Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-07-27


hiker, as he is familiarly known 10
his associates, IS recruited from the
farm, as there are few city-bred youths
who are able or willing TO undertake
the hardships that befall the begin
ner or grounding" as he T. common.
| ~ called by the rest of the gang.
The groundhogs are set TO work at
first digging holes, and while inns
may not seem laborious it must be
/ considered that TO get this hole &c a
sufficient depth, which is from four
10 tx feet, it is necessary TO use a 50.
pound steel bar two inches in diane.
ter and nine feet long, sharpened az
both ends, TO loosen the earth, as it Is
impossible 10 use pick after break
ing the ground at the top.
Then rock formation is often met
with, which is never blasted unless il
is impossible TO break it out. To the
Beginner this is tedious work and il
he is not careful he will invariably
chip it ont until he has the hole run
mig to point at the bottom and dnd
it impossible to continue II is a ton
ishing what an oid-timer can do with
a bar and interesting 10 hear them
tel OF their feats and the number of
holes they can dig in day Many
are the wagers they make on their
ability in this line
After lew months apprenticeship
at digging holes the grounding, If he
S found to be willing worker, is al
lowed to help the lineman, that is, he
IS detailed to wait on him while at
work on a pole, tying such articles as
may be needed from time to time to a
ne so the lineman may pull them up
as he requires them. This is where
he receives his first schooling in the
art of climbing. The next is likely to
see him in the possession OF a pair OF
spurs OF climbers il he is ambitious
Then IL is up to him to see how long
ii will be before he is able 10 get up
and down a pole lively enough to be-
come a full-fedged hiker and com
mand the respect of the gang.
His life at the best IS hard, for he Is
continually on the go. The majority
Of linemen are always dissatisfied and
continually rowing from place TO place.
they are apt to disdadn the use OF
passenger trains when they travel as
an unnecessary expense. Tell the aver
age hifcer that there is a job in some
| other pr. of the country and that the
wages are a little higher there and you
will see him abroad the next freight
train either riding the bumpers or I'M
der the car sitting on the rods, al.
though he generally finds a good nat.
ured crew Oh the train who will allow
him to sit in the caboose and then
pass him along to the next crew TIL
he reaches his destination.
There is a class of linemen who are
called fioaters. These men never
work more than a few days at time
in one place and are continually trax.
cling. While this Is the case with
many. there are of course exceptions,
and you win find some who manage
TO save enough to buy small farm,
where they settle down and live con-
tentedly for the rest OF their days.
The hilSer has 10 toll 10 hours eacn
and every day that 1t is possible to De
out In the open, and seldom is the
allow his men to stay under cover
They live in the cheapest OF hotels or
clearinghouse and fare badly, as IL
Is difficult 10 find suitable place TO
accommodate large gang of men At
the rate the company il willing to.
pay
The writer had occasion TO stop at
country hotel for few days in a small
town in Delaware where a large gang
Of linemen were boarding. and IT was
not an unusual sight to see one Of the
men come To the table With loaf Oh
bread under his arm which he had
bought at the local store. az they were
allowed only two slices of bread apiece.
One evening they discussed some new
dish that they had had for supper
Getting interested at the many com
ments they made as 70 what II was
composed Of. the writer asked the
proprietor what the dish consisted OF,
and he complacentIy answered.:
Why. that was mn krat stew
When questioned as 10 its being 1T 10
eat. Why" he exclaimed. anything
Is good enough Tor those people"
Several years age an enterprising
Dung superintendent Of construction,
while trying to economic and at the
same time benefit the many men IN
der him, conceived the idea OF build
Ing portable camps, tents having been
tried and proved nnsucce-s ful. He
designed and built one set, which con
sisted Of two cars. one for sleeping
accommodations and the other for
eating and cooking in. These cars