﻿T-BONE SLIM DISCUSSES SOME IMPROMPTUS 
 
Resourceful: The resourcefulness of the extra-gang foreman is proverbial. Quarter of “quitting time” a string of gravel cars appears: “Look it the dirty b . . . ds bringing them cars this time of day, he says, they’re looking for overtime— but we’ll fool ‘em; we’ll ‘dig in’ and unload ‘em in a hurry. They’ll get no overtime from us, boys, will they?” 
But in spite of our best efforts there was overtime. 
Next morning “the boys” asked him, “how much over-time did we get last night?” 
“B’ys,” says he, “he wired and I wired—and—that’s [the] way it ‘tis.” 
Another one to illustrate section boss this time : 
The extra-gang had beat them in; a race. “Never mind, boys,” says the ‘king’, “they may beat us in but we’ll beat ‘em out in the morning . . .” 
And when the “king” revolts he does it thusly: 
(Work is to be done afterhours): “No by God, boys,” says he, “we’ll fool ‘em; we won’t do it — but mebbe we’ll haf’ to.” 
In re verbatim, to wit: “Elmer told a funny story this noon; the boss laughed— so we all laughed.”  
Further the deponent sayeth not. 

War hath her victories no less than Peace. Death where is thy sting? We’ve been stung and stung and stung, (Joe Hill said it!) until a sting begins to feel like back-pay. (No offense intended; none is possible.) 

Back-pay should not be confused with “baksheesh”. Backsheesh is that part of Turkish pay that arrives prior to the regular “pay” (please notice the crepe on word pay). 

By the way, follow-gents: D’y never notice the “Turkoman” is an I. W. W. by inclination, persuasion and by presentiment? He ain’t the only one bothered that way— I’m only saying. 
The one big union, they all seem to fall for it. Must be something in it. What is it. — T-bone Slim.