Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-11-07
At BAY ON THE BRIDGE


~ piece of fOolery as building this
enormous bridge over miserable
little stream no wider than gutter?
Old Harrison must be stark mad and
no mistaken
"If l were he" replied Jack, I'D
sell the bridge and buy some water
with the money"
I've split some lemonade on the
table" cried Harry Il wonder how
long a bridge will have to build
across that?
And the two young sub engineers,
pleased with these jokes. at the ex
pense of their chief. resumed their
work in somewhat better humor.
Behind pile of timber, few yards
off. within easy hearing Of every word
they said. stood no less Il person than
Slr William Harrison himself the
chief Of whom they were speaking.
For Il moment his hard old face flushed
angrily; but the flush melted into
smile of half plying contempt, as he
turned slowly away, muttering:
'WeH, well. my fine fellows. it won't
be very long now before we see who's
wrong aud who's right
At the first glance. however. it GER
taiuly did seem as IL Jack Hopkins
and Harry Burt had some reason to
laugh at the bridge which they were
helping to build
Eleven arches, each having a span
of thirty feet. stood ranged In stately
procession over mere thread of
water, barely sufficient 10 wet one of
the central piers. True. the rainy
season was at hand; but. even In the
rainy season, how could this miserable
little rivulet ever swell into a second
Niagara
So thought Burt and Hopkins, and
So too, thought not a few of their En-
gllsh subordinates. AS for the Hindoo
w0rkmen, who swarmed over the bridge
from one end to the other, they
thought nothing about the matter. SO
long rs they got their days wages and
their days food the English burra
sdAAtp NSAEdA AlltioANiy was NGtJOiilR 10
build a bridge over teacup if he
liked.
Day by day the bridge advanced to-
ward completion. for the railway, of
which it formed part, was a very
important one. and Mr.. Harrison had
received orders to finish II as quickly
as possible. But, although he made
all the haste he could he took good
care that no part OF the work was
hurriedly or inetticicntly done,
"Whateyer's worth doing at all. is
worth doing well. he would say; and
its better to put little extra work
into this bridge than to have TO build
another, IL this breaks down"
Every day, and all day long. the old
fellow was at his post. in the soilcd.
white sun hat and threadbare cotton
Jacket, at which his dauditied young
Ueutenants laughed behind his back.
SO well did lac keep the men M to
their work. that all was ready full
fortnight before the time when the
rainy season usually set ill., and the
next day but one was fixed for the
first train across it.
The evening before the ceremony
MIR Harrison went out upon the bridge
to look about him and Burt aud Hon
kins having nothing better to do. fol
lowed him.
Ii was close upon sunset. but the
stiding heat which had prevailed all
day was still as oppressive as ever.
The whole air felt damp and heavy
and the tiny streamlet that trlckled
through the vast, gravelly hollow of
the river bed, seemed TO crawl mora
nnguidly than usual. as il IL were
tired like everyone else
Suddenly there came through tho
still air. from the great mountains thar
stood up against the northern sky
oyerhung by a thin, ghoStly haze 81
strange. dull sound suggestive of far.
on thunder, but harsher and SHARPER
and altogether more like the rolling OF
a cart over a pebhly road.
The veteran engineer bent his gray
head forward to listen. and n very
grave look came over his iron face.
Whats up, Mr.. Harrison?" asked
Burt. feeling vaguely uneasy, though
he hardly knew why.
But. before the old man could reply
deep, booming sound which cam,
rapidly nearer and nearer. followed
the mysterious sound.
All at once the upper part of tn,
river channel. the bare gravel bed,