Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-06-19
WOMEN AND THEIR WORK.
Success Of st. Louis W oman in Super
intending Her husbands Contracts.


Some time ago George C. Smith, con.
tractor residing in st. Louis. entered into
an agreement with the Worlds Fair man
ayers to dig a channel for an artificial riv.
er to run through the exposition grounds
and to do other work of like nature. He
had business engagements which called
him elsewhere before the work had made
much progress, but his contracts have
been assumed by his wife. and will be full.
filled to the letter. The stream, which is
now tortuous creek in Forest Park
known as the River Des Peres. has to be
Strengthened for distance in order to pre-
vent the overflow of water which will
come through the channelway through the
site. Mr.. Smith secured this contract some
time ago, after finishing q great deal Of
excavating at different points on the site
and has been pushing the task until 1t is
nearly completed. There is not now sufti-
cient work to warrant him in centering all
his forces here, and he has just closed q
ST, 900 contract in Arkansas, where he will
construct a railroad bridge across the
White river above Batesvile. This work
took him South recently, and he will soon
And 1t necessary to spend the greater part
of his time there. Mrs. Smith will remain
in st. Louis and finish her husbands work
1.-THE work we are doing here now" said
Mrs. Smith the other day, is mere trine
compared with what I hope to do a little
later. l fully expect to get the contra
for the eAcavating for the liberal art S
building, which will involve the handling
of about 10000 cubic yards of earth. That
is piece Of work large enough to be in
terest.ng, and is also of sufficient magni-
tude to be worth getting. | have been a
student of such work for some % years,
and am perfectly willing to pit my judg-
ment and experience against any of the
contractors with whom may have to COM
pete. | shall maintain the camp here
which Mr.. Smith has established. and If he
finds it necessary to his work in Arkansas
to reduce the force here any I shall grad
TALLY restore the number Of workmen and
teams to their present number. In all
probability shall establish larger camp
than we have had heretofore. | suppose 7
may have to get the contract In my hus-
bands name, as the exposition officials
may be afraid of intrusting so large a task
to a woman. But they will never know the
difference when | get my forces to work.
l shall have a good horse. so that I can
keep an eye on the progress of the work
from day to day. | have some excellent
foremen. hut there is nothing like seeing
every step of the work for yourself. Then
you have nobody to blame II things go
wrong"
Mrs. Smith is a comparatively young
woman, but has been intimately acquant-
ed with camp life and the construction Of
railroads from her childhood. Since her
marriage she has been a constant assist
ant to her husband, in addition to raising
a good-sized family She declares that the
sound of the first scraper in the spring is
more stirring to her than the strains OF a
prass band and that If she were not in
volved in some large contract at such a
time she would he entirely miserable. Mr.
Smith saws he has no hesitancy in turning
his interests here over to his wife, his only
doubt being that he may not be able to
conduct his work in Arkansas so success
fully without her-Anaconda Standard,