The Opelousas courier., 1904-07-30
. Knockers
Last Granny"
(By Frank caldweii.)

E@~@
(By Frank caldwell.)
perched high on the steel frame
work OF q tall building, "Knocker" sat
moodily eating hia MONDAY meal.
There was something W.T. n with his
appetite that day, for he ia very I'M
common thing-he LEI he second
niece untouched.
From where he sat On the Dat roof
truss. the lad could look down on any
side through . tangled Reb5woTk of
steel beamnas, nine stories below. To
any one not accustomed to climbing,
this would have seeneG dizzy
height: but to KnocRer, who had help
ed erect the building, It was Q very M
interesting thing
Knocker dad won his remarkable
name from che many 7pesitions he had
held on the Claypool Building. Begin
ningsin the basement as water boy, he
had worked his way up during the
erection OF the building to the dignity
Of ri~yet-beater. That wac something
to be proud of, thought Knocker; but
after all, what did 1t amount to IL he
could not become q union man?
That had been the height Of Knock
er's ambition, to become q union man,
and march with the iron workers in
the Labor day parade. But Labor day.
bad come, and IL had found Knocker
keeping solitary watch over the build
Ing while the union men we're eR en-
ioyIng the holiday.
All on account OF not knowing how
10 tie the square hitch!" muttered the
boy to himself Is he closed the I'D
ot his dinner basket.
All the long summer KnockeF had
been diligently preparing for the ex-
Animation he would have to pass be-
lore enteris.g the union, The day be-
III lad tassna khs g3amaauon,
nd had allied init aH a. he
said. iA on account of-nof owing
bow n tle tlk s4para hiteh
Jim onesof ths 9op man and
The boys good friend, had given him
ggna IN tying Knots and srfgging.
Jim had repeatedly warmed his
young pupil about that knot. but It
sesned 20 easy and simple to till that
Knocker had given itsliEht attention.
When, however, he appeared con-
ddentY before the Boardo examiners.
ind thes told him totie the square
Knot he became confused and did the
sarx worst thing possible ne tied q
granny
ne only difference in these two
knots u that In the sqeera hitch the
tho Lines forming thahop are parallel,
YhiAs Am the granny they are crossed.
TnB Iatter VIII Aon1etfmes slip when
plaoa under q strain.
Perhaps only structufa11soH work
y . sailor~wouldshave noticed the
maEtake; but among these two classes
# naen the ofense Of tying q false
kACt cannot be overlooked. The head
e ths examipdng boasdaan old man
AO had grown gra ting iron
aaw tie error 81 an instant, and
klpdy hut HETlH refused 70 hroceed
&asslsr With The Axaminatfon.
wouldn't eYengtye 20 .
a0w WhNk kEsow abotIt
A verkg.a said KnoSF. hofIy. that
eFsalaK as he refS failure 70
Wei. Aucordfng to rules. y0u can
oursapDHeaEi0n again IN TIRES
mtsh. m Inc nsSahttns IsaTn. 20 tie
sauare hitch
5ImSanE thar forconsolAtion,
u sn as advice but fell short Of
@ 0ark ma true cause of Knoeksr's
desire To- enter the unionrdfa NOT
from the dollar and nall In
Nae hi wages.
81 Knocker q fearless iron worker
here What would hills boy
hare thought when they saw
marchina With Buch men IN the
That would indeed hHyesbeen
hrss months! Much good II will
ms then to besinths unionI vas
mental eemmentss as ne
roand fsr come saurce Of
amenk. n don't care whether
rn 10 Ne the square hitph o.
n j d downthe atreee
np tune, and knQesE became
sxeltement.. He knew the different
salana we're forming for their march
w moments the great Labor day
would pass the CiaypoolBuild
Ka6Eker looked round for . Dlace
htch 10 watch II. Picking ~
peaAolding Board, he ran pne
IS IT far out past the edge5o Ene
and hastily na the othel
k to one Of the roof trnsses.
liz boldly walk out on II ant
n allowing his fee to danglt
On end 0f the lizard
Aeagh 1t bent n q mannerfaos
hl tn tie onlookeFs. who YER
Ae reet below Knoeker knev
8 plank was Of yellow pine; a
H4la hear aye Ausa bis weight
noment iater the crowds attda
M H&8#fE&AN#& 49, AZ r. - m%w~@M