The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-06-16
THE DRILLERS AT WORK.
A Hamraering Chorus That Was
Started at the sound of a
Ncighbcring Whistle.

The power drill is the thing nova
days wherever rock in any considerable
quantity is to be removed, but the hand
drill is still used where the rock is scat.
tered and there's not SO very much of
it. In drilling rock found in opening
trenches In the street, there might be
seen even now, in the day of the power
drill, 40 or so men, hand drillers, scat
tered along in Il block; dozen or IL
men holding as many drills, and twice
that number striking, two men on a
drill.
The quick, sharp, vigorous pounding
of the steam drill, standing up firmly
on its slender steel legs, with every evil
dence of power about it, and working
away faster than one can count, is al
ways stirring. One likes to stand and
watch a steam drill, but the musical
note of steel on steel, when the ham
mer strikes the drill, still remains as
musical as ever, and one likes to see
the hand drillers work. too; the man
holding the drill sitting on a box, per-
haps, in the trench and lifting the drill,
every stroke, to give the point new rock
to cut, while the men strike on and on
alternately with unfailing regularity.
There's little variation in the notes they
sound on the drills scattered along the
trench, but there's music in them all; ;
it's chorus that one likes to hear; it
was heard the other morning from its
very opening note.
1t was scant seven o'clock, but the
men were all in the trench and one OF
two drill holders had already set the
point of their drills upon the rock and
were holding them ready. Here and
there along the line was man who had
already grasped his. hammer, holding
it by the handle with the head resting
upon the ground. The foreman of
the work was walking slowly along the
side of the trench.
The hour drew near. Down one end
of the line, in the trench, stood a sturdy
man of cheerful mien with his hammer
raised, and at the first sound of the
whistle of neighboring factory blow
ing for seven, down it came upon the
drill head with ringing blow, and as
his hammer sprung upward in re-
bound down cane his partners ham,
mer on the drill, and then they were at
it, swing-swing, swing-swing, swing
swing; but there had not come one
double stroke from them before n
striker up the line little struck his
drill, his partner following true; and
then they came in all along here and
there and everywhere, swing-swing,
swing-swing, swingswing, swing
swing, pair after pair of hammers. in
single pairs and punched together;
and in half a minute they were at it,
ringing in fun chorus, all along the
linen. Y. Sun.
The Rock Island railroad has adopted
the lone shovel system" in feeding its
locomotive fires. This means that only
one shoyelful of coal at time is to be
put on the fire. thereby reducing the
company's coal bill about $s5 .0G0 a war.
When woman marries her ideal she
Is very apt to change her views in the
course of few short months
You get up in the morning tired, bad
taste in the mouth and headache Know
what's the matter? Biliousness TAX
DeWitt's Little Early Risers. They reg
ulate the liver and cure constiI ATTIC IL
pleasantly and promptly. Never gripe.
Eli 7. Reynolds.