The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-01-11

Wien tnere We're no. locks and the
latchstrfng hung on the outside OF
every door. On Monday morning he
went to work In the little shop, and
in a short time became one of the
best men employed in the place. How
do yous square a locomotiveTr he
asked. Here" said the foreman,
from this point to that" That was
all the Englishman asked. He
stretched a line between the given
points. and went to work.
About this time thriving station,
called NJ, had offered to donate to
the company 1900. IL the new ma
chine shop could be located there and
have steam up and the machinery
running on the 1st day Of January Of
the following year.
The general master mechanic en-
trusted the work Of putting the ma
chinery, after the walls had been
built and the place rooted over, to the
division master mechanic, who looked
to the local foreman to finish the job
In time to win the subsidy.
| The best months of the year went
by before work was begun. Frost
| came, and the few men tinkering
about were chilled by the autumn
winds that were wailing through the
shutterless doors and unguazed win
| dows. Finally the foreman sent the
Englishman to NJ to help put up
the machinery. He was a new man,
| and. therefore. was expected, to take
signals from the oldest man on the
job-a sort of straw boss.
The bridge boss, the local head of
| the wood workers, found the English
| man gazing about, and the two men
talked together. There was no fore
man there. but the Englishman
| thought he ought to 90 to work, any
way. So he and the wood boss
stretched line for line shaft, and,
while the carpenter gang put up
braces and brackets. the Englishman
coupled the parts Of the shaft to-
gether, and in few days it was
ready to be put up.
AS the young man whistled and
carpenter came In with a military
looking gentleman, who appeared to
have an interest In the place. Where
did you come from?' asked the new
conner Of the machinist.
From England, SIR"
We'll. anybody could tell that.
Where did you come from when you
came here?
From E."
well. sir. can you finish this job
and have steam up by the LIST of jan
uary?"
The Englishman blushed, for he was
embarrassed, and glanced at the wood
boss. Then, sweeping the almost
empty shop with his eye he said some
thing about foreman who was in
charge Of the work.
Hang the foreman said the stran-
ger; I'm talking to you"
The young man blushed again and
said he could work twelve or fourteen
hours day, IL 1t were necessary for
him to do so. but he didn't like to
make any rash promises concerning
the general result.
Now. look here" said the we'll
dressed man. Il want you to take
charge Of this job and finish it. EN-
ploy as many men as you can handle,
and blow q whistle here on New
Years morning-do you understand"
The Englishman thought he did,
but he could hardly believe it. He
glanced at the wood boss, and the
wood boss nodded his head.
II shall do my BEST" said the Eng
lishman, taking courage. "but should
like to know who gives these orders"
I'm the general manager" said the
man; now get q move on you"-and
he turned and walked out.
1t Is not to be supposed that the
general manager saw anything re-
markable about the young man, save
that he was six feet high, and had a
good face. The fact Is, the wood fore
man had doomed the Englishman's
stock before the manager saw him.
The path Of the young man was not
strewn with flowers for the next few
months. Any number of men who
had been on the road when he was in
the English navy yards felt that they
ought to have had this little promo
ton. The local foremen along the
line saw In the newcomer the future
foreman Of the new shops. and no
man went out of his way to help him.
In spite of all obstacles, however. the
shops grew, from day to day. from
week to week, and it was seen, as the
old year drew to a close, that the ma
chinery was getting into place. The
young foreman. while hard worker.
was always pleasant in his intercourse
with the employees, and In q little
while he had host Of friends. There
is always a lot Of extra work at the
end of a big job, so. when Christmas
came there was still much to be done.
The men worked night and day.
The boiler that was to come from
Chicago had been expected for some
time. Everything was In readiness.
and 1t could be set up in day. but 1t
DID NOT come. 4EaccI iettchS' snes n"u
gone after It. were followed by tele-
grams. Finally it was located In
wreck out in a corndeld in Illinois
on the last day Of the year. A great
many Of the officials were away. and
the service was generally democrat
lied during the holidays, SO that the
appropriation Of $4,000. for which
the Englishman was working at M
had for the moment been forgotten.
The shops were completed, the ma
chinery was in, but there was no boil
er to make steam to work the ma
chinery.
That night. when the good people OF
the town were watching the old year
out and the new year in. the young
rru0yishmau with n force of men,