St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-10-17
An Early Martyr.
BY TIE DANBURY NEWS MAN.

An Early Martyr.
BY TIE DANBURY NEWS MAN.
As this account pertains mostly to
the rag wheel of Il saw mill, there may
he people who will think | ought to
know what Il rag-whrcl is, and he able
to throw IL good deal of interesting light
on its origin and history. Fortunately.
don't know anything about it. y rag
wheel may he some part of the floor of
il SAW mill, or adapted t" its roof, or
only something to keep the boys fi0m
toolimg with the saw. | know nothing
about it. only know that this is Il
sad account to write. and that |. like
the public, would much rather that
some one else would do it.
The owner of the saw mill i'll qucs-
ton was Abncr Pierce. He WAS man
who WAS fond of hunting foxes. and
kept eight men employed about his
farm and mill. The rag-vlcrl hccom-
ing impaired and unsafe from age or
Wear, or both, needed replacing, and
he employed Il carpenter from Il place
twenty miles distant to make Il new
rag wheel.
The carpenter who came twenty
miles to make Il rag wheel for Abncr
Pierce. was Il stranger to that grutlc
man. His name Was Zchulom Watts
He brought Il man with him to do the
work. volunteering To attack the boss
ing of The job single handed and I'M
aided. Watts WAS mentally and ply 81
cally remarkable. He WAS not Il worker,
but il designer. He could plan work
for amy number of men to perform. and
stand around handy to see that they
did it. He was il man fond of the law
and when party refused to pay him
for work. his delight waS almost hyS-
tcric. He then sued them. plead his
own ease. covered everybody with mud.
and retired defeated He couldn't help
but think Il man was trying to beat
him III an undcrhandcd manner if he
paid him cash down without equivoca-
ton of any kind. Physically. he was
not adapted to heavy labor. He was
about five feet high and about four
feet square. He wore Il Shanghai over
coat, which rather impaired the natural
made from the fur of Il horse with Il
tnrcpiece that stood straight ont like
the step to stage coach. 1t may he
mentioned, i'll passing. that Mr.. Watts
didn't know any more about Il rag
wheel than do. and the information
the assistant possessed on the subject
WAS considerably hampcred by limits.
But while | am painfully aware of my
ignorance. it never for an instant oc-
CURED to Mr.. Watts that he didn't
= know anything about the matter.
He took charge of the manufacture
of that rag wheel with all the confidence
III the world, and laid his plans, and
work getting out the stuff. and walked
around with his hands in his pockets.
and talked about religion and the lcgis-
lature
And 80 day passed into day and time
rolled ON.
On the evening preceding the close
: of the job, Pierce, as was his custom,
had all his help, including the carpcn-
ters, in the large. old-taShioned kitchen.
: 1t was IA cold November night, and a
: large and very grateful fire roared and
snapped i'll the yawning fireplace. The
: men sat there until ten o'clock. talking
: about fox hunting and public schools.
l and then retired to their respective
) coucheS, each man drawing off his boots
2 and leaving them in front of the fire
| place. In Il short time the house was
. as quiet as Il pot of paint. and the
p flicker of the dying fire created fantas-
4 tic SHADOWS among the eleven pairs OF
= boots.
| At two o'clock one of the men was
4 awakened 10y Il glare of light in his
= eyes. and bounding to the window saw
. that the mill wa> on fire. The alarm
= was ut once given. Pierce heard it
| and was the first in his clothes. Then
e he daltcd for the kitchen to get hi,
boots. lie was man of great nervous
| susceptibility. and not at amy time un-
\ pleasantly particular about his Ian
: guagc. 1t WAS very dark in the kitchen
a SO dark that but a dim outline of tn,
D walls could he seen. But he was in q
: hurry-thcre was no time to strike q
. light. He made Il plunge for the first
boot he could reach. tried it part WAY
2 on, discovered it was originally made
t for another man, flung it across the
| room, and swooped down ON another
: No better success. Threw that, and
e swOre Grabbed another Swore again
Made several attempts to get his foot
= into the third boot. Foot kept slipping