The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-03-24
ON THE NORTH SIDE
Men Are Busy Raising the
Union Pacific Bridge.
Greeks Employed in Doing the
Track Work.
THEY'RE A QUEER LOT
Y'RE A QUEER LOT
Foreigners DO Not Live With
American LabOrers.
About the Only English They
Know Is Swear Words.


bridge across Soldier creek and the
tracks north and south. The structure
and rails are being elevated at the rate
of about foot a day. 1t is expected
that the work of raising the bridge tc
the height of four and half feet and
the tracks high enough to conform
with the grade of the dixie will be COM
pleted within this week, but after this
is done the tracks must be ballasted.
The bridge is being raised with what
are technically termed Jacks" by a
bridge gang of about eighteen men, and
at the same time the track raising
keeps pace with the work on the
bridge. Seventy Greeks are in the track
gang.
The process of the work is interest
ing. Several times day work train
of convertible cars, which open on the
bottom, dump sand on the tracks. Then
by means of pillow like arrangement
on the bottom of the fiat cars this sand
is leveled off. The Greeks with iron
levers began elevating the tracks to the
Level of the newly formed bed of sand,
and ''tamping the material under the
rails. The sand is taken from the Kaw
river bed
Meanwhile, at every turn of the
Jacks the heavy bridge, weighing
about $50 tons, goes up about lis of
an inch. AS this is being DONE tenn
placed between the piers and the floor
timbers. These will be replaced with
heavy iron pieces, called "eye beams"
These will be laid criss cross fashion
and filled in with concrete.
All of this work goes on from about
a. m. until $50 p. m. In the morning
the workmen go out to their work on
hand cars. The majority of them live
in cars which are just north of the
Kaw mills. The bridge gang have
quarters in cars separate from the
Greeks and have cook who does moth
ing else but prepare their meals. The
Greeks batch and eat what suits them
best.
Some of the latter class of men have
interesting histories. One of them has
all of the characteristics of a negro, the
ebony skin, thick lips and kinky hair,
but he speaks Greek like the rest and
seems to be very popular among them.
1t is said that his parents were brought
as slaves from Africa, into one Of the
Greek provinces. His name, by the
way, is about the shortest of any of his
fellow descendants of Achilles. 1t is
Gustafos Arapias. He is called Gus for
short.
The majority of the names of the
others must be taken on the Install
euphonious syIlab1es. These people of
the long names seem a happy go-lucky
class, but 1t is said that they save their
money and send a great deal of 1t
home. There many of them have left
their wives and families. 1t is also re-
ported that one of them had wife like
Socrates Xantippe and he came to
this country to get away from her
more than anything else.
At work the Greeks have to be con-
tinually prodded, fguratively speaking.
or they will fall into the American
habit of soldering Another one of
their traits seems to be fondness for
singing at noon hour and Joking among
themselves. Their native tongue sounds
like water pouring from a broken bot
tie.
They do not seem to try to learn
much English except swear words.
All those who have signed contracts
with the Acme team of the Central
avenue Christian church, which will
North Topeka in the church
league this season will meet on the
Grant school diamond tomorrow even
ing for preliminary practice. Others
who wish to play with the team may
also practice with them then. At that
time it is probable the players will be
assigned to positions on the team. A
game will be played at Skeine's park,
east of Topeka, with a team from the
First Congregational church saturday
afternoon at o'clock. Those who
have signed contracts with the Acme
Ehrhart, c. P. Wyne, ]. r. Parrish
Clarence Gabriel, c. H. Waldman, &.
D. we1lman, Ward Maurer, Edwin
Bissell, jr., Chester Thomas, .. w
Rowe, Jesse cochran, CnaS. oHeetH'
Robt E. Cunningham and D. ]. Ga
briel.
Mrs Isabella McGaffin died at the
home of her daughter, Mrs. DaVld
AmeL at 914 Monroe street, about
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. Old age
and complications was the cause. she
was 80 years old She was one of the
old residents of Topeka, coming here
in 1867.
gov, Scotland, December %, 1928
She came to America when a young
girl. She was married in Ottawa, III.
A few years afterwards she and her
husband came to Kansas locating in
South Topeka Her husband died sew
eral years ago. Mrs. McGaffin has
lived in North Topeka for about ten
years, making her home at 1416 Cen
trail avenue. During her last illness
she has lived with her daughter, Mrs.
Amel Besides her, she leaves an
other daughter. Mrs. Sarah Ward, OF
915 West Fifteenth street in South To.
peka. and a son, John McGaffln, OF
the Santa Fe bridge department MRS
Journal from 1870 until 1881, when
George Reed owned the paper.
The funeral will be held from the
home at 2:30 O'Clock tomorrow after
noon. The remains will be inferred in
the Topeka cemetery
can Exciting Runaway" or What
to Lee Dolman,' is the title
of an incident-almost an accident
which happened near the famous
three bridges about o'clock yester-
day afternoon.
V. r. Parkhurst. engineer for the
North Topeka drainage board. w E
Shotwell and Lee DoIman, of the firm
of Dolman & Son, who are in charge
of the work on the North Topeka
flood protection bikes, had been driv-
ing over the scene of their operations
When they neared the three bridges
they decided to cross the railroad
tracks and after a brief consultation
of war, decided to get out and lead