The Virginia enterprise., 1904-12-23
WAITING FOR &c clDENTs..
Living Made BY People Who Are En-
ployed to Stand By and :...=.. .E
%s~ Look On. ',- i ~

ASVNA VIA
OF all the weary jobs by which men
earn their daily bread, the worst is that
Of looking on. Those engaged in this
work-if such it may be, called do alb
solutely nothing. They are paid for
waiting for definite something to hap
pen, and that something may be near
OF it may be remote.
At the present moment, says Cas-
sells Journal ;of recent date, a number
OF men have an inexpressibly dull job
watching large reservoir Some
time back 'subsidences, due to mining,
took place in the neighborhood, with
the result that large cracks appeared
in the sides of the reservoir. And ever
since then some corporation employees
have had the embankments constantly
under observation, ready to act instant
ly they gave any sign of collapsing. But
how would they themselves fare?
Equally dreary was the job of "a num-
ber of platelayers, when one of the
tubes with which London is being
honeycombed was under construction
This particular bore passed very close
to the main line of>one of the great rail-
way companies, and, as it was feared
that some damage might be done to
this line by the human moles, watch
was kept on it day and. night for months
at stretch.
Practically the same thing was done
when a railway company cut through
certain town in the Midlands, only in
this case the watchers were ION the
other side" The object, in fact, was to
see that the navvies did not break pipes,
etc.. though an eye was also kept ON
walls which might collapse.
On the Chester and Holyhead line
watching is an important part of the
platelayers' regular work. Under cer-
tain conditions ~there'is some danger
that the sea may wash away the en-
bankment, and undermine the rails.
So during storms the platelayers turn
out, and, battling in the teeth of tho
gale, watch the line for hour after hour.
1t Is weary work; but many a disas-
ter has been averted by the weather.
beaten watchers. A goods train once
plunged into the sea through the sup
port Of the rails having been swept
away, and, but for a platelayer, there
is no doubt that an express would have
shared it's fate.
1t Is customary, too, to provide q
watcher when a bridge is being con-
structed or repaired. Seated in a boat,
he hapgs<about the whole day, ever idle.
except when a man falls into the wa
ter. He is paid, in fact, to act as res
cuer when necessary.
While he is below, the men do not
fear fall, even when q half-holiday is
not attached to it. On some jobs, those
workers who get a ducking are allowed
to 60 home for the remainder of the
day, and when this is the case the num-
Der of such accidents on Monday morn
ing, and few hours before an impor-
tant football match, is remarkable.
But where no benefit is derived from
a ducking, many workers will lightly
risk 1t. While, for instance, a certain
high bridge was under repair a me-
SAAeSAAS NO0AAy AoA " IA0 emu T. DOlS
extending from the ironwork, stood on
his head, stretched out his arms, and
then, getting on his feet again, balanced
himself on one leg. For this folly he
was discharged.
Sewer work is another job on which
a man is commonly employed to play
the part of an idler. He is, however,
necessary, because a thunderstorm
will cause an enormous quantity of wa
ter to descend into a sewer with amaz-
ing suddenness. In many cases men
have lost their lives through. this
cause, and in not a few their bodies have
been borne away by the tide, and not
recovered for days. So a watcher is
now frequently stationed near a man.
hole, and in the event of a downpou1
from the heavens, he Immediately
sounds an alarm, which quickly brings
the men below to the surface.