New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-02
THE MUNICIPAL LABORER.
TRANQUIL METHODS OF WORK AND FIRE.
OIrTNT RELAX ALTON

what he may devour by way OF luncheon at or
about noon. it is good for him TO look upon
something reposeful. His thoughts should be
distracted from the affairs which have kept
them busy all morning. but mere change OF
thought is not verifying; a suggestion of leis-
IRE. or. at least. of occupation in which there
IS no hurry. is needed for adequate rest to the
jaded brain and right preparation Of the stom-
ach To receive material refreshment 1t must
be confessed that in the vicinity OF the City
Hall for instance. there is hardly anything
TO supply this much needed suggestion Of quiet
at that particular hour. Everything seems to
le moving at high pressure-eVcn the steam that
brings blasts from Hell" through the open
vents here and there in the sidewalks. There
is no sign of repose anywhere except when there
happens to be a gang Of contract laborers at
work the street
The street-reparing gangs DO not exist merely
for the purpose Of keeping the pavements Of
NewYork in constant state Of revolution, as
some lave supposed nor are they merely
"prvatc business" arrangement Of Tammany:
nor yet to provide employment for Irish patriots
in their first probation after landing in New
York. These fine bodies Of men serve the
purpose of soothing and cooling off the over
wrought. fevered minds Of the too eager money
chaser At least that is what they seem to
do most effectually. and they do it by the
strictly scientific method OF suggestion which,
as all advanced psychologists know is the mas
ter key OF the human nerve system.
1t is as If the men inside the temporary rope
barriers in the middle OF the roadway should
preach thus: Observe us and note our ways of
getting through. We court no sunstroke which
overfatigUe invites. We do not hustle under the
eye Of our foreman, like Egyptian slaves build
ing pyramids We take it easy But we get
there Just the same Yesterday this bit of
pavement was a toleraby smooth stretch of
cobblestones; to-day it is upheaved. closed to
traffic and Quilted; tomorrow you shall see it
all freshly laid-or. perhaps, day after to-mor-
row. or next week. You know not why all
these things are DONE nor how and yet, you
see. we manage to do them, and without undue
exertion. Therefore be ye not solicitous. nor
run the risk Of nervous prostraton for riches
but have faith in the government OF Greater
New-York. and take it easy"
Only. the suggestion is more eloquent than
any such words.
They are seldom to be seen actually lOafng
these restful laborers, except during the in
tervals officially assigned for dinner hour and
the like. The strength OF the reposeful sugges-
ton is precisely in their uniform. harmonious
OF this distinctive trait Of theirs is worth lit
tie time devoted to watching them. In It's
Simplest terms it appears to be based on the
principle that when many men are working to-
gether upon a limited area Of reconstructible
pavement the activity Of one man necessitates
She pausing of several This at least was the
conclusion reached by one studious observer last
week The picks. iron bars and other mple-
ments used in these works so heavy that
great care IS required TO avoid accidents As a
matter OF fact, one very seldom hears Of one
member OF a street repairing gang dropping a
PICK or a crowbar on the neck of a brother
laborer by accident One of them will always
wait while another does his turn at his cobble-
stone or disturbs his stunt of dirt and while
one waits second waits on him. and so on
All is good humor and mutual forbearance
none showing impotence or a disposition to
hurry up another Nor does the man who is
actually laboring with his implement seem dis
composed by the thought that he is keeping
others waiting; he himself will be equally con
tented to wait when his turn comes And SO
the work flows and on, gently and peace
fully. reminding Of the adagio Brook"
theme in BeethoVen's Pastoral"
If you will pause in your mad rush for the
luncheon counter and watch the gang for a few
minutes, you will recognize the foreman by
the circumstance that. where the rest are wait |
ing for different individual picks to swing or
crowbars to fall, he seems to be waiting for |
everybody, moving gently from group to group
with something like the air of a well-trained /
Kindergarten. He has TO direct by example, /
seldom by oral command most seldom by pro- /
family Let the outside public swear IL they
want 10. or the man who bosses sections Of
ri 10 fo