SALE Steel & Grit Slime
$15.00
Description
25% off - original price $20
STEEL & GRIT // You're at the mouth of a mighty tunnel, the sound of clanging hammers echoing through the vast cavern. A man stands beside you, his god-like frame towering over the tracks like an otherworldly giant. He grins as if he can hear your thoughts, his voice a deep rumble, "Ain't nobody that can outwork me, not even that steam drill they got over yonder." You glance at the massive drill, its mechanical arms poised to tear through rock with the ease of a fish gliding through water. You notice the rhythmic singing of the workers has ceased. The air is thick with tension. The man raises his hammer. "Let's show 'em what real grit looks like." The steam drill roars to life, pounding the steel with a relentless rhythm. The man's steady voice rings out, echoing through the cavern. "Lord, Lord, I'll die with a hammer in my hand, before I let your steam drill beat me down." The workers join in the rousing chorus. "Lord, Lord, he'll die with a hammer in his hand, before he lets that steam drill beat him down." With each swing of his hammer, sparks fly like shooting stars with a power that seems to shake the earth beneath your feet. The steam drill, once a marvel of technology, begins to falter, gears grinding & pistons hissing in protest. With one final blow, the man's hammer shatters the drill's heart. The cavern is ablaze with the impassioned workers' voices. They don't notice him collapse in the dust, clutching his hammer to his chest.
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During the early 1870s, many Black Americans worked on the labor-intensive, risky construction of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. Among these men, John Henry, a steel driver known for his strength & speed, emerged as a symbol representing the resilience of the laborers. In 1870, over 800 workers began drilling the 6450-foot Great Bend Tunnel. Legend says Henry famously challenged the steel drill brought in to speed up the process, drilling a 14-foot hole in the rock with two hammers, surpassing the drill's 9-foot effort. Despite his triumph, he succumbed to exhaustion & died, fulfilling his vow to "die with this hammer in my hand." His story epitomizes the spirit of human dignity against industrialization.
🖐️pigmented clear lava rock x icee
👃steam engine smoke, earthy tunnel, whirring steel drill exhaust, toolbox, worker's clothes from a bygone era
+clay cave/tunnel, sphere light (to light up your tunnel), silica shards and extra lava rocks, 2 oz icee "smoke", "dirt and moss" crumbles
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