The Hartford herald., 1880-08-11
IIaIfnn Hour tn ~ saw Mil.

through GraysOn ON business, | was
oVertaken 10y Il storm of rain that beat
/ iuriOllsly IN my face and through all the
wraps, &c., | was provided with. was
therefore extremely glad, when, at the
foot of one of those short steep hills, De-
clliar To this region, To hear the infer
mittent puff and see the blazing furnace
of "A steam saw mill. | rode up. dis
mounted and hitched under "A shelter
ing sapling, and went up to where the
fireman, Il tall, bony, muscular son of
the soil Enthusiastically "A native) was
feeding the fire with slabs. Like most
Graysonites, this tall 6-footer was kind
To me in distress and he AT once op,ued
one of the furnace doors and said, al IL
of "A day, amt 1t come around here and
dry gladly went around and, after
the chilly and disagreeable feeling, the
consequence of a thorough wetting, had
been partially dispelled, | said To him.
WARM work for summertime,i is il not:"
He stopped chopping his slabs and, with
his forefinger crooked, wiped the drops
of sweat from his forehead Warm"
said he, "why that's no name for il, |
tell you, stranger, when that little feller
trkes a notion he piles the slabs over
here like thunder-byin' Sleeps are ye."
! said mo" and asked him what little
fellow he meant. "Why the boss there
the sawyer" he answered, she's got no
mercy OH a feller-traden in tObacer.
| suppose, good season now for plant
ing" denied being n trader, agreed
to its being Il good season and, being
somewhat dried, sauutered around the
mill to avoid further questioning. The
personnel Ofthe crew was in strong con-
trast with my tall slim friend. First, of
course, the bOss-he was rather small
wiry dark eyed and dark skinned man
slightly gray, apparently Spaniard, Sc
riOus and silent. He appeared to avoid
all speech when sign would convey
his meaning. His crew were evidently
well trained to his ways for heard no
word spoken except the call of certain
which L suppose had reference
to the thickness of the log. The screw
turner's were one II young boyapparent-
ly about l6 Years old and the other "A
looking imam who wheeled away saw /
dust in addition To setting screws The |
man who took away the lumber (off- |
bearer they called HIM was large, |
stout Herculean mulattO, well fitted by /
tht Nolh tt WIS
The fireman | have already described. |
The teamster, good looking fellow,
lust now came in and the crew lat sign |
rom the sawyer, all went to roll the
Og Ia very large walnut) off the wag-
)n and into the mill, while he took "a
ook at all the machinery, felt of SCI ver-
ii bookings, tried the water in
he boiler, said to the fireman as he
passed back to his place, ''stii your fire."
md had the log placed on the carriage
'eady to saw. The engine was scarcely
10 slowly it seemed to move, and |
hought this good opportunity To ad-
iress him. "Wet day for saving" |
aid. "Yes," he answered with "A slight
mile, "yet scarcely SD wet for that rs
or riding" / admitted the truth of
hat and encouraged at finding, by his
accent, that he was an American, l
lsked him, show much do YOU saw a
lay" "About 1000 feet. ~" ado you saw
much Walnut" "Yes," he answered,
but it is getting scarce" Where is it
lsed and shipped to-" "Oh, some of it
,Oes to Boston piano and organ makers,
Ome to Philadelphia for counter toys,
ome to Chicago and New York for
ewing machines, and the common
kinds to Tell City and indianapolis for
urniture. The most of this log will go
o the Louisville Coffin Co." Just then
my tall friend, the fireman, called out
10 pounds and cOmen; the sawyer
urned to his place, pulled lever, and
he mill, log and all, seemed at once ell
lowed with life. As the saw went
through the log, and plank
after plank was carried away and
put in different piles | could not
lelp specializing what Use each would
De put TO. This one, for instance, II
heavy square piece, will probably go to
Boston, and from the piano or organ il
will make, some master hand will evoke
sweet music, some novice discOrd, some
society belle may bang il for no better
purpose than that of showing OFT her
shapely hands and brilliant finger ring;
Dr. it may serve to sOOthe bruised and
heart, or better still resOund
with solemn strains in praise of our
great Creator. This other, very wide
)ne, is no doubt Il cOunter-tOp, and that
brings vision of blOated drunken
aces, palsied bodies, holding out their
unsteady hands for the poison, which
the trim, smiling bar-keeper is mixing
Oh the other side of this board, the ap-
petite for which has cost them the loss
Df wealth, health, honor, friends and
even their souls. The
next plank may 60 to Chicago and the
sewing machine that it will help to
make will serve to keep starvation away
from widow and her orphaned ones;
see her i'm her poor garret, with aching
heads, eyes dim with weeping and long
vigils, and still the treadmill movement
must go on, for on it depends-what?
a bare existence. OH hard is woman's
lot when she is obliged to fight alone for
existence. The world of trade that EN-
ploys wOman's labor is much the same
rs when Hood wrote ''The Song of the
Shirt" prices have been so arranged
hat work, work, work, may well be