The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-09-06

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sEo~ looked into the dark inter
iors of a line of empty
ears; through similar doors on the
other side you saw a row of loaded
piggers and express wagons. Foreman
Sarruth, whose duty 1t was to bring
order out of all this confusion, seemed
10 be everywhere at once, directing
exhorting, reproving, his eyes, ears
and tongue all busy at the same time
Here, jim, put those steel rods ia
The corner of that B. & A. 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 cars'll be pulled
out at eleven"
Down the steps from the office at the
upper end of the shed came a billing
clerk, with small brown note book
IN his hand. This he passed to the
foreman, who Immediately raised his
voice in a shout to a black-haired
young Irishman, who was taking ac-
count Of the incoming freight two
doors away.
"Here's a 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.
Ill 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,
Dne Of those drizzly spring days when
everything is damp and sticky. A
thick mist hung over the yard. InvisI-
BILE 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.
The interior was filled 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 a pound, and as from forty to
sixty bales were 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
on the outskirts of the city would be-
gin to empty the cars that afternoon,
and 1t was customary for the railroad
10 take careful account of all goods
before delivery. Then, in case a ship
hent ran short, the company would be
able to show that the blame must be
placed elsewhere.
The task of counting the cotton was
= responsible one, and Foreman Car
ruth had put his best man on the
Job.
Harrigan climbed to the top of the
bales. They were from five to five
and half feet long, something under
p yard wide, and twenty-five to
fwenty-six inches thick. They were
Set on end, three abreast; and as the
distance from floor to roof was ap-
proximately seven feet and half, an
empty space of two feet was left
above their tops.
Forward crawled the tallyman on
his hands and knees, taking note Of
each separate bale with his fingers,
and registering it mentally at the same
time.
by the system of blind checking"
ander which he worked, only the car
numbers were set down in the note
book handed to him, and he was given
ne inkling as to how many bales he
was expected to find. When the re-
suit Of his labors was reported at the
office, the clerks there compared it
with the way-bills.
The first car contained fifty-four
bales. Harrigan dropped to the
ground, entered the number in his
book and closed the door. He then
broke the seal Of the next car. In a
Few minutes he had finished his work
p this car also, and charged forty
Night against it. Five cars more were
examined without special incident.
With a strong jerk Harrigan broke
the seal of the eighth car, showed the
door open just enough to allow his body
to pass, and was soon scrambling in
the darkness over the burlapped ends.
las the roof was lower than those of
the ether cars, there was barely eigh-
teen inches Of open space, and his
progress was much slower.
On through the gloom crept the
freight handler, lingering the rough