The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-09-14
: StS

ESW lOCkeu into TIE uark inter
iorS Of q line of empty
cars; through similar doors on the
other side You saw row of loaded
jiggerS and express wagons. Foreman
Carruth. whose duty it was to bring
order out OF all this confusion, seemed
to be everywhere at once, directing,
eXhorting. reproving, his eyes, ears
and tongue all busy at the same time.
Here. jim. put those steel rods in
the corner Of that 3. & 4. car! They re
going up to Caribou. Come on with
those tierces Of lard, boys! If you
don't move faster. they'll melt before
you get 'em out of the shed. Hustle,
everybody! These carsll be pulled
out at eleven"
Down the steps from the Office at the
upper end of the shed came billing
clerk with small brown note book
in his hand. This he passed to the
foreman, who Immediately raised his
voice in q shout to a black-haired
young lrishman, who was taking ac-
count of the Incoming freight two
doors away.
Here's 4 job Of blind checking for
you, Dan, Go down to track five with
this cotton book, and count the bales
in those eleven cars for the Leadbetter
Mills Get back as soon as you can.
I'll take your place at the door while
you're gone.
Daniel Harrigan received the book
from the hand of his superior, walked
rapidly down the shed. and stepped
into the freight yard. 1t was quarter
past eight on foggy April morning,
Cne of those drizzly spring days when
everything is damp ard sticky. A
thick mist hung over the yard. Inyisi-
bic shifting engines puffed here and
there, with much changing Of bells
and shrill of whistling.
With senses on the alert, the freight
handler crossed the tracks. carefully
avoiding the frogs and switches. His
destination was the extreme end of
the large yard. full quarter mile from
the shed. Presently the square end of
the first car that was to be Tailed ap-
peared through the fog. Harrigan con-
suited his book to make sure that he
had the correct number. went up to
the door, and broke the little seal of
lead and wire.
Tie interior was filed with cotton
bales. each weighing about five hun
dred pounds. They were covered with
burlap, and encircled by steel bands
put on under hydraulic pressure. typi-
cal specimens Of the thousand sent
yearly from Southern plantations to
New England mills.
AS the staple was quoted at twelve
cents 4 pound, and as from forty to
sixty bales we're loaded into each car.
its contents had an average value OF
three thousand dollars. A mistake
in the tally, resulting in the addition
or omission of a single bale. would
make difference of perhaps $50.
The teams from the Leadbetter Mills
yon the outskirts Of the city would be-
gin to empty the cars that afternoon.
and it was customary for the railroad
10 IdNc UNNOuhN W 49,
before delivery. Then. in case Ship
ment ran short, the company would be
;hle TO show that the blame must be
placed elsewhere.
The task of counting the cotton was
a responsible one, and Foreman Car
ruth had put his best man on the
job.
Harigan climbed to the top of the
bales. They were from FIVE to hve
and half feet long. something under
yard wide. and twenty-five TO
twenty-six inches thick. They were
set on end. three abreast; and as the
distance from floor to roof was up
proximately seven feet and a half, III
empty space of two feet was left
above their tops.
Forward crawled the tallyman or
his hands ard knees. taking note OF
each separate bale with his fingers
ard registering it mentally at the same
tine.
By the system of blind checking
under which he worked. only the cal
numbers were set down in the nott
book handed to him. and lie was givci
no iGkling as to how many bales ht
was expected to find. When the re
suit OF his labors was reported at the
office. the clerks there compared i
with the way-bills.
The first car contained fifty-foI
bales. Harrisan dropped to tht
ground. entered the number in hi:
bool and closed the door. He tbeI
broke the seal Of the next car. Ii {
few minutes he had finished his worl
in this car also. and charged forty
eight against it. Five cars more were
examined without special incident.
With strong jerk Harrigan broke
the seal Of the eighth car. showed th,
door open just enough to allow his bod!
10 pass. and was soon scrambling il
the darkness over the bariapped ends
AS the roof was lower than those o
the other cars, there was barely eigh
teen inches Of open space, and hi
progress was much slower.
On through the gloom creDt tht
freight handler. lingering the rouSl
edges, and counting in all underton
as hS made his tally.
"Steen-seventeen-eighteen-" IS Hi
head bumped against cross-beam o
the roof. and he stopped low to pas
beneath it.