Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-05-09
The Grunt
By BRUCE L. SCHMUNK
g. Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service.

In the first place appearance beguiled
his age; secondly, he exhibited more
grace Of culture than accoutrements
of physical prowess.
looked at the fellow for moment
the morning that Mansel, the district
superintendent, brought him to the
service desk, and decided in the same
moment that he would be complete
misfit.
Smiling at Mansel 1 asked, Line
gang?"
Nothing else openT he queried.
Nothing" l replied.
"Then give him a chance there" he
Instructed me. But" he hesitated
to add. work him into Squint's crew."
On the following morning without
formality, Justin was installed in the
line crew Of Squint Makony. Squint
was foreman, a powerful man physi-
cally, and a congenial one socially.
To the shot stuff" with which he had
worked for twenty years he was a
blood brother. Mike Rullo, the other
veteran lineman of the gang, was
man in a very masculine sense. Mike
was careless, rough of manner and
possessed Of the benign brutality of
utterance which Is so often charac-
teristic Of men whose work demands
stamina and develops physical as
cendancy. The third member, Pete
Bloom, Junior nneman, ranked we'll
below the other two in moral stature.
Justin became, according to line
mems parlance, "the Grunt." He was
to run errands, help load the truck,
manipulate the ladders, handle the
solder pot and bear the brunt of all
jokes. It's hard road from grunr
to nneman
One day soon after his Inauguration,
the Grunt was talking to Squint about
the period of apprenticeship. He did
not say that he would be willing to
pay any price for chance to climb,
but such admission would have been
superauous; Squint knew it. Pete,
Overhearing the Grunt's remarks, seized
the opportunity they afforded.
"YOu want to be Iineman, huh.
boy?" he asked, binding sarcasm with
infection.
Justin colored. II was talking to
Squint, Jete," he answered.
Squint, one eye almost closed, turned
to the junior lineman. The latter I'M
derstoOd the tacit warning but he ven
tured one more thrust.
"Okeh, boss; but you ought to be
fnp n co% ~,
Them ones is made sharp"
The last consonant was still audible
when huge hand struck the side of
the speakers head. "You know it's
time to lay off !" snapped SQuint.
snow lay off"
Although rain had fallen during the
afternoon, there were no indications
of an impending storm. The crews
had gone off duty. Carter was at the
service desk. He told me later he
didn't realize there was a disturbance
until one of the converters kicked
over.
Within an hour four factories be-
came paralyzed. Every minute cost
the company money-penalty money.
SQuint's crew was the first called.
When / found them they were al
hundred yards from the substation.
The beam from the spot light on the
truck enyeloped Squlnt and Mike who
were feverishly attempting temporary
spices on the lower bank. Peter, car
rying searchlight, was walking the
lines extending to the mills. The
Grunt was making ready dry gloves
for the men In the safety belts.
The mitts were half way to the top
of the stick when it happened. A
binding flash of green light a
terrible kissing sound dull
sickening thud as limp body struck
the mud-then silence. Mike sprawled
in the muck; Squint hung motionless
from his belt below the first cross-arm.
The Grunt looked at me and coughed.
I tried to swallow to relieve the nau-
sea. Pete, who had run to us, stood
shaking, inartlculate.
While 1 bent over Mike, the Grunt
removed spurs and safety belt. Pete,
shaking violently, came nearer.
Lets get him into the car" l said.
Pete responded as well as he could;
the Grunt had gone. We turned in
time to see him buckle his safety belt
around the slippery pole. Pete's teeth
were chattering.
Boss" Pete managed to stutter,
1.-The Grunt amt never Skinned pole.
He'll get burnt, sure as" The words
died In a crash of thunder.
The kid on the pole swayed In the
wind. We watched him dig in his
spurs and then with difficulty tie a
double hand line around Squint direct
ly under his arms. Through cross
arm brace he worked the rope, then
called to the ground for action. A
few inches at time we let Squint
down while the Grunt guided his head
past bolt heads and projections. That
sight shall never forget. The Grunt
fell the last ten feet.
Back In the substatlon hours later
the crew foreman regalned conscious
ness. couldn't describe the emo
tional reaction Of the younger man