Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-07-30
TOM SMITHS STORY.

A curious trade to take to, but then it
has grown to be profitable. Things were
at low ebb with me when l took it up,
There, | won't boast, only say that I'm
thankful for it. Poverty comes in ut the
door ana love flies out of the window, so
they say; but that's all nonsense, or else
your poor people would be always miser-
able, while according to my experience
your poor man is often more lighthearted
than the man with thousands.
l was at my wits end for something TO
do, and sat nibbling my nails one day and
grumbling horribly.
Don't go on like that, Tom," says my
wife; " things might be worse"
"How?" | said.
Why, we might have Luke at home,
and he is doing we'll"
Luke's our boy, you know, and we had
got him into merchants Office, where
he seemed likely to stay; but was in a
grumbling fit then, and there was aclick-
ety-click noise going on in the next room
that fidgeted me terribly.
"ThinPs can't be worse" / said angrily
and was going to prove myself in the
wrong by making my wife cry, when there
was a knock at the door.
"COme in," l said, and fellow-lOdger
put in his head.
"Are you good at works, Mr.. Smith?'
he said.
"What works ?" 1 said fireworks
gasworks ~
"NO, no; mean works of things as
goes with wheels and springs"
Middling," said, for / was fond of
pulling clocks TO pieces and trying to in
vent
Il wish you'd come and look at this
sewing-machine of mine, for | can't get it
TO go"
Sewing machines were ncwish in those
days, and | got up TO have look at it;
and after about AN hours fiddling about
L began to see bit the reason why-thc
purpose, you know, of all the screws and
cranks and wheels; found out, too, why
our neighbor's wife, who was a dress
maker, and had Just started one, could not
get it to go; and before night, by think
ing, and putting this and that together,
had got her in the way of working it pret-
ty steadily, though with my clumsy fingers
couldn't have done it myself.
had my bit of dinner and tea with
! those people, and they forced half crown
upon me as well, and went back feeling
| like a new man, so refreshing had been
| that bit of work.
There" said my wife, "I told you
something would come"
Well, so you did" | said; "but the
something is rather small"
But the very next day-as we were liv
| ing in the midst of people who were fas
! taking to sewing g-machines-if the folks
! from the next house didn't want me tC
look at theirs! and then the news spread
| hot
somebody who could cObble and tinker
machinery without putting people to tho
expense that makers would, if the job,
didn't come in fast so that was oblige(
to get files and drills and visc-regula
set of tools-by degrees; and at last / wa
as busy as bee from morning to night
and whistling over my work as happy as
king.
OF course every now and then l got 1
breakage, but L could generally get owe
that by buying a new wheel or spindle, o.
what not Next we got to supplying shut
ties and needles and machine cotton
Soon after | bought machine of a maj
who was tired of it, Next week | sole
it at good profit. Bought another ant
another, and sold them; then got to tax
ing them and money in exchange for ney
ones, and one way and the other becam
regular big dealer, as you see.
Hundred? Why, new, second hand, an
with those being repaired upstairs by tn
men, I've got at least 300 on the premises
while if anybody had told me fiftee
years ago that | should be doing this
should have laughed at him.
That pretty girl showing and eXplainin
the machine TO "A customer That's Ruth
that is No, not my daughter-yet, bu
she soon will be. Poor girl, | alway
think of her and of the bread thrown upO
the waters ut the same time.
Curious idea that, you will say, but l.
tell you why.
In our trade we have strange people
deal with. Most of 'em are poor, an
can't buy machine right off, but al
ready and willing to pay SO much weel
That suits them and it suits me, if they
only keep the payments up to the end.
You won't believe me, perhaps, bl
some of them don't do that Some of thel
, leave their lodgings and never see thel
NJ again; and the most curious part is tn
! the sewing-machine disappears with the
and never see that again. Many on
1 too, that has disappeared like that |
1 see agaal-perhaps have il brought he
< by some one to bc repaired, or exchange
; for bigger, or for one by a differe
+ maker; for if you look round here you
i see I've got all kinds-new and old, lit
It domestics and big trades-therel you nan
: any maker and see if | don't bring yC
= out one of his works.
Il Well when / ask these people whe
k they got the machine-for always kno
e them by the number-it turns out tn
IS they've bought it through an advertis
+ ment or at salesrOom, or maybe out of
pawnbroker's shop.
n But I've had plenty Of honest people
deal with, tOo-them as have come straigl
It forward and told me they couldn't ke
l. up their payments, and asked me TO Ia
h their machine back, when Idallow the
d as much as thought fair, and 'twould
It an end of a pleasant transaction.
}; The way I've been bitten though
le some folks has made me that case-haI
/, ened that sometimes I've wondered wheth
J. I'd got any heart left, and the wife's h
l. to interfere, telling me I've been spoil
rs with prosperity and grown unfeeling.
r 1t was she made me give way abe
Ruth, for, one day, after having had l
le bristles all set up by finding out that thl
ID good sound machines, by best makers, h
N gone nobody knew where, who shot
) come into the shop but y.like-looki
Of woman In very shabby widows wee
She wanted a machine for herself a