They sings of the men as goes down to the sea;
Of the heroes of cannon and swords;
An’ writes of the valors of dead chivalry,
An’ the bravery of old knights n’ lords.
They sighs ‘cause the romance of knighthood is past,
‘Cause there ain’t no high ideals no more,
They says that this old world’s a rollin’ too fast
To develop that “esprit de corps.”
But them as complains are the one as don’t know,
Who sits where it’s warm and then kick –
They ain’t never seen a line saggin’ with snow,
And had to get service back – quick!
They ain’t never struggled with Death at their side,
A-snappin’ and hissin’ and pale,
Nor clung to the towers and grimly defied
The assaults of the blizzards and gale.
They sit and are served with never a thought
Of the fellers out pluggin’ like hell
To supply at their touch the service they bought
With a light, or the sound of a bell.
These fellers ain’t togged out all shinin’ in steel,
They don’t ride around on no hoss,
They don’t sing no songs about how they feel
In the gales when the feeders may cross.
They don’t wave no banners embroidered in gold,
In Latin nobody can read,
They don’t do no braggin’ of deeds that were bold,
Their motto is “Service and Speed.”
Their armor ain’t nothin’ but slickers and boots,
Their weapons are climbers and pliers,
Their battles are fought up where hi-tension shoots,
An’ death lurks unseen on the wires.
They’re fightin’ the gales and blizzards an’ ice,
Protectin’ the towers and span,
With effort not measured in hours or price –
For one cause – just Service to man!
So here’s to the Lineman – the Son-of-a-Gun
That can do without sleep for a week!
That sticks to the job ‘til it’s every bit done,
And the feeders can carry the peak.
For his is the Knighthood that’s noblest by far,
That highest and mightiest clan.
That’s fightin’ the battles of Things-as-they-are,
In the cause of the Service of man.
Reprinted from the Ontario Hydro News