Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-11-10
THE HmlNESBURGH ROAD.
GOOD PROGRESS MADE IN THE WORK
OF CONSTRUCTION.
worked-Raiis Already Here italian
Laborers Have "a Narrow Escape
From A~sphyIiation.

A very pale and disappearing gang Of
Italian lahOrcrs rolled out of their DunkS
in the temporary quarters established on
Spear street in South burlington Thurs
day morning and began to think about
their breakfast OF bread and black coffee.
cause of the trouble was an innocent
looking coal stove in the middle of the
rough board building. hitch shelters the
laborers. The stove was Il new feature TO
the Italians and they failed to comprehend
all Of its mechanism so when they went to
bed Wednesday night they smiled and
then dropped off TO sleep TO dream of sun
ny Italy. The stove had been ill-treated
and sought vengeance. The men had I'LL
ed it witt. coal, shut the drafts tightly
and gone 10 sleep, About L. O'Clock n
drowsy laborer rolled over and groaned
in the ear of a comradc, Soon another
uttered Il louder groan and the man awoke
deathly sick from the fumes of the escap-
ing gas. lie aroused others of the 10
men and soon the one most i'll were car
ried outside to the open air and their COM
radcs went to work to revive them. No
physician was summoned and the proper
ties of the fresh air were used to their
greatest advantage. This was the reason
that only a part of the Italians We're able
to work Thursday. Several lay In their
wooden hunks and cast vicious glances at
the quiet coal stove.
The life of the Italians is an interesting
study to those accustomed to the COM
forts of civilized life. The building is di-
vided in the centre with II passage way,
upon each side OF which are the double
rows Of hunks, Each man has his own
little mattress and rolls himself in a
blanket. The cooking is done in round
huts or dugouts OF earth in tie rear Of
the building in which the men sleep. The
menus are meagre in the extreme and are
made up principally of bread, Iaacaroni
and cheese.
The work of preparing the roldbed for
the Burlington and Hinesburgh railroad
is being rapidly accomplished. the men
employed number over a hundred and in
connection with these are Il large number
of teams used to draw the dirt from the
cuts to assist in the milking of Nils. About
ore and a half miles of the roadbed has
been worked and the laborers are now
mainly employed betw zen Spear and Dor
set streets. This section of the roadbed
is that which viii require the greatest
amount of preparation. The remainder
mas less cuts and fills. In many places
~trestles are to be built and culverts are a
noticeable feature. At other places the
right of way is provisional and cattle
ross es have to be made underneath the
tracks. Rails have been distributed for
seven or eight miles of the road, having
been drawn by teams, Later the tracks
laid VIII be utilized Tor the transportation
of the rails and in moving the eXcnya-
lions. Nelrly 10 carloads of rails have
been received and scattered,
The contractors, c.. w. Blakeslee a.
Sons, have been delayed by the %non-arri-
val of the ties, which are to come from
Maine. II the ties arrive it is expected
hat the work of laying the rails will be-
gin next week. The contractors nave ten
months from the first of October, or until
rgxt AuQnSt IN COmnlptp tho rand rpu1v
for operation. All of the work is done by
one firm,
Although over a hundred men are now
employed the contractors are ready TO
hire more laborers. The price paid is 81
Per day.