The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-07-09
Copyright. 1907. A. c. Ncclurs q Co, Chicago

A. "
through the hot, late April day. Every
boss was alert. Every man did his
best; perhaps was sworn at for not
doing better Only Bennett, calm. un-
hurrying held his men to their task
with neither curses nor buster; and
Benefits gang had the brunt of the
fray.
Mrs. Gregory and her guests
watched unwearyingly the great work
drama unfold the miles. rail by rail,
banded together in the glorious iron
way. At what cost was 1t done! Yet
how great was the result
rs 1t always so?" Esther asked.
looking up at Alfred. Must the road
to great achievements be always by
way of the sweat of the face, the
hearts blood?"
His look was tender, comprehendjng.
Are they not worth the cost?"
Yes, yes; l must believe they are"
Yet she turned away. her eyes blurred
with tears. She was thinking Of Gid
con alone under his posies.
Dinner was a farce for time. If not
for quantity. And all the afternoon
men with pals and dippers marched
up and down the sweating line, serv-
ing to the thirsty incredible quanti-
ties of warm, brackish water that was
nectar to the sweating men.
A short pause for supper, and at 1t
again! Night came on, and moon.
or rI
fires of their oncoming rivals. They
answered with their own huge bon
fires, built to reinforce Luna's pale
ray.
On and on, hour after hour; there
was no talking, not even the desultory
interjections of the day, or the raucous
orders of the foremen. Muscles moved
automatically. Hammers struck as
rhythmically, but more slowly. Each
man bent to his task with grim endur-
ance, too weary to protest. Some sank
down and were allowed to crawl away.
All day Gregory, pale and tense, had
ragged up and down the line, directing,
crying orders far and near, calling for
the impossible, often getting the un-
expected. He hurried men, scored in
dividuals, mathematical tools, earth
iron, heat. He was impatient, fiercely
eager; yet, with it all, not far from
every honest heart there; for he was
fighting for the company-and sue
cess. Dearer to him it was than any
enterprise of his own ever would be.
The men knew this, and honored him, !
bore with him, respected him, for the
achievement, which many declared no
other man could have made.
In the dead of night, when the air
was chill upon wet, weary backs
when men were dropping from fatigue,
and others, more dogged, were work
ing on, praying silently for relief-at
last, down the line came Gregory's
jubilant cry.
"Rozel!"
No man among them all had worked
as hard as he had worked Month '
by month his flesh had dropped away,
his cheek tanned darker, as he fought
his way from ocean to inland sea- The
spare, square frame and the scanned
face had changed him, aged him sad
ly. He had paid in heart and body on
this tremendous project. And to his
anxious wife. praying for this con-
flict to end no less than to the ex-
hausted men, his cry came like
glad clarion.
IT'S ten miles, boys. Ten miles
in one day! There's their camp! Well
touch Union Pacific rails tomorrow
at Promontory!
"Hooray! Another stride of the Cen
tral Pacific's seven-league boots to-
ward Brigham's drove of tender
ewes!" cried some inpertinent voice.
Hammers dropped. Backs unbent,
nor recked of pain. Cheer after cheer
rent the still night. Ten miles! Ten
miles! The greatest days work in the
worlds railroad history
Gregory went to his car happy,
kissed his wife, joined his guests in a
Jolly supper, and slept-slept as he
had not for months.