The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-01
THE LABORING MAN.
A SKETCH FOR STORE KEEPERS.
BY sYLvANus coBR, JR.

Never judge a man by the quality of
his clothes. If man is habited in
garb filthy and ragged. that is one thing !;
but the simple garb of labor may cover
the best of men. Among the many un-
fortunate mistakes which have been made
in this latter respect is the following,
which happened within my own knowl-
edge and observation
Christopher Goodhue, at the age of
forty, had amassed fortune in mercan-
tile pursuits, and lost his health His
physician told him he must leave the city,
and quit his present business. Said the
man of medicine,-
''Of course you must have employment,
and that, too, of II kind that shall exer-
else your best business capacities Now
l think, my dear Goodhue, have just
the thing for you. You have been at
Walkers Falls, up in Franklin !''
"Yes."
''Well,-those large mills are for sale
both the woolen mill and paper mill,
together with a machine shop belonging
to them. The former owner is dead and
his widow wishes to SELL Two hundred
thousand dollars, cash, am very sure
will buy the whole property. You can
pay that, and have enough TO make you
independent of want or labor while you
live. And then, if you buy, you will nat
urally improve two or three excellent
water privileges which are now idle
Think of it, my dear sir A healthy,
salubrious, and invigorating mountain air
a retired and delightful location fish and
game of all sorts ready to your rod and
gun whenever you feel like relaxation and
recreation and the very best school in
the country for your children
Mr.. Goodhue was taken with the idea:
but, like a prudent man, he said he would
speak with his wife. He did SO, and she,
sensible woman, said, LET us get out
from the city. o, we can be very happy
in the free, fresh air; and not only you,
but our children, and myself will be bet
ter and stronger"
So Christopher Goodhue went up to
Walkers Falls, in the little village among
the mountains, and bought the mills, to-
gether with all the unimproved water
power; and within two weeks thereafter
he had removed thither with his family,
and entered at once, heart and soul, into
the work of Improvement.
"Now, Mollie," he said to his wife,
''you know | have come up here for
| healthful exercise. l shall hire men to
do the drudgery of close office work. -
We must fix up around the house. l am
going to hoe and delve and dig in the gar
den. So you must make me pair Of
! 4 i r
for the work l do"
Mis-. Goodhue smiled but the cheers
ful tones Of her husband, already growing
vimmy and robust, made her heart glad,
and she and The girls set to work cheer
fully and merrily upon the clothing for
The new laboring man.
People were rejoiced when they knew
that wealthy business man from the dis
tant city had bought the mills; because
those same mills, employing nearly two
hundred hands, were the life of the place
and the real good and prosperity of other
business depended in great measure upon
their thrift and successful management.
The principal store at Walkers Falls
was kept by man named Ralph Slower
He had managed to work in the bulk of
the trade through the partiality of the for
mer proprietor of the mills, with whom
he had shared the high profits on goods
sold upon order to the employees of the
mills. He was an honest man as the
world goes, buf with him Honesty was
Policy, and nothing more.
Eben Shackford kept the other proper
store, and when say ''proper store" |
mean regular country store, where goods
of all kinds, qualities, and varieties, are
kept, and where farmers can dispose of
all sorts OF transportable produce. Shack
! ford was truly an honest man-honest
from the very innermost instincts of his
heart. With him honesty was not so
much principle as a part Of his nature.
He had not laid up money. His trading
was mostly confined to an old run of GUS
toners among the neighboring farmers,
/ while those who bad money to pay for
their goods had been monopolized by the
more stirring and scheming Slower.
81 declare said Slower, 81 must 90
and see Mr.. Goodhue, and make some
arrangements for securing his custom and
his orders. / calculate his trade and in
fluence will be worth more than thous-
and dollars year clear profit He must
have got settled down by this time, and
ready for business. l wish knew what
sort of a man he is. Bnt | guess shall
know how to take him after I've studied
/ him while. I can read human nature
pretty easily. --r
! The trader was preparing to leave when
1 laboring man entered the store--a man
1 habited in blue overalls and frock, and
wearing upon his head an old straw hat.
ssMr.a Slower, 1 think 2" said the new
! conner. ss
'sThat's my name."
The laboring man started at the abrupt
ness and bruskue of the tone. He was
. - hot