The Princeton union., 1904-06-02

agreed big Nolan.
'Did you see him rammin' around
yesterday askin' us if we found her too
cold? He knows very well he ought
not to keep a man out that sort O.
weather.
"You'd shiver like dog in brier
path on warm day in July" said
Jackson Hines contemptuously.
"Shut upv' said they. you're barn
boss. You don't have to be out in the
cold"
This was true. So Jackson's inter-
vention went for a little worse than
nothing.
"It amt lax he has nuttin' besides, y
went on Baptiste. "He can maxi de
cut in de needle of de fores'."
''That's right" agreed Bob Stratton.
''They's the west half Of eight amt
been cut yet"
So they sent delegation to Railway.
Big Nolan was the spokesman.
"Boss," said he bluntly, "she's too
cold to work on them plains today.
She's the coolest day we had'
Railway was too old hand at the
business to make any promises on the
spot.
"1'll see, boys" said he.
When the breakfast was over the
crew were sent to making sideways
and travoying roads on "eight." This
was precedent. In time the work on
the plains was grumblingly done in any
weather However, as to this Railway
proved firm enough. He was a good
fighter when he knew he was being i'm
posed upon.
And as the days slipped by he tight
ened the reins. Christmas was ap-
preaching. An easy mathematical COM
putation reduced the question of COM
pleting his contract with Morrison &
DAILY to certain weekly quota. In
fact, he was surprised at the size Of it.
He would have to work diligently and
steadily during the rest Of the winter.
Having thus definite task to ac-
complish in definite number of days,
Railway grew to be more of a task
master. Thus he regained to a small
degree the respect Of his men. Then he
lost 1t again.
One morning he came in from a talk
with the supply teamster and woke
Dyer, who was not up yet.
"I'm going down home for two or
three weeks" he announced to Dyer.
''You know my address. You'll have to
take charge, and l guess you'd better
let the scaling go. We can get the tally
at the banking grounds when we begin
to haul. Now, we amt got all the time
there is, SO you want to keep the boys
at it pretty WE'LL"
Dyer twisted the little points of his
mustache. "All right, SIR" said he,
with his smile SO inscrutably insolent
that Railway never saw the insolence
at all. He thought this poor year for
a man in Railways position to spend
Christmas with his family, but it was
none of his business.
'Do as much as you can in the marsh,
Dyer" went on the jobber Il don't
believe it's really necessary to lay off
! any more there on account of the
| weather"
"All right" repeated Dyer
The scaler did what he considered
his duty. All day long he tramped
back and forth from one gang of men
to the other, keeping a sharp eye on
the details Of the work. His practical
experience was sufficient to solve readi-
~ such problems as broken tackle. ex-
ira expedients or facility which the
days brought forth. The fact that in
him was vested the power to discharge
kept the men at work.
Dyer was in the habit Of starting for
the marsh an hour or so after sunrise.
The crew, of course, were at work by
daylight. Dyer heard them often
through his doze, just as he heard the
chore boy come in to build the fire and
fill the water pail afresh. After a
time the fire, built of kerosene and
pitchy black pine, would get so hot
that in self defense he would arise and
dress. Then he would breakfast lei
surely.
Thus he incurred the enmity Of the
cook and cookee. Those individuals
have to prepare food three times a day
|
which on sleigh haul they are sup
posed to serve breakfast at O'Clock
for the leaders and variety of lunches
up to midnight for the sprinkler men.
AS a consequence they resent infrac-
tons of the little system they may
have been able to introduce.
| Now, the business of foreman is tc
be up as soon as anybody. He does
none of the work himself, but he must
see that somebody else does it and does
it well. he must know how a thins
ought to be done, and he must be or
hand unexpectedly to see how it's ac
complishment is progressing. Dye1
should have been out of bed at frs
horn blow.
One morning he slept until nearly II
o'clock. It was inexplicable! He hur
ried from his bunk, made hasty toile
and started for the dining room to ge
some sort of lunch to do him unit
dinner time. AS he stepped from the
door Of the Office he caught sight OF