Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-01-07
VII.

"a MlId, the foreman ID c0drSe Ol
~ the Sommers gun, was raging
~ drunk.
lie lurched up and down in
front of the furnaces. cursing the men
driving them here and there. making
all manner of confusion, apparently
without reason. O'Leary. his assistant,
had done his best to quiet the half
crazed foreman. O'Leary and every
mar on the job knew that the Som
mers gun was In grave danger of be
ing ruined. 1t had been scheduled to
go into the furnace at 2 o'clock. but
Smith shortly after noon had lurched
In, called his men together and showed
the gun into the furnace three hours
ahead of time. Now 1t was nearly
midnight. and unless the gun came out
be completely ruined. 1t must come
out. be brought to the proper tempera-
ture and then thrust into the tempering
bath-a thousand gallons of oil.
The last time Smith had been in
charge of the job he had put a gun
into the bath at too high a temperature
and it had burst at the proving ground.
Smith on that occasion had been laid
off and had not been brought back to
work until the casting of the Sommers
gun. Then Pinckney had sent for him
and. after a long talk in his private
office, had placed the disgraced fore
man in complete charge of this new
and very important piece of work.
At the casting of the Rhinestrom gun
Pinckney himself had taken conn lete
charge. staying in the furnace room
until all the work was finished and
the marked difference In the handling
Of the two jobs had not escaped some
Of the shrewder workmen.
Looks like they don't care a hing
whether this n goes or not" O'Leary.
tits plain f~oolishness, putting Smith
the job. It'll just get him in trou-
BILE and won't do any good. That guns
bound to be a failure If we amt care
The men had taken O'Leary's view
OF the matter and were doing all they
could to make this job a success.
Sommers during his stay about the
works had become tremendously popu-
lar. They wanted to do their best
for him; also O'Leary expected in
the fall to marry Lucy Smith. the fore
mans daughter. and therefore he had
an interest in putting the job through
right.
Sommers was to come down about
l 80 in the morning, when the gun was
expected to go into the tempering bath.
That was the important work, and he
was determined TO superintend it
However. with Smith putting the gun
In three hours ahead of time there
seemed every chance that unless Som
mers should, be warned of the change
the gun would be in the bath and ev-
erything of Importance over before the
navy man should arrive.
In vain O'Leary pleaded with Smith
to do something about the gun.
ITS been in too long already,
Smith," he urged. do you want to
ruin this job? Who'll take care of
you when you ruin another gun?
You'll be down and out for good"
The foreman, swaying from side to
side, looked at his assistant with a
drunken leer.
who'll take care of me?" he sheer
ed. Don't you worry about who'll
take care of me. Pm the best man
about these works drunk or sober. and
don't you forget it,"
O'Leary could not be put off.
""Then If you're the best man show
it," he shouted. "Show it by tending
to business! That gun II be ruined in
no time!"
Smith, broad, brutal. savage from
drink, aimed a blow at his assistant.
"You will interfereT' he shouted
"You think you're a better man than
l am! I'll show you! I'll let you know
who's the boss of this here Job"
O'Leary lodged the blow and jump
ed out Of the way as the foreman
rushed. Again the foreman came al
him, but the assistant grabbed an iron
bar and stood ready.
You take another step and I'll brain
you'll" he yelled above the roar and the
clang of the toiling hammers. You're
drunk. and we're saving your job fol
you. Now you tend to it or I'll smash
your head clean in"
Smith stopped, grumbling. He knes
O'Leary was the strongest, coolies
young fellow about the works. A figh
with him sober would have been seri
ous, and drunk the foreman knew Ii
would not stand a chance. He steppet
back.
Pm tending to my job. O'Leary," h
complained, half maudlin. "Ther'
amt no call for you acting that way
You're. irving to get M lob. that