The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-10-09
CON NJ O r:

CONN OR:
, To the Memory of Patrick Conner,
This simple stone vas erected by his Fellow
Workmen.
These words you may read an,
day upon a white slab in a cemetery
not many miles from New York; bu
you might read them hundred time.
without guessing at the little aged,
. which they indicate, without know
ing the humlLe romance which ende,
with the placing Of that stone abov,
the dust of one poor and humbl,
man.
). In his shabby frieze- jacket ant
mud-laden brogans he was scarcely
. an attractive object rs he walked int
!; Mr.. Bawn's great tin and hardware
shop, one day, and presented hinscl
at the counter with an
I've been tould ye advertised fOl
hands, yer honor
! 'Fully supplied, my man, said Mr.
Bawn, not lifting his head from hi.
account book.
sd work faithful, sir, and take low
wages, till could do better, and Pt
learn stealy-I would that
1t was an Irish brogue, and MIR
Bawn always declared that he never
would employ an incompetent hand
Yet the tone attracted him. HI
turned briskly, and with his pen be
hind his ear, addressed the man, who
was the only one of the fifty who had
answered his advertisement for work
men that morning:
what makes you expect to learn
faster than other folks--are you any
smarter s.4-
I'll not say that said the Irish.
man, 'but I'd be wishing to; that 'ud
make it aisier.'
'Are you used to work? p
'I've done bit of it,
| 'Much?'
No. yer honor. I'll tell no lie
Tim O'Toole hadn't the like OF this
place; but | know bit about tins
You are TOO old for an apprentice,
and you'd be in the way, l calculate,
said Mr.. Bawn, looking at the brawny
arms and bright eyes that promised
strength and intelligence. Besides,
| know yonr countrymen lazy,
good d-for-nothing fellows who never
do their best. No, I've been taking
Irish hands before, and l won't have
another
The Virgin will have to he after
brin9in 'em over il her two arms
thin,' said the man, despairingly, 'for
I've tramped all day for the last fort
night, and niver job can / get, and
that's the last penny / have, yer
honor, and it's but a half one
AS he spoke he spread his palm
open with an English half-penny
upon 1t.
Bring who over??' asked Mr. Bawn,
arrested by the odd speech, as he
turned upon his heel, and turned
back again.
'Jist Nora and Jamesey'
who are they?'
'The vans me wife, tine other me
child,' said the man. 30, masther,
jist thry me. How'll / bring 'em
over to me if no one will give me q
job ? / want to be aiming, and the
whole big city seems against it, and
mo with arms likn thin s-f Pa
He barred his arms to the shoulder
as he spoke, and Mr.. Bawn looked
at them and then at his face
.Tll hire You for week. he said ;
sand now as it's noon, go down into
the kitchen and tell the girl to get
you your dinner-a hungry man
can't work.
And with an Irish blessing, the
new hand obeyed, while Mr.. Bawn,
untying his apron, went up stairs to
his own meal.
Suspicious as he was of the new
hands integrity and ability, he was
agreeably disappointed. COnnor
worked hard and actually learned
fast. At the end of the week he was
engaged permanently, and soon was
the best workman in the shop.
He was great talker, but not fond
of drink or wasting money. AS his
wages grew lie boarded every penny,
and wore the same shabby clothes in
which he made his first appearance.
Beer costs money he SAID one day,
'and livery cint l spind puts me OIL
the bringing Nora and Jamesey
lover and as for clothes, them Ihave
must do me-betther no coat to me
back than no. wife and boy by me
fireside, and anyhow its slow work
saving
1t was slow work, but he kept at il
all the same. Other men, thought
less and full of fun, tried to make
him drink, made jest OF his saving
habits, coaxed him to accompany
them TO places of amusement, or to
share in their Sunday frOlics. All in
vain. Connor liked beer, liked fun,
liked companionship, but he would
not delay that long loOked-fOr bring
ing of Nora over, and was not mean
enough to accept favors of Others
He kept his way like a martyr to his
great wish-living on little, working
at night on an extra job he could
earn a few shillings by; running
errands in his noontide hours of rest.
and talking to any one who would
listen of his great hope, and of Nora
and little Jamesey. .f.,.F
At first the men who prided them.
selves on being all Americans, and
on turning out the best work in the
city, made a 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 o
red handkerchief, before their eyes
and shouted-'look, boys, I've got
the whole at last; I'm going to bring
Nora and Jamesey over at last
IWhoroo, I've got it all felt q
sympathy in his joy, and each grasped
his great hand in cordial congratula,
tions, and one proposed to treat all
around and drink a good voyage to
Nora.
They parted in a merry mood
most OF the men going to comforta
BILE homes. But poor Connor's rest