Jim Goff (na obrazku prvy zprava) to v zivote nemal lahke. Pochadzal z chudobnej rodiny a mal osem surodencov, takze casto trpel nudzou. Ked dospel, odisiel do sveta, aby sa o seba postaral. Dlho nemohol najst pracu, az zasiel jeden den na svojej puti do miestnej kantyny, a tam sa na neho usmialo stastie. Stretol muza menom McCane, ktory mu ponukol prilezitost na zarobok. Nebola to lahka praca, ale Jim nemal na vyber. Odvtedy sa zacal jeho jednotvarny zivot. Od rana do vecera tazko pracoval, lamal skaly, potom s kamaratmi skocil na caj do kantyny, kratky spanok a opat ten opakujuci sa jednotvarny kolobeh driny, ktoru len obcas prerusila nejaka necakana a vacsinou nebezpecna udalost. Na Jima Goffa by si nikto ani len nespomenul, keby nam jeho neznamy kolega - muzikant vo svojej piesni nezachytil tuto azda jedinu vzrusujucu historku z jeho zivota, ktoru si mozete precitat i vypocut:
Ryl jen, celej den ryl
1. Já každý ráno v sedm hodin vstal a krumpác s lopatou vyfasoval, pak s partou, která makat dovede, jsem došel tam, co tunel povede.
R: A ryl jen, celej den ryl, já ryl jen, celej den ryl, abych drív, než do svý boudy pudu spát, caj v kantýne moh' si dát, já ryl jen, celej den ryl, celej den, jak krtek celej den jen ryl.
2. Kdo netrhal skálu, težko pochopí, co sám dynamit nekdy natropí, když jednou náhle došlo k výbuchu, Jim Goff vyletel majli do vzduchu.
3. A když z tý vejšky zas na zem si kec', predák McCane ho popad' za límec: "Tak se mi zdá, že línej jsi jak veš, mne ve vzduchu se flákat nebudeš!"
4. Ted po létech, když vecer sedím sám, na starý dobrý casy vzpomínám, zas slyším tmou, jak rány dunely, když ve skalách jsem lámal tunely.
Avsak po Jimovi neostala len tato pesnicka. Malokto to vie, ale zanechal po sebe aj malu pozostalost, ktoru tesne pred smrtou ukryl vedla tunela, ktory s kumpanmi razil. Ak mate zaujem, mozete ju najst, nieco z nej vziat a nieco pridat, a pripomenut si tak nelahky osud tohto obycajneho – a svojim sposobom neobycajneho kopaca – Jima Goffa…
Jim Goff´s life (the first from the right side on the picture) wasn´t easy at all. Becoming from the poor family had eight brothers and sisters so the misery was his everyday bread. When he grown up, he left the home and came to the world to find the job. He could not find it for the long time, but once he had luck. He met the man called McCann and he offered him a job. The monotonous life of Jim Goff started. Hard work from the morning ´till the evening then tea with the coworkers, short sleep and round and round. Only sometimes his life was disturbed by some unexpected and dangerous ocassion. Nobody would have remembered him, if one of his unknown colleague – a musician - in his song hadn´t left the message about the (maybe only one) fascinating story from Jim Goff´s life. You can read and listen (the song is only in Czech)
Drill Ye Tarriers Drill
Every morning about seven o'clock There were twenty tarriers drilling at the rock The boss comes along and he says, "Keep still And bear down heavy on the cast iron drill."
Chorus And drill, ye tarriers, drill Drill, ye tarriers, drill For it's work all day for the sugar in you tay Down beyond the railway And drill, ye tarriers, drill And blast, and fire.
The boss was a fine man down to the ground And he married a lady six feet 'round She baked good bread and she baked it well But she baked it harder than the hobs of Hell.
The foreman's name was John McCann By God, he was a blamed mean man Last week a premature blast went off And a mile in the air went big Jim Goff.
And when next payday came around Jim Goff a dollar short was found When he asked, "What for?" came this reply "You were docked for the time you were up in the sky."
But this song is not the only thing left after Jim Goff´s life. It is not very known fact, but before his death he left some small estate next to his last tunnel. If you are interested you can find it, take something, add something, and remember the life of this ordinary (but in some way unusual) driller – Jim Goff...
