The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-02-27
OBJ 9ailg gournal.
SKILL Is CAPITAL.
GENUINE NEW ENGLAND STORY.

tDOneSJ IarHefS DOy; whose IlNeQ on q
farm where his grandfather was born, and a
half dozen miles from Augusta, Maine With
la good common school education, and natu-
raj aptitude Hiram was considered at the age
of twenty to be a very promising young man,
and was certainly ofgreat service to his father
on the farm Old Mr.. Veazie was comfortably
situated as to peeuniary means; first because
his wants were few, and secondly, because his
Hand very nearly supplied them all. But when
Hiram asked his father to advance him some
small amount with which to commence bust
ness, the good old man frankly acknowledged
his inability, and rather wondered that his son
IcOuld not content himself on The farm, as his
father and grandfather had done before him.
The truth was that Hiram had from boy
hood, and during all his school hours, been the
intimate friend and companion Of pretty Lucy
White, the Sqnire's daughter, and this child
Iish friendship had ripened with years into love.
lLucy's father understood the position Of affairs
perfectly, between the young people, but never
Iinteriered. until one day when Hiram took the
Iold gentleman one side, and asked him for
Lucy for wife. Old Squire White as he was
universally called, replied kindly, but firmly
THAT Hiram must first acquire some trade, and
means enough to support Lucy, before he
could give his consent to such an arrangement.
The future looked blank to Hiram, therefore,
for he was a poor farmers boy.
Lucy was gentle and lovely girl of nine
teen, as intelligent as she was pretty; she loved
Hiram sincerely, but she was too sensible to
lsit down with him and pine over the situation
lof affairs. She was a practical Yankee girl,
and her advice to Hiram was sound and low
ling
"Go," said she, go Boston or New York
You are active, good looking, intelligent and
industrious; the very characteristics that COM
mand place, should say, in a large city, and
see if you do not find the means of earning
such wages, as shall help you to lay by some
thing. |, too, Will be Industrious, in the
meantime, and what little l can save shall go
to make up The necessary sum for the purchase
ola snug little home for us.''
Hiram kissed his little schoolmate and prom
ising her that she should never for an hour be
out of his mind soon gathered small sum
together, and with the blessings of his father
and mother, he took the cars for Boston. 1t
was his first visit TO a large city, and at the
outset he was almost bewildered; but seeking
economical lodgings he began at once to look
about him for employment This he found it
hard to obtain, but he was daily growing more
and more cCnyersant with the city life and
ways, and he wrote every few days to Lucy a
digest of observations and fortunes. A fort
night or three weeks in Boston, made fearful
inroads into his slender purse, and at the sug-
lgestion of some new acquaintances he deter
mined to go to New York.
! Here he passed some two weeks with vari-
Gus adventures, but without finding an hour of
paying occupation. He wandered everywhere,
observing and searching out places enquiring
| freely of all, until at the close Of the third
week he had but a single dollar leitin his pock-
ct, and felt for the first time nearly dishearten
| ed. In this mode he strolled through one of
the uptown cross streets above Union Park
and found his attention was attracted by the
operation Of steam saw mill, which he enter
ed and quietly watched the business Of He
saw small, but efficient engine driving four
saws fed by four men, while there stood at a
desk hard by, one, evidently the manager Of
the establishment
Hiram felt strong interest in what he saw;
there were large piles of excellent lumber in
the building, an article he was familiar with
from childhood, and he watched the process Of
saving it up; carefully observing to what pur
pose the wood was pat, and saw a couple of
hands in further part of the shop engaged in
ldovetailiDg the pieces together, and forming
the lumber into boxes of various sizes. He
consumed so much time, and was so minute in
observation that the proprietor came up to him
AMI addressed him pleasantly:
"You seem to- be quite interested;" he re-
marked, to Hiram.
"Yes. I have seen good deal of lumber in
my day, and l was calculating how much you
would probably use up in this way"
"We use up good many thousand feet eve
ry week.
$50 I should think, and best number ones
too"
ayes, we require the very best stock. and
lumber is up now.'
Glow much do you pay?''
Twenty four dollars thousand, all clear
and assorted
"What do you do with all these boxes?'
continued Hiram.
40, we can sell them faster than we can
make them, for packing soap, chemicals, &C.,
&c"
"Rather heavy for that purpose, should
say,'' added Hiram.
'Well they are rather heavy, but we can't
get boards sawed any different, they are down
to the lowest guase of the numbering mills.'
Hiram looked thoughtful, handled the boxes,
examined the saws, talked good common sense
in business style to the man, and at last he
said, half seriously, half in jest:
''You don't want a partner do youE'
"Why, no, not exactly; though if had one
who would put IN couple OF thousalid doildis,
and would take hold heartily himself, /
wouldn't mind sharing the thing with him and
throwing in the machinery"
Il havfnt got any money" said Hiram; ''but
[ will give you an idea about this matter, and
will take hold and give my time, in a way that
II think it will be worth as much as the sum
Iyou name, in a short time, provided you give
line half the business.''
''I like the way you talk" said the man hon
testify; ''but this an odd proposition.'
'You say you pay twenty-four dollars a