The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-05-21
A Little Piece of Steele.
BY REV. l. +. HoLTON.

"Jones, make that connector Of A l
silver cast-steel."
"Why, sir, there's no danger of its ever
breaking"
81 don't know about that there's con-
siderable strain on it, and if it should
happen to give out, it would be an ever
lasting job to get at it : the whole engine
would have to come to pieces. No; take
the best piece of steel that Earl Smith&
Co. ever made E"
Very well, sir. Joe, fifteen inches of
Elrlsmith, nine-eights, round.'
None here There's threc-fourths round
and ninc-eighths square. We shall have
to hammer it out"
"On bother There's Bessemer nine.
eighths, round"
Earl Smith & Co.'S threc.fourths is
stronger than that"
Yes, and it costs more too. But that's
neither here nor there it must be Of full
size, just for looks I'll risk the Bessc
mer this once. Thc.world will never be
the wiser And we shall save the COM
pany ten cents on the steel and twice as
much Oh the work.
"Janc, no more work for me this week
The engine has given out. Everything
is at a stand still, and half Rockville is
ont of employment.
"Well | hope there's not another fam
iy but can do without two day 'spay bet
trr than We can. Poor Bennie's sickn SIS
and funeral have thrown US sadly behind
hand. I've promised every dime that
we could possibly take from the childcrn's
mouths. What shall we do p
The Lord will provide. 1t seems dark
to us now. IF have no work | must
eat less. But the poor children They
are growing and it comes hard to them
to be stinted.
"Hallet, has that order for an operator
gone on to Brown & Robbins p
Yes, sir, it was sent day before yes
terday."
Telegraph to them not to execute it.
The breaking Of thas connecter puts us
two hundred dollars out Of pocket, and
all for the want of ten cents worth of de-
cent steel. Send the pieces back to them
by express. And, Hallett, telegraph to
Hutchins, of the American Board, that
wo cannot send that machine for Khar-
put till next Tuesday"
THAT little piece of steel makes
world of trouble, sir, but | think the
worst of it falls upon the hands, who lie
idle. Satan will find them work to do
Some poor wife will be whipped before
tomorrow night Some of the men will
be in Jail when the engine starts again"
81 have bad news for you, Mr. Barnum;
your machine will not be here in time
for the sailing Of the Albatross. | cannot
account for the matter. That Rockville
establishment prides itself on never fail
ing,to come to time. That is why | trust
ed to thcm!in this emergency. And this
is what we get by it.
"The machine must reach Erzrum be-
fore | leave there. | would wait till the
next vessel but in that case would have
that horrid land journey in November. /"
II see no better way than to send it
by steamer to England, and thence to
Constantinople. If you get there first
you will have to wait for it.
| think. Mr.. Hutchins, you wil.have
to send it via Paris and Marseilles. 1t
is costly course, but | will manage to
bear half the expense. You need not
buy me that microscope"
"Jones, have you any idea why that
operator for Rockville was countermand-
ed ?'
No, sir; is there anything amiss ?'
See if you ever saw those two little
pieces Of Bessemer steel before,
ais it possible That's the Rockville
connector. | am sorry. But We had
no A l silver of the right size.
Jones, did you never hear of the woman
who ground down a crow.bar to make a
knitting~needlc ? That was a cheaper
job than this has proved. The recall
of the order for the operator is a direct
loss of a hundred dollars to us. And
not for five hundred in gold. would l
have.had that bad piece of steele hidden in
the very vitals of the Rockville engine. :"
It's my fault, sir; but | meant it for
the best. l would do anything in the
world, sir, to make amends"
"Jones, cheap steel is great blessing,
and you know very well when and how
to use it. But l have told you thous.
and times that the most expensive ma
terial on the face of this earth is poor
STEEL"
81 see it now, sir. Can you forgive
me p
"On one condition only can you work
another hour here. Promise me that the
next piece of sham work that you do for
Brown 4 Robbins you will hide it where
the ALL-sEEING Eye cannot fnd it :"
81 promise, SIR"
"You may go to your work, Jones'"
Boston Daily News.