Black guy with a Sledgehammer
May 9, 2007 – 9:22 pmI am trying to remember the name of the guy who died when his heart blew up while trying to outwork a machine. They were in a race to, maybe set down rail road track, drive rail road spikes, or cut a hole in a mountain for a rail road tunnel. Story goes, he won but died after winning.
Aimee says she thought it was Paul Bunion, but I think that’s a white guy with an axe. This is a black guy with a sledge hammer. Any clue?
Also, are either of these stories remotely true?
Didn’t Paul Bunion have a Blue Ox and thus isn’t the energy drink Blue Ox named after him? Who the hell is Red Bull named after and why doesn’t the black guy with the sledgehammer have an energy drink named after him?
Could the song I Want to Be Your Sledgehammer be made in honor of the black guy with the sledgehammer who blew up his heart trying to beat a machine at some rail road task? If so, why doesn’t the white guy with an axe have a song?
Inquiring minds want to know!
6 Responses to “Black guy with a Sledgehammer”
I think the black guy you mentioned was John Henry, who was supposed to have a sledgehammer. I’m not sure why he doesn’t have an energy drink named after him. They could call it Sledgehammer and Peter Gabriel could be the spokesperson.
What do you think?
By WonderGoon on May 10, 2007
Right on!
By A.J. Drew on May 15, 2007
John Henry -
http://www.towson.edu/csme/mctp/StudentProjects/TallTales/page3.html
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/sights/sightstory.php?tip_AttrId==11918
Paul Bunyan was a mythical character made up of many personalities, but John Henry was a real man. He is famous for trying to outdo a steam stake driver using two sledge hammers. He won, but died of a massive heart attack when he stopped and the machine still replaced him.
By Rhiannon on May 16, 2007
John Henry! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! The new Smithy is being dedicated to John Henry! And we are going to specialize in rail road spikes this year, first knives off the new forge. I might even make a limitted production run, number them, and drive the first one into the frigging floor !!!!!
John Henry it is! I figure the only folk down there that it would piss off are folk who would have absolutly no idea who the glorious man was. John Henry, John Henry, John Henry, remember Yeti, remember, remember, take your meds and remember…. John Henry…..
By A.J. Drew on May 16, 2007
red bull is, as far as i know, called red bull because the drink originated in thailand and that’s what the original thai name translated as. the thai version comes in tiny glass bottles is more potent and not carbonated.
By fehujibran on Jun 3, 2007
I think John Henrey had a Red Bull and nobody talked about it.
By A.J. Drew on Jun 20, 2007