Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-12-27
The Lock smith OF Phiiadelphia

=
5 the branch of business 10 which he hat
: been bred. Not only was be skilled i.
! the manufacture and repair of the variou:
articles that. in America. are usually re
: garded as '.in the locksmifh lines" but
, prompted by desire To master the more
: abstuse intricacies Of the business. he had
studied it so a,,entively. and with such
distinguished success. that his proficen.
: CIV was the theme Of admiration. not only
with his customers and the neighborhood,
but all who took an interest in mechani-
cal contrivances in the adjoining towns.
His counter was generally strewed with
| various kinds of tastenngs for doors.
. trunks, and desks, which nobody but him.
self could open; and no lock was ever pre-
sented to Amos. that he could not pick in
a very short time. Like many men of
talent in other departments. Amos Sparks
/. was poor. Though a very industrious
and prudent man, with a small and frupal
family, he merely cked out comfortable
existence, but never seemed to accumu.
late property. Whether it was that he
was not ofthe race of money grubs, whose
instructive desire Of accumulation forces
them to earn and hoard, without a thought
beyond the mere means of acquisition,
cuton Of new inquiries into still undiscov.
cred regions of his favorite pursuit, and in
conversation with those who came to in
spect and admire the fruits Of his inyenu-
ity, were the cause of his poverty. we
cannot undertake to determine; but, per-
haps. various causes combined to keep
his finances low, and it was quite as noto-
rious in the city, that Amos Sparks was
hat hr
decent mechanic. But his business, was
sufficient for the supply Of his wants. and
those of his family, so he studied and
worked on, and was COMETS
1t happened that in the autumn Of 10.
merchant i'll the city, whose business
was rather extensive. and who had been
bustling about the Quay, and on board
his vessels all the morning, returned to
his counting house to lodge several thou
sand dollars in the Philadelphia bank. to
redeem some paper falling due on that
day. when. to his surprise, he found that
he had either lost or mslaid the key Of his
iron chest. After diligent search, with no
success, he was led to conclude that. in
drawing out his handkerchief, he had
dropped the key in the street, or perhaps
| into the dock What was to be done!-
/
three, and there was no time to advertise
the key, or to muster SO large a sum as
that required. In his prelexity the mer-
had often heard of Amos S parks; the
case seemed one particularly adapted to
trial Of his powers, and being a desper-
ate one. if he could not furnish a remedy,
where else was there reasonable expecta-
ton Of succour! A clerk was hurried off
for Amos, and having explained the diff
Guilty, speedily reappeared, followed by
the locksm,h, with his implements in his
hand. A few minutes sufficed TO open
the chest, and the astonished merchant
glanced from the rolls of bank notes and
piles ofcoin strewcd along the bottom, to
the clock in the corner of the office. which
told him that he had still three quarters of
an hour, with a feeling of delight and ex.
ultation, like one who had escaped from
an unexpected dilemma by lucky
thought. and who felt that his credit was
secure. even from a momentary breath Of
suspicion lie fancied he felt generous
as well as glad, and determined tina: it
should be a cash transaction.
! ''How much is to pay, AmosH' said he,
thrusting his hand into his pocket
''Five dollars. SIR" said Sparks.
"Five dollars! why, you are mad. man:
you have not been five minutes doing the
job. Come," (the genuine spirit of traf.
fic overcoming the better feelings which
had momentary possession of his BOSOM
OH give you five shillings.''
sit is true,' replied the locksmith, ''that
much time has not been employed; but re-
member how many long wears | have
been learning to do such job in five min
utes, or to do it at all. A doctors visit
may last but one minute,-the service he
renders may be doubtful when all is done,
and yet his fee would be as great, if
not greater than mine. You should be
willing to purchase my skill, humble as it
may be, as you would purchase any other
commodity in the market, by what it is
worth to you.'
''Worth to me-" said the merchant.
with a sneer; swell, think it was worth
five shillings; could have got new key
made for that, or perhaps might have
found the old one."
''But could you have got the one made,
Or found the other in time to redeem your
notes at the bank! Had been disposed
to wrong you, by taking advantage ofyour
haste and perplexity, | might have bar
gained for much larger sum, and as
there is not another man in the city who
could have opened the chest, you would
gladly have given me double the amount
now claim"
':Double the amount! why the mans a
fool! Here are the five shillings,'' said
the merchant, holding them in his hand,
with the air Of a rich man taking advan-
tage of a poor one who could not help
himself; land if you do not choose to take
them, why. you may sue as soon as you
please. for my time is too precious jus:
now to spend in matter so trifing-''
81 never sued man in my life.'' said
Sparks; land have lost much by my
forbearance. But added he, the trod-
den worm of meek spirit beginning to
recoil, "you are rich-able to pay; and al
though l will not sue you Day YOU shall ,, |