Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-06-30

excnra,on TO Boston; next, the formation OF
an amateur rife company; after that voy-
age to the fishing banks. Every lew NOUN T'.ss
something va. proposed, w6lcn h, n,e want to
Join, hut always his father held nrm, ana n
had NO share In the frolics. IL seemed naIu
enough, but Mr.. Kane was kind a. wen -
strict; he treated his son ~ Y ne were
mans point Of view; 30. in spite Of an oc ca,
sional outburst or grumble, Towser did not
rebel, and his life and ideas grnduaiv
nodded themselves TO his fathers wish.
were fitting Tor college, Towser LEFT school
and went into the great Perrin Iron WoIks,
10 learn the business Of machine MAKING
He began nj the foot Of the ladder; pu., "
ing quick witted and steady, with naI ,i,,
aptitude for mechanics, he climbed rapluy,
and by the time he was twenty was promo.-
ed to \ foremanship. Harry Blake came
home from college soon after, having sln
uated with the dignity of SECOND us
pute, {" as a quizzical friend remarked, ana
settled nj home, to read law, he said,
but i'm reality to practice the droe, make Wa.
ter-color sketches, and waste good deai Oh
time in desultory pursuits OF various klnus'
He was sweet tempered, genuem,a ia
low, not strong In health, and not at al Iono
Of study; and Tom, who overtopped hin *
head and with one muscular arm couIo
manage him like child, felt for MIN tnc
tender Difference which strength often Pays
TO weakness. III was NlulO-t NJ IL
been girl; but Tom never thought OF IL In
that light.
SO matters went on till Towser was TWEEN
~ lone, and beginning to hope for anotncr
rise in position, when suddenly great,
black cloud swooped down on the Perrin
Iron Works. don't mean a real cloud, put
cloud of trouble. All the country ieIt
its dark influence. Banks stopped pay.
ment, merchants failed, stocks lost
their value, no one knew what or wnom
to trust, and the wheels OF industry
everywhere were at a stand-stiIl. Among
the rest the Perrin Company was forced 70
suspend work and discharge its HANDS.
Tom was q trusted fellow, and 20 much IN
the confidence of his employers ne TO know
for some time beforehand Of the change that
was coming. He staid 70 the end, TO help
wind up books and put matters In order, ana
he and Mr.. Perrin were the last persons 10
walk out Of the big door.
Good by, Tom," said Mr.. Perrin. as he
turned the key I'm the heavy lock, and stopped
q moment to shake hands. you've done
well by us, and II things are ever so that we
can take another start, wen do well by you
in our turn"
They shook hands, and Tom walked away,
with months wages In his pocket and no
particular idea what to do next. Was ne
down heartfelt Not at all. There was some-
thing somewhere that he could do; that, he
was sure Of; and, although he looked grave,
he whistled cheerily enough rs he marched
along.
Suddenly turning n corner, he ran upon
Harry Blake, walking I'm n listless, detected
way, which ut once caught his attention.
Haven't YOU heardr, replied Harry, in
a melancholy voice. The Tiverton bank
I'm it,"
.'Your money!"
"Was IL much? Is the bank gone for
goods"
"sure smash,, they say, and seven-eighths
Of all we have.o
Tom gave a whistle Of dismay.
~ Well, Harry, what next!" he demand
ed. Have you thought OF anything to
doy' ~
"No. What can I doso Harry's voice
sounded hopeless enough.
What could Harry do! Tom, who had
never wasted n nights sleep over his own
future, lay awake more than once debating
this question. Hard times were hard times
to him, as well as to everybody else; but he
had little money laid by, his habits were
simple, and to pinch for a while would cost
him smalleuffering; besides, he could turn his
hand TO almost anything-but poor Harry
One plan after another suggested itself and
was proposed, but each In turn proved .
failure. Harry lacked bodily strength for one
position, for another he had not the requisite
training, still another was unsuited TO his
taste, and q fourth sounded so ''ungcnteel."
tudL nOtucT WOutu not Isttn VI u. ~
would break her heart, she said. Tom, him.
self got temporary place In q locomotive
shop, which tided him over the crisis and
enabled him to lend helping hand, not to
Harry only, but to one or two other old
and were I'm extremity. But these small
aids were not enough. Permanent situa-
tons were what was needed. At last Harry
obtained clerkship in drugstore. He
disliked IL, and his mother hated II, but
nothing better offered. and IL IL TO his credit
that he did the work well and diligently,
and only relieved HIS mind by private grum-
blings to Towser In the evenings.
"1'll tell you what" said Tom one night,
after patiently listening 10 one Of these
lamentations, 'syou boys used to think my
father strict with me when we were 1t school
together, but Pve come 20 the conclusion
that he was q wise man. Where should l
like your Giving knocks and taking knocks
THAT'S what a business mans life II, and
it's good thing to be toughened for Il.
used to feel hard to my father about Il, too,
Md he held out his brown, strong hand aud
looked ut IL curiously and affectionately.
Well he might. Those hands were keys TO
pick Fortunes locks with-only I'm afraid
ton.
"You're right,o said Harry, after think
ing q little, "and your father was right.
YOU'RE true grit, Towser-up TO any work
tnat cOnes aiOuS, anu sure 10 succeed, while
Pm as easily Knocked down a. Q girl. I
only wish I'D had wise father, and been
raised rough, like you"
Harry had repeated this wish good many
times in the years that have passed since
then. Life has gone hardly with him, and
business has always been distasteful, but he
has kept on steadily, and his position has
improved, thanks 70 Toms advice and help.
Tom himself ia rich man now. He was
long since taken In as partner by the Perrin
Company, which re-opened its works the
year after the panic, and IL doing an Inn
mense business. He makes sharp and en-
ergetic manager, but his open-handedness
and open-heartedness grow with bis growth,
and prosperity only furnishes wider oppor.
tunity for q wise kindness TO those who are
less fortunate. His own good fortune he
always ascribes to his fathers energetic
training, and Mr.. Kane, who 10 an elderly
man now, likes to nod his head and reply:
81 told you 80, my boy; I told you 20. A
habit of honest work IL the best luck and the
best fortune . man can have. ''-Ssson Cool
idge, ia 81 Nicholas.