Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-12-11
An Engineers story.

take a G. E., NJ. E, or something of the
kind. and then put on airs about 1t.
They always affect to snub us practical
men but we rather get into them when
II comes to real work. OF course, these
cbans are well enough in their way (and
that isn't mine) in getting upsartistic
drawings and models, and all that sort
Of thing. And sometimes they are of
some account. There was young Hop
pin, who helped me with that toggle-
Joint. originated the idea; he put it
into shape made enough to retireson
II. and did the square thing by him, if
he ,nos a scientific man, so feel per-
fectly free to speak my mind about the
lot, always excepting my friend Hop
pin.
But this isn't telling my story. There's
nv wife Bessie (bless her dear little
heart, always saying | can't come to
the point without as many twists and
turns as my own old machinery. Per-
haps she is right. But then, this is the
first time | ever tried to express myself
in print, and l don't exactly know how
to 20 about it, so you must excuse me.
That's reasonable, isn't it And be-
sides, l am getting so stout and logy-
like, that | amt as sharp as | used to be.
My young acquaintance, who is an edi-
tor, or some equally useless member of
society, las roped me into this scrape,
and ought 10 help mo out but he
doesn't. All he says Is, Fire away, old
man. and make il short and sweet. I'm
afraid his isn't telling my story, either.
Prolixity CHATS the world comes sort Of
natural like to me now. .fe.
Let me see, it was sixteen years ago
tIaf I oapNa 10 Now NprlT
In search of employment. | had been
running an engine in big tannery in
the western part of the state, and doing
firstrate, till the company failed, and
was thrown out of work. So | was
looking about town for something TO do
Monev-guage so low that Twas ready for
ANYTHING. After fortnight of search
ing and waiting, ! happened to be
walking through downtown cross
street, when / saw placard in the win
dow of paper-box factory ENGINEER
WANTED. Coon SALARY" "That's Just
me, says /, so went into the office and
asked if / would do. ..s- =.
The manager said he would try ME.
He did try me, and it seems | must have
satisfied him, for he told me to stay.
Now it is about this manager and this
paper-boX factory that my story, such
as il is, will be; and to make things all
straight and plain Ca sort of oiling up at
the starDlet me attempt to describe them
both.
First, then, the manager, Mr.. Samuel
Hardness, also sole owner of the factory.
This Mr. Samuel Hardness was the
greatest villain | ever came across. He's
dead now, poer man, and hate to speak
Ill of those who are gone, cause, you
see, it's much the same as Ginning be-
hind mans back but he soGs villain
all the same Not one of your story
book villains, either. have read lots of
novels, romances, and such stuff lately,
but haven't seen anything about their
villains that applies to my villain.
Theirs are invariably thin, dark men
Of little, serpentine motion; with yellow
faces, straight black hair, and deep-set,
fugitive eyes. Something of the evil
one cropping out at every point. Why,
Lord bless you, you'd recognize this kind
of villain soon as ever you clapped eyes
on him, just as you would q patent ma
chine, with every bit of metal labeled.
My villain wasn't tail, wasn't dark at
all was tolerably stout, in fact, and
well-to-do looking didn't squirm a bit
and, to cut this description short, was
just like most anybody else you meet
When engaged under him, of course /
didn't know anything about his yillainy.
How could L? He wasn't labeled.
And now for the factory itself. 1t was
a somewhat dilapidated five-story brick
concern. Engine in cellar, (most every
manufacturer had his own power then,
instead of just betting on to the one big
engine of the block, as they do now }
Il ~.
and folding machines, second floor; girls
pasting, sorting and trimming, on the
third floor stock of all sorts on the
fourth and fifth. We used to turn out
an immense deal of work with very few
hands. There were about twenty-five
or so girls, the manager, his clerk and
offlce-boy, man to hoist and do odd
Jobs, the fireman, and myself. Except
when stock was taken in, or work sent
out, there was nobody else in the build
ing. A&
I generally kept to my own business,
and staid down in the cellar, nursing the
old engine. She sadly needed it, being
as rickety and patched up a continuance
as one cares to stay along side of She
always reminded me of some old people
you see, who are always in need of q
pectoral for cough, or liniment for
rheumatism, or something or other
This engine of mine was in such state
that she always wanted easing some
where, rivet here, a plug there, new
stufnng, more telling, or band around
the whole boiler. From boiler to fly
wheel she was rickety, rickety. But
there was no present danger to be APP
pretended all was safe enough with
proper care and attention. There was
the rub. / had to exercise that same
proper care and attention all the time
But if | was so occupied, | could not
help meeting the girls now and then in
the passage-way. Most of them were
of the common sort-coarse, vulgar
creatures, that | never could abide.
But there was one little pale-faced girl |
took to straight off. She wasn't bit
Hike the others, and seemed as nice and
quiet, and lady-like, as they were noisy
and common. AS / said, took to her,
and she-well, she didn't altogether snub
me. We got to be fast friends soon.
She told me the tale of her sad life;
how her father had been prosperous
mechanic, and they had lived in such
dear little home ; how the father died,
and left her, a mere mite of a thing, in
charge of her feeble mother and baby
sister and how she contrived to get
along and keep grim famine from the
door on the pittance of her earnings
Whenever / could, without making
fuss, helped them along little. And
when we got well acquainted, used to
hurry through my work so as to be able
to see her home every day after six
o'clock. sometimes, too, we used to go
to concerts and lectures together and
very often found time to visit them all
of an evening.
hadn't said word of love to her yet,
but was waiting till my wages were in
creased enough TO enable me to keep a
home of my own, and then ask her to
fill it. OF her state of feeling toward
me / knew nothing, except that she
looked upon and trusted me as a
brother.
One thing used to rile me, though,
and that was the sneaking sort of liking
that Hardness seemed to have for her