The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-25
Heroes in Peace.

Least noticed in the news of the day
are those minor items telling of catas-
trophies met by men occupying an in
conspicuous place in the world A belt
slips and the mill worker Is carried
to his home on stretcher by colabor-
ers, who administer crude comfort to
a grief-stricken family and return to
the hazardous occupation; a man at
the smelter falls into molten metal;
a structural steel worker running along
gfrder makes misstep and plunges
ten stories down; a sledge slips in the
car shops and a man is crippled for
life; trainman in the performance
of duty is MANNED or killed-these and
other incidents in the world of indus
Try happen with frequency that dulls
the senses unless accompanied by some
spectacular feature to cause a mo-
mentary thrill of interest.
Certain occupations are hazardous.
yet there is much hazardous work that
substituted for the nimble fingers and
brain of the trained laborer in certain
tasks. Danger is everywhere in the
mighty undertakings of industry; but
wherever danger is there is always a
man to brave it undeterreG by any
thought of the risk involved. The haz-
ard of the job is recognized. but well
coined either because of it's appeal,
because 1t is in the line of duty or be-
cause there Is a family back home to
support. To the credit of industry
much is being done to minimize risk,
and in the event of accident to render
some measure of compensation. Rail-
roads are among the most energetic
of corporations in looking after the
man incapacitated in the performance
of duty, and recognition of the obli-
cation is general.
The debt owed by the public to the
man in overalls is large, but some
times disregarded. His work calls for
no display of pyrotechnics to attract
attention; it is generally prosaic and
frightfully hard. Upon the faithful
performance of it depends the world s
advancement. Credit for mighty feats
of construction properly go to the
brain that conceived and planned and
executed them; but thought should be
given the man in overalls who did the
work, braved the danger, endured the
toll, and wrought into splendid reali-
| zation the finished production The
man in overalls he returns from
work grimy with toll, weary and I'M
couth in appearance, often is subjected
to many little evidences of the exis-
tence of a petty caste of clothes. His
next-door neighbor, clerk, may look
sneeringly upon his badge of toll, care
less Of the important and honorable
part played by this ordinary workman;
the latter. too, anxious that his chill
dren shall not be ashamed because
their father looks less tidy than the
fathers of their playmates, may stink
in through the back door to escape
the public gaze.
But there is no dishonor in honest
dirt. The workman plays an import
ant and essential part. Sneers at over
alls are out of place. In America, at
least, the workman can look any mil
lionaire square in the eyes in the con-
viction that his work is relatively quite
as important. Let there be mutual
recognition of this, and there will be
less of class clash with the elevation of
the laborer to his rightfuf position in
the esteem of the COMMUNICATIVE
more American.