Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-12-21
VOL. xxXv.
0bio) State@!s';nlarnll. t@!'; M
PATRICK CoNNoR.
"ro the memor, of Patrick Copnor.

/ These words you may read any day
upon white slab in temetery not many
miles from New York; but you might
read them n hundred times without
guessing at the little tragedy they indi-
cate, without knowing the humble ro-
nance which ended with the placing of
that stone above the dust Of one poor and
humble man.
In his shabby fieze jacket and mud
laden =brogans he. was scarcely an attrac
tive object as he walked into Mr.. Bawn's
great tin and hardware shop, one day,
and presented himself at the counter with
an,-
",Ive been tould ye advertised for
hands, yer honor"
"Fully supplied, my man." said Mr..
Bawn, not Lifting his head from his ac-
count book Asif-ss34 Haf2 80
"I'd work faithful, sir, and take low
wages, till I could do better, and I'd
learn ready-I would thet." no
It was an Irish brogue, and Mr..
Bawn always declared that he never
would employ an incompetent hand.
Yet the man attracted him. He turned
briskly, and with his pen behind his
ear, addressed the man, who was only
one of the fifty who had answered his
advertisement for four workmen that
morning. " ssssrs .....
"What makes you expect to learn
faster than other folks-are you any
smarter 2'' .1
"I'll not say that" said the man,
"but I'd be wishing to that 'ud make
it aisier.'' -a ais;3I4. + sa.7,.-.a isaais-. .f
care you used to the work p 7dta
"I've done bit of it. &
"Much 7"
"No. your honor. I'll tell you no
lie. Tim O'Toole hadn't the like of
this place; but I know bit about
tins" $3.50 orterf- -ts-
.sYou are too old for an apprentice,
and you'd be in the way, calculate
said Mr.. Bawn, looking at the brawny
arms and bright eyes that promised
strength and intelligence. Besides, 1
know your countrymen-lazy, good-for-
nothing fellows who never do their best.
No, I've been taken in by Irish hands
before, and / won't have another"
"The Virgin will have to be afther
bringing 'em over in her two arms, thin,"
said the man, desparingly, for I've
tramped all day for the last fortnight,
and niver job can get, and that's the
last penny 1 have, yer honor, and it's
but half one." I'd. 5tv
As he spoke he spread his palm open
with an English half-penny upon it.
'Bring whom over?" asked Mr.. Bawn,
arrested by the odd speech as he turned
upon his heel, and turned back again.
Jist Nora and Jamesey.". rrafiE
"Who are they :" tssi''' @
"The vans me wife, the other me
child" said the man. 40, masther, iist
thry me. How'll I bring 'em over to
me if no one will give me job2 Iwant
to be airning, and the whole big city
seems agin it, and me with arms like
thin" -. .s. $50
He barred his arms to the shoulder as
he spoke, and Mr.. Bawn looked at them,
and then at tliSface.s asaos
"I'll hire you for a week." he said,
and now as it's noon, go down into the
kitchen and tell the girl to get you your
hungry man can'tJwork.' y
And with an Irish blessing, the new
hand obeyed, while Mr.. Bawn, untying
his apron, went up stairs to his own
meal. - 81 --' = 90 zs1sE -
Suspicious as, he was of the new
hands integrity and ability, he was
agreeably disappointed. Connor worked
hard and and actually learned fast. At
the end of the week he was engaged
permanently, and soon was the best
workman in the shop. sao
He was a great talker, but not fond
of drink or wasting money. As his
wages grew he boarded every penny,
and wore the same shabby clothes in
which he had made his first appearance.
"Beer costs money!" he said one day."
"and livery cint l spind puts off the
bringing Nora and Jamesy over; and
as for clothes, them I have must do me
better no coat to me back than no
wife and boy at my freside; anyhow,
its slow work saving" e5
1t was slow work, but he kept at it
all the same. Other men. thoughtless
and full of fun, tried to make him drink
jest of his saving habits,
coaxed him to accompany them to places
of amusements or to share in their Sun
day frolics. All in. vain. Connor liked
beer, liked fun, liked companionship; ;
but he would not delay that long looked
for bringing of Nora over, and was not
"mane enough" to accept favors of
others. He kept his way, martyr to his
own great wish-living on little, work
ing all night on any extra job he could
earn few shillings by; running er-
rands in his noontide hours of rest, and
talking to any one who would listen of
his one great hope, and of Nora and lit
tie JaTesy.
At first the men, who prided them
selves on being all Americans, and on
turning out the best work in the city,
made sort of butt of Connor, whose
' wild Irish" ways and verdancy were
indeed often laughable. But he won
their hearts at last, and when, one day,
mounting workbench, he shook his
little bundle, wrapped in a red kerchief,
before their eyes, and shouted, Look,
boys, Pve got the whole at last! I'm
going to bring Nora and Jamesy over at
last 4! Whoroo! I've got it !'' all felt
sympathy in his joy. and each grasped
his great hand in cordial congratulations
and one proposed to treat all round, and
drink good voyage to Nora.
They parted in merry mood, most
of the men going to comfortable homes.
But poor Connor's resting place was a
poor lodging house, where he shared a
crazy garret with four men, and in the
joy Of his heart he exhibited his hand
kerchief, with his hard earned savings
tied up in a hard wad in the middle, be-