mt his memory for their
salaries, why, then they are very likely
TO become trackwalkers. Then, again,
you might call hucksters who drive their
wagons up and down the street car
tracks track hawkers. He, he, he See?'
Which all goes to show that the real
bona fide trackwalker is comparatively
an unknown cog in the great machine Of
the world. If 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
wretches pinned beneath heavy timbors,
Of the land would be, The trackwalker
deserted his trust" Ride along any road
for five or ten miles and you will over
take him. plodding along beside the
track He is not dressed in the latest
cHtaway diagonal. and his trousers, if
noticed, bag mt the knees. He only gets
l.50 day here in the west. and in some
eastern districts still less. He carries a
wrench and hammer, and now and
then stops to tighten bolt in rail or
drive spike into 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. Mary's
infrmary. Bending over him, with her
sweet face full of sympathy, was one of
the sisters of the order. He's doing
very nicely she softly said but must
not be excited
You see, it's my shoulder there now"
exclaimed Daughterty. raising his left
arm and dropping it to the sheet again
with ii shudder of pain. ut seems as
though it was under trip hammer and
the hammer was pounding for all it was
worth. Still it isn't as bad now IS it
was. Good gracious, but that old engine
did hit me a clip!'
How did it happen?'
al! hitu suuuci. L was Walll9G
along between the tracks, peaceable as
you please when down rolls train on
the lett hand. Being afraid that the
steam or something would hit me |
stepped into the right hand track.
Whack! Eiit. 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 il by put
ting my shoulder TO the wheel don't
remember what happened then. The
lights went out. When | arrived in
sight of myself again was here.
My 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
as 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 hore-just as if /
was at home-but, you see, don't know
exactly who's going to pay these good
sisters for taking care of me. I'd hate
to see 'ep do all their work for moth
ing"
Daugherty gazed reverently at the cru
citix hanging on the opposite wall before
answering. Speaking of the work, it's
all right. ] get $l50 day, Just the same
as the other laborers on the road, and il
isn't as hard as digging. All you've got
to do is to be sure and go over your sec
ton as many times as you're ordered,
and see that the rails are in proper shape.
II you find loose bolt you take your
pinchers and tighten it. If you find
spike poking its head into the air, give it
clip with your hammer. That's all
there is to the business. If you should
happen to find something out of whack
and can't Fix it yourself, why, you go for
help that's all, You see, know Just
enough about trackwalking to do my
work well. have never had any of the
adventures that some Of the men have. If
l.. A.