The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-21
DANGEROUS As WAR
Changing a Cable Car Line
to an Electric.
1T is WORK A MINUTE
And Dodge a Minute From
Morning Till Night.
1T IS WORK A MINUTE

causes to leap from its path a. string Of
putting down the new electrical power
system. As the cars run at Intervals OF
| only few minutes. the workmen spend
as much time lodging lenders as they co
on the construction of the road. Watcn-
| men warn them OF the cars approach.
| and the bosses drive them 70 their work
! when the cars have passed All IS appar-
ent confusion. With the roar OF the eie-
waited trains above them. the rattle OF he
traffic in the streets. the shouts Of team
sters. and the continual clang-elsng OF the
mo,orufen's gong. il : not 10 be wondered
| az the warning cry OF the watchers Is
sometimes lost 10 them.
Down town. up" hoarsely shouts the
| leather-lunged watcher. as a bound
car approaches. and the men struggle cut
| of the excavations under the tracks desJly
/ leaping from ironwork to stone with
/ skill born OF constant practice. Each
usually manages TO clear the head OF the
car as It rolls over the skeleton track.
/ Sometimes they hesitate. and are pinch
| ed" Last week one lab0rsr was struck by
/ n Val AAAAONA LA+AANk s-AC NLA-EAc u 4Ai-
/ other. and ortally Injured II 50 n4o-
/ pens often that some Of he men are too
| deep down to get out. These crouch low in
! the excavations, and let the car pass over
| them, hugging the side OF the hole farth-
est away from the track. as they walt for
the car TO squeeze by them. Barely has
| IL passed when the ''boeses' urge them
TO their toll in language more fo-cible than
elegant
| North-bound cars are hailed by the
watchers with shouts OF Up town.
up" aud the same activity Is manifested
on the other track. Down in PARK Row.
where the tracks are close tossthe-. tie
iatorcrs digging between them do net ~
II get out, and at the warning cry they
| stand erect between the two sets Of rails
with their heads close 10 the car trucks
and the wheels.
The passing cars. however. are not the
least source Of danger 10 the men under
the pavement. The traffic in the streets
: constantly passing close TO the holes.
Watchmen with red flags wave aside the
unwiedy trucks and heavy horses and
drive back the more active delivery rigs;
haste gets closer to the edge. and In
plunges horse and all. II Aborer hap
pens to be under the foundered team. he
is likely 10 get seriously hurt SO often
did the horses OF the Dry Dock railroad
fan into the excavations along the track.
that now they are unhooked at the func-
ton OF Chatham Square and East Broad
way, and the cars coupled 70 the Third
avenue cars, and pulled down 10 the post
Office loop and back.
At nOontime the hremen blow their
whistles. the laborers drop their tools, and
squat on the curb for lunch. Ham sand
witches. a. great piece of pie. and a cup Of
black coffee usually constitute the Amer-
cans meal The foreigners nibbie on rye
bread. cheese. and long pieces Of red
bologna. After the meal Is finished. tho
Pipe and the cigarette are III, and resting
in all manner Of attitudes. the cosmopoH-
tan crew strikes up conversation In a
jargon. Some % the men 20 fast 10 sleep
on the pavement. with their head propped
against a pillar Of the elevated railroad
or a convenient pile OF stones Al /
o'clock the whistles OF the bosses bring ali
their occupation Of dodging cable cars and
working when they get chance. They
stop for the day al O'Clock
The men on the construction work are
divided into gangs OF common iaborers.
breaking the pavement; rock-cutters and
masons carpenters to brace the holes
with stout beams; iron workers. and. last
of al. the PAYERS" These gangs follow
each other in the order named. The rnen
are Of nearly al nationaHtges There are
Trishmen. Italians. negroes. Poles. Hun
garians and the Americans. Most of ihe
laborers are picked 90 the curb" Others
are the regular employs. The c5ntrsc- /
tore get the rest from the district leaders
TIE work In hard and attended With
great personal Xxx. The common labor /
ers srs seldom pad less than q n a day,
the rock-cutte-E and sbracers' get 81 =
and the iron-workers rece.ve - high -
= = \ superHtendeut az construction on /
the work said there was Ittls gruubiinr
or fault finding among the help. The
wage. ths nose. re excitement aof ne I
risk attract many applicants. h sald: ard .
when one man leaves there are ten reasy /
20 take b-s place.
On every second wednesday fhe hsln = /
pad ~. TIE u7ea form in Ire - TIE en- (
tractors ofscs. ass walt the.r tr-a 20 X /
before Ire desk for ;he.r -noae-. N1st = I
theu car make thelr Signature on tns i
recefp: SIP: b1t more % tterr than = /
easy 70 believe p-osa s-s n these DAYS can 4
oriy make Their marx Wien trey get 4
their checks they fod ~arsous says "a 4
spend the money Tas olaes. asi5 e. ths 4
sseadtes.. ard stca men STARE toesr earn 4
'rrs WITH tse.- saz1es- Ire harterfr-
frera of.'r-e hoss' brother" hauevsr.
cseaes a good many - re checss. ans 4
mora than 1af - -z face vates 81 Ieft 81 4
;he ssrs mans cash register fo- stale ale
and whisky. Tat is. un.ess ''-ss z1,s-'
soas n5t c0-1e 8ozn ard draw .as pay
ae-Hst "a that ease "Jaek~ Eets fez
p@-n5es fsr beer ard .ssaceo. ssa fhs rse.
buys b-eas - - @nsissas' sn4 n.
'skds ~ hone-
low RATES FOR BAPTTsTs
Ard othezs Santa Fe 49, SCI t.ekess -
gsn Frsncsco ard Fesara ter - g. LIN
rcd - Fe.sra % lay =. ls10 f.s1rsaa
zlsapers-gals-a ard tssy.ss-aaa fr=s es4-r
care % Csl sa-ala 1xy Z = Deansf.
Azezt W5ea -. ass Gssstratss zese-s.s.ss
literature q p1sats & szteFsHt 20 Feg.s-
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Pueblo AID Return
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