Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-19
WATCHING MEN WORK

"Not long ago in The Star I came upon
a little account OF the crowds of men who
stand about watching the digging OF ex-
cavatons for new buildings. and rubbering
at big building operations generally, said
a Washington business man. We'll. L
reckon that that little article meant me as
one of the component atoms of sAch
crowds. I'm always one of en- anyhow
If there's any man in Washington Wio
takes keener enjoyment in watching other
men work than 1 do I'd like to have him
pointed out to me. l enjoy seeing EN- DO
any old kind OF work. so they're working.
/ suppose l spent. all told. good many
hours watching EN- put up that new bank
building on 18th street. and l simply can't
walk by that big hole where the new build
ing is to be at the corner of r ana l4th
streets without stopping to watch them
haul the dirt out of the excavation. Like
to lean against something and just watch
EN-. There's never any telling Just now
long I'll hang around. Whenever I'm alb
sent from my place of business, and they
want me there they usually SEND one OF
the boys to look for me In the neishpor-
hood of some big building operation. And
they generally find me.
when I'm in New York I don't trot
around the theaters and such like. L spend
good deal of my time down at the North
river docks, watching the longshoremen
work If there's anything that particularly
pleases me it's seeing large gang OF
'longshoremen engaged in loading or I'M
loading a steamer. They so blamed nara
at it. the sweat just streaming from them,
and they've got to look sharp to keep out
of each others way; and the music OF their
barrows is such pleasant music. ana the
rafting and clanking of the deck Winches
and other machinery is so well worth as
tening to- and the fellows bend to their
ir,l,S wit dot rToiD a
time I'm just leaning against a stack
of bags. or barrel of fish or something,
watching em-why, l don't know of any
more fun than that anywhere Down at
Norfolk where I often go on business,
spend lot of time watching the dark1es
loading the cotton steamers. It's rattle
tybang all the time, and the blacks nave
to keep constantly on the move TO Keep
from getting run down. 1t looks fine and
keen to me. There they are, lifting and
jogging around the heavy bales, and there
am I, leaning against something soft and
pleasant to lean against, peellng large,
red apple. or munchng finecut tobacco,
and I'm not in the least worked up or
warm. but just in a pleasant glow of con-
temptation. watching other men work.
"And farm folks-gee whitaker! but
how l do love to stand around-or SIT Gown,
preferably. when there's anything to sit
on-and watch farm folks hired men and
the like. even the boss farmers. work!
1 don't care so much to see EN- Dto".
because that's a solitary sort Of job and
NV idea Of fun is to number OF men
working hard together. Now, threshing Is
the thing. l was up in Hartford county.
Md. during threshng time last autumn
and I spent a good deal of my time fol-
lowing a steam threSher around the coun-
try watching the men. They sure did
have to work hard, those chaps&dusty sort
Of work. too, and continuous. with hardly
any time for breathing spells. Well. I'd
just stand off at a distance. so l wouldn't
pet and listen to the hum OF the
threshing machine, and the siappinS of the
grain. and the pleasant rumble of the belt
ing. The autumnal sun would percolate
through the reddish haze and shine COM
forta bly, on me- and there light. In
MIGRATING sort of breeze and there I'd be
sitting on upturned key. and resting my
back against the trunk OF tree. gener-
ally-for there is no fun In 1t unless L m
resting a heap-and watching those men
work!
GIVE stopped for hours to watch gangs
lay asphalt pavement here. l like the smell
Of tar and of the burning concrete, for
one thing. but it's the air Of industry per-
meatng the scene that tickles me. Every
man in the gangs doing something. He's
got to do something or lose his Job for the
foreman has got his eye on the bunch and
they can't shirk. Well. it's pretty choice to
lean up against a doorway. at proper dis
lance away SOS not to interfere with any
body. and watch the paving gangs bend to
it. 1 often wonder. In watching 'em. how
I'd feel If I had to be payer. L picture
myself fooling around In paving gang
with shovel or rake, getting all mussed
and tousled up-and then I have chance
to grin and to inform myself that there
isn't chance earth that 1 ever will
have to be a payer and bend my spine like
that, and then I feel good all over and go
right on gazing at 'em work.
"F'inest experience I ever had in my life
was in New York a few years ago. l was
stopping at a Broadway hotel and they
were laying a new pavement in front OF the
hotel I saw that this operation was in
progress on the night I registered at the
hotel and I got up early In the morn
ing to enjoy it. Well. I was down at break
fast-it was a beautiful fall morning-by
O'Clock. and I took a seat at big table
in bow window. looking right out on the
street. The paving gang was already busy
The window by my table was partly up
and the lace curtains tapped gently in the
morning breeze. / ordered canteoupe.
filled with cracked ice, and some English
SOLE and a brace of lamb chops. and some
Hamburg grapes as a sort of in-between
and some hashed and Drowned potatoes and
some wheat cakes with maple syrup, and
some soft-boiled eggs and pot OF coffee,
and there I was. sitting in that bow win
dow. eating a fine breakfast and looking
out at a couple of hundred sons of guns
a-working! You can't imagine how I en-
joyed 1t. I fingered long tme-couple Of
hours at least-over that breakfast. When
1 had finished breakfasting I pulled the
table closer to the window, and stayed the
lace curtains back a bit, and lit big black
cigar, and just leaned pack IN my CHAIR
Waiting 'em work. Can't recall ever hav-
ing had so much fun before or since
81 like to stand off too. at safe dis
tance-so I won't get any of the stone chips
In my eyes-and watch bunch of stone
masons at work with their chisnls. Chip
y-chip--chippety chip-they keep At it so
necessarily. and the slivers and sr''"ps OF
stone fly through the air. catchin" III" sun
rays and looking like little prisn;. Brick
laying. too, is a thing I'm powerfully fond
Of watching. I like to Sc" about ten brick
layers standing in a row -bendn" Ger I
mean--laying the bricks of side wall
They've got to keep up with each other on
that wall. you see, or else get the laugh
from each other or maybe the prod from
the foreman. and the way they hustle those
bricks, and chop 'em in two. and wipe at
the mortar with their trowels and holler
at the man below for more brick and NOR
tar, is thing l sure enjoy
Benighted Turkey.
William Jennings Bryan in the Reader.