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just finished you b-fool", he barked, as Wilson retreated in haste and still in doubt.
Mahoney was rather a short-tempered man and got very irritated by the petty gossip, rumours and accusations that circulated among the men in his gangs. Once a Leading Hand came to see him and made serious allegations about one of the gangers. Mahoney knew better, but the accuser persisted with his story and finally Mahoney lost his temper and called me into the room. "Stewart", he bawled, "take a good look at me". I obliged. "Do you think I look like a b- fool?". "Oh no Sir, certainly not", I stuttered, "Well I must be one, judging by the things Harris here is expecting me to believe". And with that, we were both abruptly dismissed from his presence.
I thoroughly enjoyed being on this railway construction job. There were many picturesque personalities among the navvies, and amusing incidents happened almost daily. Jack Howard the big bluff handsome timekeeper, with the throaty brogue, was a lovable Irish wit, always spicing his speech with quaint phrases, and James the paymaster, in a dry caustic way, never failed to see the funny side of many untoward happenings, or take an opportunity to pull someone's leg. Also, I was intensely interested in my work and quickly learning a lot about railway building, surveying and levelling with Brettell; about draughtsmanship, estimates and administration from Mahoney; and much concerning cost-keeping from James. Often in the course of my duties I rode out along the extent of the rail track on the swaying ballast train, an invigorating change to outdoor work, in pleasant sunshine and in good congenial company.
When I got to know some of the navvies well, I found that at heart they were very friendly sincere men, whose work on railway construction, for most of their life, was not only a proud tradition, that often ran in families, but it was also a devotion. I began to acquire quite an affection for them despite their rough and uneducated ways.
I was receiving the remarkably good wages, for a young man, of three pounds a week, a little more than a navvy's basic pay.