The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-04-19
In JEOPARDY.
A Tale of Work and Wages.


Pm bricklayer, L am; and what's more
down in the country where people amt 81
particular about keeping trades distinct al
they are in the great towns. This may bt
seen any day in a general shop. where, al
one might say, you can get anything FROM
half quarteru Of butter up to horn Ian
tern; and down again to hundred of short
cut brads. Well, down in the country Eve
done bit of a job now and then as a mason
and not SO badly neither, should suppose
for | got pretty well paid considering, and
didn't hear the usual amount of growlin' ar
ter it was done-which is saying deal.
Ours amt the most agreeable of lives, and
If it want for recolleoting little about the
dignity oflabor and such like one would
often grumble more than one does. a
Some time ago. it don't matter to you,
nor me, nor yet anybody else, just when it
was, work was precious slack down our way;
all things considered, amt going to tell
you where our way is A days work a
week had been all I'd been able to get for
quite two months; SO Mary, that's my wife,
used to screw and pinch, and keep ON squsez-
ing shilling arter shilling out of the long
stocking, till at last it got SO light that one
morning she let's it fall upon the table, where
instead of coming down with good hearty
spang, it fell softly and just like piece Of
cotton that was empty, And then, poor lass
she hangs on to my neck, and burst out a
crying that pitiful, that I'm blest if didn't
want my nose blowing about every quarter
of a minute. hadn't minded the screwing
and pinching; not bit of it. First week
we went without our buildings. Well, that
wasn't much. Second week we stopped
my half pints O. beer. Third week / put
my pipe out, Mary kept on saying that
things must look up soon, and then should
have an ounce of the best to make up for it..
But things didn't look up; aud, in spite of
all the screwing, we got down to the bot
tom of the stocking, as / said jes now.
hadn't much cared for the pinching, but
it was my poor lass as got pinched the most,
and she was getting paler and thinner ev-
cry day, till couldn't abear to see it. run
out O the house, and down to Jenkins' yard,
where I'd been at work last. soon found
Jenkins and says to him, Governor this
won't do, you know; man can't live upon
wind"
True for you, Bill Stock he says
And man can't keep his wife upon
wind says.
Right you are, Bill, he says; and he
went on and spoke as fair as a man could
speak and said he hadn't job he could
put me on, or he would have it done in 8
minute. I'm very sorry, Bill, he says
but if times don't mend, / tell you what
I'm going to do" "
what, that ? | says. eEPs-
Go up to London he says; and if wal
young man like you, l wouldn't stoE
starving down here, when they're giving
first wages up there, and when there's
building going on all round, as thick al
thick, and good big jobs too; hotels, anc
bridges and all sorts. uffa e- /
faces round sharp, and walks off home
for when fellers hungry and close up, il
lays hold on his temper as well as his stun
mick, more especially when there's some
body belonging to him in the same fix Sc
walks off home, where | finds Mary
lookin' VERY red-eyed; and makes no more
ado but gets my pipe, and empties the BIZ
O dust there was i'll the bottom of the ial
into it, lights up, and sits down aside o.
Mary, and puts my arm round her, jest as
used in old counting times; and then begins
smoking and thinking Very slow as tt
the fust, and VERY fast as to the second =
as smoking costs money, and the dust wal
dry; whereas thinking came cheap jest ther
and It'll surprising how yer can think or
an empty inside | suppose it is because
there's plenty of room FOR the thoughts t.
work in. IN
Well, Ihadn't been sittin' above min
ute like this, when my lass lays her heaC
on my shoulder; and though she wouldn'
let me see it, | knowed she was O giving
l,,f y, Ivfk foi, d
held her a little bit tighter; and there
sat thinking and watching the thin smoke
till could see buildings, and scaffolds ant
heaps O. bricks, and blocks O. stone, ant
could almost hear the ring O. the trowels
and the 'sar jar o the big stone saws, an,
there was the men running up and dow
the ladders, and the gaugers giving thei
orders, and all seemed so plain, that I be
gan to grow warm. And keeps on smo
king till it seemed as though was one of
great crowd O men standing round ittl
square wooden Office place, and being Gale,
in one at time; and there | could Sc
them takin' their six-and- thirty shilling
and two pounds apiece, as fast as the cler
could book it. And then all at once
seemed to fade away like fog in the sun
and KEEP on drawing, but nothing come
and l found as my pipe was out and ther
was nothing left to light again. So knock
the ashes out-what there was on em-an
then breaks the pipe up bit by bit, an
puts all the pieces in my pocket-righ
hand trousers pocket. q. 49, =
what for !? says you.
Nothing at all as knows on; but that
what l did; and am a telling you VIII;
happened. Perhaps it was because / fc
uncomfortable with nothing to rattle in nj
pocket. Howsomever, my mind was mac