Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-06-24

A REAL HERO
BY A. ". wEHTEFoRn.
HIIIE11. Mike, we wan have to de

morning, because tneRe ~ Two yoNS
that have TO be done right away. They
broke the frog at the north switch last
night, and we will have to put in new
one; and then there Is bed rail Ee'
ported just at the end OF the trestle,
down in the hollow. We will loed up
while we are all here together, and
will take two Of the men TO put In the
frog, and that leaves three for you
guess I'll send Teddy along with you.
too. He can't do very much when II
comes to lift, but you can put him
on the ratchet, drilling the holes, OF
something. You'll need all the help
that you can get, for that's q Job that
must be done in hurry"
4 The speaker was William Hogan, fe-
miliarly known as "old BILL" foreman
of the section gang that kept in repair
five miles of the track Of the Burling-
ton on each side OF Rock Bridge, Ill,
and he was giving his orders for the
days work.
The Mike spoken to was Mike Lynch,
the workman who had been longest in
the employ of the company, as men,
Der of the gang, and whose right twas
to take charge of the second division
whenever the work was such that the
gang had to be divided.
They were standing with the rest OF
the gang In front of the little red shanty
or section house In which were kept
their hand car, "dumpies," rails, spices,
spikes, and, in fact, everything that
goes together to make up Q section
gang outfit.
But we must not forget Teddy, with
whom our story has the most to do. He
was the son of Hogan, the foreman, o
well-built, sctive, freckle-faced lad.
about IS years of age, and he was en-
:ployed in the capacity of water boy
during the summer months when he
did not have to go to school.
lie had~to carry water for the men TO
drink from the neighboring farm
houses when they were working along
the track In the country; and, when not
either going or coming with bucket,
he was kept busy carrying tools from
one to the other, running after spikes
and doing o countless number OF little
things that were constantly turning up
and were always left for 1.-The kid" to
look after.
Besides oil this his keen ear was al
ways the fEst to detect the rumble OF
an approaching train, until the men
had come to depend upon him to give
them warning when they were out be-
tween stations on their hand car.
He was general favorite, too, with
them all, because he was always good
natured and willing to work, and on
this particular morning after his ia
Their had finished giving his orders
Mike turned to him with the remark:
IAN right, Teddy; you come along
with US. You see, your father knows
how to pick good company for you
Wen make roadmaster out Of you yet
il you just stay with US, and then we'll
all expect job Us boss some place"
"You can take the hand car, Mike,
and we'll take the 'dumpy,'" said Ho-
gan, when they had gathered together
all the things needed and were about
ready to start. "And II we get done
first we'll come down and help you
finish up. If we don't, you can come up
to where we are"
And with this the two parties sep
arated, Hogan and his men starting In
one direction with the "dumpy," while
Mike and the balance clambered up on
to the hand car and began pumping
and were soon moving in the opposite
direction.
The trestle spoken Of, which was
really an uncovered bridge, SPAWNED o
gully known as "McCoupin Hollow"
1t takes its name from the creek that
flows through it, and with possibly one
or two exceptions Is the highest rail-
road trestle in the state OF Illinois, II
being fully 90 feet from the rails to low
water mark.
1t is $50 feet long, and the lay OF the
land is such that the track is compelled
to curve so at each end that 1t is al
most impossible to see the trestle until
you are almost uponit.
Lying, as 1t does, between two steep
hills, it is q hard pull both ways fol
heavy trains, and In order to get out
of the gully without stalling and hay
ing to double the engineers generally
'let 'em rolf down into the hollow
some of the more reckless ones often
rushing across the trestle at the rate OF
80 or 60 miles an hour. It can theE
readily be seen that bad rail OF the
end of the trestloimight meOn o very
serious mishap.
It was only about mile and q hah
from the town, so.it was not long until
Mike and his men reached the place
md after throwing off thu new raj
they had brought, unloading their tools
and lifting the. hand car totone side o.
the track, they proceededtto examine
the rail.
One glancelat 1t showedHhat 1t was II
imminent danger Of breaking every
time train ran over it. one spot II
particular being worn almosttin two
10 they Immediately began to- tit TIT
new one to take its place.
Had it been a straight piece'ofHracl
this would have been a very easy mat
ter, because all rails are made stand
nrd length, and they would simply have
to take out the bolts at the end, pull ou'
the spikes from the ties. thyow'the olc
rail out, slip in the. new one and Hnisi
the job by drivingIin new spikes ane
pulling up the boltsiin the ends.
But it was on aycurve, and the raj
had to be bent 70 fit the circle; soSaftel
placing the new rail alongside thte OLE
one and measuring to find out nov
much OF a curve they would haye(tf
give it, they proceeded. TO bend tSSt'
fhe desired radius. ~
This is done with q, bending ma
chine. as it is called, which consists O.
an iron frame that looks something ltk'