Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-03-30

'We'll pass over the last question,
too, If you please. 1 think I could
carry rod if 1 had chance and there
was vacancy" II
"Umph," said Vandeventer, 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
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
strives to balance it erect on it's own
base and holds it with the tips of his
fingers on either side in an upright po-
sition, swaying it 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 it 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.
"It so happens" he began, ''that 1
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"
Il don't care anything about the de-
tails" said the man quickly and gladly.
It's the work want"
'Well, you'll get what the rest do
said Vandeventer. "Now, as you just.
ly remarked, have found that it is
not polite out here to inquire too close
ly into mans antecedents and I 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 q
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 i:
bit confusing. Would you mind Sc
lecting some other name?"
eff it's all the same to you," an
nounced the newcomer amusedly-th,
chiefs laughter was. infectious-'I'n
agreeable to Jones, or Brown, Or"
"We have numbers of all Of those
too"
Really" said the man hesitatingly
II haven't given the subject. an,
thought"
"What about some Of your famil,
names?"
'NThat gives me an idea," said tn
newcomer, who decided to use hi
mothers name, "you can call me Rob
erts." -
"And I suppose John, for the prefix?
"John will do as well as any, an
sure"
"We have about fifty Johns. Ever,
Smith appears to have been borl
john" ss ,.,. se. s So. ..e
"How did you arrange it?" asked tn
other with daring freedom, for rod
man does not enter conversation o.
terms Of equality with the chief en-
gineer.
81 got a little pocket. dictionary dow
at the town with list of names and
went through that list with the Smiths
dealing them out in order. Well, tina
will do for your name,'' he said, max
ing memorandum in the little boo
he pulled out of his flannel shirt pocket
He turned to man who had come u
to the level. "Smith," he saidL"by tn
way this is Mr.. Claude Smith, Mr.. Rot
erts-here's your new rodman. Yo
know your job, Roberts. Get to work.
And that is how Bertram Meade,
few months after the failure Of tn
great bridge, once again enteredf tn
ranks of engineers, beginning, as wa
necessary and inevitable, very 10y
down in the scale.