In the 1860s, America was growing fast. Many people were moving west, and railroads were being built to help them travel. One railroad, called the C&O, was trying to connect the Chesapeake Bay on the east coast to the Ohio River in the west. But there was a big problem: the Appalachian Mountains were in the way!
The workers had to dig tunnels through the mountains to lay the train tracks. This was very hard and dangerous work. They used hammers and spikes to break the rock, then used dynamite to blast through it. To make the work more fun, the workers would have contests to see who could drive their spikes the farthest.
One of the strongest workers was a man named John Henry. No one knew exactly where he came from, but everyone knew he was the best at his job. He was so strong that he could swing a heavy hammer all day without getting tired. People said he was born with a hammer in his hand!
One day, a new machine called a steam drill was brought to the work site. It was supposed to be faster than the workers. John Henry’s boss bet that the steam drill could do more work than John Henry. But John Henry didn’t back down. He said, “A man ain’t nothing but a man, but I’ll die with a hammer in my hand before I let that machine beat me!”
The competition began. John Henry worked as hard as he could, swinging his hammer and driving spikes into the mountain. The steam drill rattled and banged beside him. After hours of hard work, the boss blew a whistle to stop. They measured how far John Henry and the steam drill had gone.
John Henry had driven his spike 15 feet into the mountain, while the steam drill had only gone 9 feet. John Henry had won! The workers cheered, but John Henry was exhausted. He had worked so hard that his heart gave out, and he died soon after.
Even though John Henry was gone, his legend lived on. The railroad was finished a few years later, and every time trains passed through the tunnel he helped dig, people would remember John Henry, the strongest and bravest steel-driving man who ever lived.
Moral: Technology may be powerful, but the strength and resilience of a person’s willpower leave a lasting legacy.
