The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-07-27

the ordinary applicant for jobs who
cam9ain contact with Vandeventer, as
the Big mesa rose above the fOothill.
However, the chief kept these things
to himself as he stood looking and
waiting for the other man to begin:
"Are you the resident engineer?"
| asked the newcomer quietly, yet there
was certain nervous note in his voice,
which the alert and observant engineer
found himself wondering at, such a
strain as might come when man is
| about to enter upon a course of action,
to take strange or perilous step, such
little shiver in his speech as naked
man might feel in his body before he
plunged into the icy waters of the
wintry sea.
II am"
'.Pd like a job"
"We have no use for cow-punchers
on this DAM"
'Tm not exactly a cow-puncher, sir"
"What are your?
look here" said the man, smiling
little, "Tve been out in this country
long enough to learn that all that it is
necessary to know about man is will
| he make goodT Let us say that am
nothing and let it go at that"
"Out of nothing, nothing comes
laughed the engineer, genuinely
| amused.
Some men would have been angry,
but Handkerchief rather enjoyed this.
II didn't say 1 was good for moth
ing" answered the other man, smiling
in turn, though he was evidently seri-
Gus enough in his application.
"Well, what can you do? Are you an
engineer"
well pass over the last question,
too, if you please. 1 think 1 could
carry rod If had chance and there
was a vacancy"
"Umph," said Vandeventer, "you
think you could?" o
"Yes, sir. Give me trial"
Gall right, take that rod over there
and go out on the edge of the dam
where that stake shows, and I'll take q
sight on it."
Now there are two ways-a hundred
perhaps-of holding a rod; one right
way and all the others wrong. A new
conner invariably grasps it tightly in
his fist and jams it down, conceiving
that the only way to get it plumb and
hold it steady. The experienced man
| SfrivaC RI ho1onan sfcf
base and holds it with the tips of his
| fingers on either side in an upright po-
sition, swaying 1t very slightly back
ward and forward. He does it uncon-
sciously, too.
Vandeventer had been standing by a
level already set up when the new
conner arrived and the rod was lying
on the ground beside it. The latter
| picked 1t up without word, walked
| rapidly to the stake, loosened the tar
get and balanced the rod upon the
stake. AS soon as Vandeventer OBJ
served that his new seeker after work
held the rod in the right way, he did
not trouble to take the sight. He
threw his head backward and raised
his hand, beckoningly.
at so happens" he began, 'that !
can give you job. The rodman next
In line of promotion has been given the
| level. One of the men went East last
night. You can have the job, which
| is"
II don't care anything about the de-
tails" said the man quickly and gladly.
"It's the work 1 want"
swell, you'll get what the rest do"
said Vandeventer. snow, as you just
ly remarked, I have found that it is
not polite out here to inquire too close
ly into mans antecedents and have
learned to respect local customs, but
we must have some name by which to
identify you, make out your pay check,
and"
do you pay in checks"
mo. but you have to sign check"
"Well, call me Smith,"
Vandeventer threw back his head
and laughed. The other man turned a
little red. The chief engineer observed
the CLINT in his new friends eye.
I'm not exactly laughing at you," he
explained, ''but at the singular lack of
inventiveness of the American. We
have at least thirty Smiths out of two
hundred men on our pay roll, and it is
bit confusing. Would you mind Sc
lecting some other name?'
IF it's all the same to you," an
nounced the newcomer amusedly-the
| chiefs laughter was infectious-"Tm
agreeable to Jones, or Brown, Or"
1--WE have numbers of all Of those,
too"
Really" said the man hesitatingly,
II haven't given the subject any
thought"
what about some of your family
names?"
THAT gives me an idea," said the
newcomer, who decided to use his
mothers name, "you can call me Rob-
erts."
"And suppose John for the prefix ~
John will do as well as any, I am
sure.'
1--WE have about fifty Johns. Every
Smith appears to have been born
john"
"How did you arrange it7" asked the
other with daring freedom, for rod
man does not enter conversation on
terms of equality with the chief en-
gineer.
Il got little pocket dictionary down
at the town with list Of names and
went through that list with the Smiths,
dealing them out in order. Well, that
| will do for your name," he said, max