The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-05-03

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3 the ordinary applicant for Jobs who
8 came In contact with Vandeventer, as
e 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:
e 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 q course Of action,
to take a strange or perllous step, such
little shiver in his speech as a naked
} man might feel in his body before he
plunged into the icy waters of the
wintry sea.
II am"
I'D like Job"
1--WE have no use for cow-punchers
on this dam"
I'm not exactly a cow-puncher, sir"
"What are your"
} Look here" said the man, smiling
little, 1--WE been out in this country
long enough to learn that all that 1t Is
necessary to know about man Is viii
he make goodT Let us say that / am
nothing and let 1t go at that"
"Out of nothing, nothing comes"
laughed the engineer, genuinely
amused.
Some men would have been angry,
but Vandeventer rather enjoyed this.
Il didn't say 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?"
wen pass over the last question.
too, If you please. l think 1 could
carry rod if had chance and there
was vacancy"
"Umph," said vnndeventer, you
think you could"
"Yes, sir. Give me a trial"
"All right, take that rod over there
ana go out on the edge of the dam
where that stake shows, and I'll take a
sight on it."
NOW there are two wayS--a hundred
perhaps-of holding rod one right
way and all the others wrong. A new
conner invariably grasps 1t tightly In
his fist and jams it down, conceiying
that the only way to get 1t plumb and
hold 1t steady. The experienced man
strives to balance it erect on its own
base and holds 1t with the tips of his
fingers on either side in an upright no. |
Sttton, 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 a 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.
ut so happens" he began, that I
can give you a 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"
Il don't care anything about the de-
tails" said the man quickly and gladly.
TITS the work want"
'Well, you'll get what the rest do"
said Vandeventer. "NOw, as you Just
ly remarked, have found that 1t is ,
not polite out here to inquire too close
" into mans antecedents and have {
learned to respect local customs, but 1
we must have some name by which to I
IDENTIFY you, make out your pay check,
and" ,
DO you pay In checks?" I
mo, but you have to sign check" I
"Well, call me Smith," 4
, Vandeventer threw back his head Q
md laughed. The other man turned a /
little red. The chief engineer observed I
he CLINT in his new friends eye. v
I'm not exactly laughing at you," he o
Explained, but at the singular lack of
nventiveness of the American. We
lave at least thirty Smiths out Of two f
hundred men on our pay roll, and it is S
bit confusing. Would you mind Sc n
Getting some other name?" s
If it's all the same to you," an t
lounced the newcomer amusedly-the n
'hiefs laughter was infectious-"I'm
Igreeable to Jones, or Brown, or"
I'VE have numbers of all of those. b
co." d
Really" said the man hesItatingly. Il
l haven't given the subject any
hOught." h
"What about some of your family Il
ames?" h
THAT gives me an idea," said the Il
lewcomer, who decided to use his p
lothers name, "you can call me Rob- p
rts." d
And l suppose John for the prefix?" e.
John will do as we'll as any, I am Il
ure."
I'VE have about fifty Johns. Every al
mith appears to have been born m
ohm" b,
"How did you arrange itT asked the n,
ther with daring freedom, for a rod nj
ian does not enter conversation on tr
erms Of equality with the chief en-. Fl
Ineer. lie
II got little pocket dictionary down W
/ the town with list of names and W
ent through that list with the Smiths. hi
ealing them out In order. Well, that hi
an do for voIIr n0nnoO ha eojd ,,oop- ~,