The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-05
THE SECTION BOSS.


The section boss was born in Ireland. The
most casual observer would discover this
fact at a glance, for every native son or
Erin bears the certificate OF his nationality
upon his face. Whether 1t is the effect or
verdant, insular cline or Hibernian diet or
his infant struggles with the mother brogue
know not but certain 1t is that every true
Irishman displays. as it were, indelible
map of the Emerald Isle upon his counte-
nance. The prominent, protrudng teeth, the
heightened upper lip and retrousse nose, so
strkingly Simian in outlines, which ought to
have suggested the Darwinian theory ages
ago-these distinctive and unmistakable fea-
lures mark the Irish-born citizen the world
over. They are not marks OF heredty, for
the children OF the purest-blooded HI
bernians, when born on foreign soil, bear no
such brand. But these are facts for the
anthropologist and comparative anatomists
to fathom.
Our Irish section boss has certain specific
traits of character, as we'll as pecularities
of countenance and these are the qualities
which have rendered him the supreme mas
ter Of his vocation. No other race OF
men has ever attained any degree of emf
nence as section bosses. One can hardly
imagine a plethoric German or a stumbling
Swede as occupying such position. Above
all, the section boss is inflexibly faithful and
stubbornly honest. His morals are as
straight and true and answering as the
glittering steel track over which he trundles
his hand-car. Perhaps his mind is as mar
row as the railway also, but 1t is not neces-
sary for him TO perceive broadly that which
is on either side: he is required to see clear
" only straight ahead. And, after all, is it
not the man who looks steadily forward.
rather than he who is constantly gazing to
the right or left, that accomplishes things
motley crew of four or five hands are
under his control Every morning at
o'c,ock. no matter what the weather, these
men place the hand-car upon the track,
light their pipes and proceed upon tour
over the section. Slowly, yet sturdily, the
long walking-beam which propels the car
is forced up and down by the patient Pad
dies" while the boss. poised upon the front
platform scans the track with the search
ing eye of an eagle. Nothing escapes him.
If a nut upon one Of the fish-plate bolts
has been ioosened but the sixteenth part
of an inch he is sure to note 1t.
Ssh. how'd ND there. now. b'ysr' he
commands, with raised hand.
Instantly the brakes are applied, and
within the space Of q hundred yards the
car is brought to standstill. Then they
roll slowly back to the exact spot and the
defect Is leisurely but surely remedied.
The comparative rarity of accidents caused
by defective rail or roadbed is due solely
to the untiring watchfulness Of our section
boss.
After the section has been inspected from
one end to the other the days work proper
begins 1t Is arduous labor, in which the
pick and shovel and the sledge hammer
play an important part. But section hands
work by the day and hence are seldom
FRUSTRATED by overexertion. You could
easily count twenty between each Of the
powerful blows with which Jimmie O'Con-
nor drives tho heavy spike into the Cross
tie: and 1t takes Billy Bozenus much longer
to properly Intricate his hands with saliva
than to throw the shovelful OF dirt The
crew Of Paddles" usually represents divers
races, but the Irish members osztnumber aIi
the rest and always eventually receive the
promotions to boss-ships.
In his relations with the men
our section boss Is first and en-
physically ruler He II boss and knows
hts dudes ana his place. He ovesees
svsrythine. but Aoes no manual work what