Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-06-30
"HOUSEHOLD JOBS AND
JOBBERS."


editor of the Times oneof "thenobbiest"
editorials we have read for long time.
The writer strikes out in this style:
"One Of the cleverest and happiest
fellows in the world is the mechanic
who, having been sent for TO do some
repairing, presents himself to perform
the job. With smiles on his face, tools
in bis kit and materials under his arms
or on his shoulders, he pleasantly takes
possession of house, room, store, factory
or office where the repairs are to be
effected If there is anything more
positively happy and serene than one
Of these men, It is two of them coming
together In this case each one relieves
the loneliness of the other II might
be supposed that two persons could
accomplish at least twice as much work
as one. This is not always the case.
Whatever is lost in actual work is more
than made up in consultation. Con-
sultation is good in its way. To see
two of these men comforting with each
other is to realize the mighty influence
Of head.work as compared with hand
work. Brain supersedes muscle, and
muscle restfully waits in respectful
homage until brain has done its share
of the work.
ain whatever branch of industry the
job Of repairs is to be done the iobbers
considerit ofprimalimportance to make
their appearance at the most inoppor.
tune time. II it is the kitchen range
that needs mending the men who are
to mend it suddenly sail in on wash-day
morning when the fire is at its hottest,
or else on the day of ironing when the
calorfed fatirons are hriskly flying
over the whitened linen and cannot for
moment be left 10 cool. We lot the
fire go out just to oblige these men.
Then they 90 out too, for they have for.
gotten some of their tools. Noiobbing
mechanic was ever known to bring all
his tools at one trip. They do not for.
get many tools. Sometimes II is the
hatchet, sometimes the shears or the
nippers, and again it is only the meas.
uring tape or iootrule. In the latter
instance it were madness to offer them
the measure which happens to be in tho
house. 1t twould not suit their purpose.
1t might not be correct. They must
have their own, and so they retire from
the scene ofconfuslon and of disappoint.
ed hopes and are gone until evening,
when We want to build up the fire for
supper. Then they bring what was
needed, tear the range to pieces, force
us TO subsist on cold victuals, and again
depart for some castings or patterns, or
tongs, or almost any foohshness they
can think Of They come back for
final action in the course Of three days.
If the jobbers are carpenters they bring
their measuring rules, and lay line and
plummet to each wall and angle and
Joint and window and door, as If they
were employed to make a survey of the
county. No carpenter since the days Of
the men who built Noah's ark ever
brought his saw with him on his first
arrival. The amount of time consumed
by jobbing carpenters in going after
forgotten saws must amount IN the
aggregate to the equivalent Of that
consumed in building the Pyramids Of
Chcops. The patience of the plumber
is proverbial. His strong point is TO
stay away for some time after he is
sent for When he arrives it Is TO re.
ceive an avalanche of anathemas from
the distracted house-keeper. These roll
of from him as rain-water IRON the
feathers Of duck. The plumber can
stand delay better than any other Of
the whole fraternity of operating me-
chanics. lie laughs IN his sleeve at our
inconvenience and wonders why we
should be annoyed by his doing in
twenty.seven visits what we think he
might have done in two. Then there
is his twin brother, the gas filter. OF
all the men who try the souls of people
who havorepairing to be done, and who
make such people pine and pant for that
patient selfpossession which was the
portion of JOB, patriarch of the land of
Uz, the gas filter crowns the list. Hap
PLY he does not come late in the even
ing, when We are burningall our lights.
II is a wonder that he does not, just for
the sake of testing our patience. 1t
would be such fun for him to turn off
our light and leave us sitting in mid
night gloom. He kindly consents, in.
stead of thus timing his visit, TO come
in the busiest hours Of the day. live
have a committee meeting or dinner
party or a private conference or wed.
ding, in comes that malevolent and
mischievous repairer Of fixtures. He
will be with us, he says, for the space
of an hour, and will kindly dispatch
business TO our souls great delight.
First he turns off the gas at the meter
Then he unsorews a few burners and
brackets and chandelier or two. He
will not annoy us not he. lie only
saturates our apartments with thespare
carburetted hydrogen LET loose from
the pipes. His crowning joy is 70 go
and cut some pipe, While engaged on
th is errand ho leaves his assistant 10
supcrintend affairs. In the course Of
the same day be returns with the pipe,
which he has cut TO the wrong length
lie works and works along, and goes
several times more to cut some pipe,
until we think he has had time TO cut
into inch bits every length Of pipe IN
town.
"And yet we cannot despise these
jobbers, nor can we afford 10 sneer OF
the jobs they do. Faithful and labori.
Gus men they are, and most of their
work is done consciontiously. II Is
better to be bothered for day or two
with the doings and devices Of gas
filter than TO sit in the dark, or rain
the eyes with an inadequate light
Better eat cold ham for week than
have the kitchen range TO vex US for
all time. The jobbers are sent into
the world TO teach us patience and
long.suflering. Without them this
world would be monotenous wilder.
ness Of woe. With them we have
somebody to scold at, and whch they
clear out we know what blessing Il is
TO be rd of them"
One reason why Leadville has no
schools ia because all the school.