The Cecil Whig., 1881-11-12
WHOLE No. 2,O31

whalng voyage, upon which there Wa.
a heavy job of calking and coppering a.
be done. had some skill in both branches
and applied to Mr.. French for work
He, generous man that he was. told Inc
that ne would employ me, and | might
50 at once to the vessel. | obeyed him,
but upon reaching the float-stage, where
other calkers were at work, was told
that every white man would leave tho
ship in her unfinished condition. if |
struck blow upon her. This uncivii,
inhuman, and selfish treatment was not
SO shocking and scandalous in my eyes
at the time as it now appears to me.
Slavery had Injured me to hardships thai
made ordinary troubles sit lightly upon
me. Could have worked at my trade
could have earned two dollars day, but
as Il common laborer | received but one
dollar. The difference was of great i'm
portance to me, but if | could not get
two dollars | was glad to get one; and 50
| went to work for Mr. French as a com
mon laborer. The consciousness that |
was free-no longer slave-kept me
cheerful under this and many similar
prescriptions which | was destined to
meet in New Bedford and elsewhere on
the free soil of Massachusetts,. For in
stance, though colored children attended
the schools, and were kindly treated by
their teachers, the New Bedford Lyceum
refused, till several years after my resi-
dence in that city, to allow any colored
person to attend the lectures delivered in
it's hall. Not until such men as Charles
Sumner. Theodore Parker, Ralph Waldo
Emerson and Horace Mann refused to
lecture in their course while there was
such restriction, was it abandoned.
Becoming satisfied that could not rely
on my trade in New Bedford to give me
living, | prepared myself to do any kind
of work that came to hand. | sawed
wood. shoveled coal. dug cellars, moved
rubbish from back yards, worked on the
wharves, loaded and unloaded vessels
and secured their cabins.
I afterward got steady work at the
brass foundry owned by Mr. Richmond.
My duty there was to blow the bellows,
swing the crane, and empty the TASKS in
which castings were made: and at times
this was hot and heavy work. The arti-
cles produced there were mostly for ship
work. and in the busy season the foun-
dry was in operation night and day. !
have often worked two nights and every
working day of the week. My foreman.
Mr.. Cobb, was good man, and more
than once protected me from abuse that
one or more of the hands were disposed
to throw upon me. While in this stua-
ton had little time for mental improve
ment Hard work, night ard day, over
a furnace hot enough to keep the metal
running like water, was more favorable
to action than thought; yet here | often
nailed newspaper to the post near my
bellows, and read while I was perform
ing the up and down motion of the heavy
beam by which the bellows was inflated
and discharged. 1t was the pursuit Of
knowledge under difficulties. and ] look
back to it now, after so many years, with
some complacency and Il little wonder
that | could have been so earnest an,'
persevering in any pursuit other than for
my daily bread. certainly saw nothing
in the conduct of those around to inspire
me with such interest; they We're ali de-
voted exclusively to what their hands
found to do. l am glad to be able to say
that during my engagement in this foun-
dry, no complaint was ever made against
me that did not do my work, and do ii
main strength was, after | left, moved
by a steam engine.