Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-10-12


myself 10 pamper him-but for all that
there was n lot Of sweetness i'm the let
ter.
Well. i thought that fortune was now
mine. But one night bad fire broke
out and | was burned out. Fires oc-
Cured in Sacramento every night and
were the work of thieves. / gathered
togcthe~ the few pairs Of boots l could
put my hands ON. and placed them with
my money, all in gold. in a trunk, and
lcarricd Il out Of the wooden shanty
just rs the roof fell in. For better Sc
curity sat on my trunk. and gazed be-
wildcred-like at the flames. II have
something left" said. after all, to
begin the world with just then /
was struck heavy blow over the head
with club. and lost all consciousness.
When / came 90 ! found myself on the
ground and my trunk gone. The
thieves had done the business for me.
All then | gave myself up. Just for n
moment, To despair. 81 am ruined
ruined for ever. Poor daddyr
thought. But l was not ruined. for that
crack on the head was the means of my
making my fortune.
didn't cry over things much, for /
am good shoemaker, and that is al
ways solid capital. / had n little
money in my pocket, and went 10 San
Francisco. | knew my old master
wouh take me back. and he did so.
resumed my old place. There was an
auctioneer among his customers with
the tenderest feet / ever saw, and. as
am . shoemaker. that explains all NV
good luck. This auctioneer had been
grumbiing ever since I left San Fran
cisco. When he saw me he was de-
lighted. !" AT least now" he said, -
am out OF my great misery. / shall
limp no longer" Az once made him
pair of shoes, and nc was delighted.
One day he said to me: IL had an
auction yesterday, and / put up, with
out getting single bidder, lot of very
line French boots. They won't sell be-
cause there's n glut of boots on the
market They were imported a wear
ago, but the shape is out of fashion
now. IL was square toe then, now il is
round one. Do you want TO buy them9'
"How much?' | asked. ''Make your
own price" "But | have no money -
That makes no difference; you NAV
have them on credit; pay me when Won
can. went to- look at those eases of
boots. They were of the finest quality.
aud excellent rs to make. Some of
them were cavalry boots, and such as
only dandy horsemen or general officers
wear. Remember, / am good shoemak-
CIR and know my trade. thought those
boots at one dollar n pair. The leather
alone was worth twice that. At nipht
used to- work on them. made the
square toes pointed--for I am n GOOD
shoemaker. Some of them | cut down
into bootces. Oh! / worked night after
night on them after hours. Then l
hired a small shop, and hung up few
pairs in the window.
A Mexican came first. GLOW much D.,
Ten dollars" He took the boots.
Then a miner passed! "IIOw much?"
"fiiteen dollars" Then a gentleman
on fine horse came by and looked
from his horse ut the boots. and he tied
up his horse and asked How much ~
Twenty dollars" lie put n double
eagle down. must have made -. 500
clear on those boots. Then | found
more of them-a mine of these boots.
and put in my pocket SO, 600 in three
weeks. l worked on for n wear and
made money in my trade steadily. for |
am a good shoemaker. Then / rot
married in San Francisco to n woman I
loved, and my married life has been a
very happy one. IL was u pang when |
said To my wife; 81 must leave you. my
love- Tor short time only long enough
to pay my dear old daddy visit
left my business in her charge. II was
voyage OF business and pleasure. for I
went To Paris To buy goods.
Poor old daddy! There was the game
magpie I'm the wicker-work basket. and
he salutod me. for he remembered me
when ! was little boy stuck n tail OF
false feathers on bin with some cob
bier 5 wax. lie never forgot me. and
RULED his feathers at me as soon as no
saw me, rs IL my insult To him had bcen
OF recent date. There was hardly .
change i'm the room. There hung faith.
er's old watch, rs big rs saucer, tick.
ing away, with spray of lockwood
over il for luck. Then there was ON
the shelf the same old earthenware inc
The handle 4 broke one unfortunate
day, and piece of leather was bound
| round II, and 10 hung on n nail by y
thong. He had the same awl in hi.
hand least 10 was the same handle.
for once came near gettinp n thrash.
ing for having whitfield H. Even an old
almanac Of n year long gone mast was
there, tackled To The wall with shoe brads
lie had on the same apron, only II was
worn thinner.
The dear old father was bending over
his work. pounding slowly at some bit
OF leather on n last You could count
one, two, three, four between the ham.
merings. In my time il was rat-ta, tai
Ike drum beating, with no interva; be.
tween the strokes. I strobe in and the
oil gentleman first looked at nv feet:
that was a way he had. At a glance
Tor he was the king of shoemaEers-he
could take in all the difference between
your foot and the feet of the rest of
the world. He looked and looked
again. He must have recognized n
family foot, for | saw his hand tremble
then he pushed up his great steel
trimmed Spectacles and the tears ran
down his checks as he rose and tottered
ana then Tell into my arms. How we
kissed one another. my son. nv sor
you never would have succeeded had
you not been n good shoemaker; Won
never scamped anything; YOU did the
best you could all the time" was what
he said when told him of NV good
luck. Like my dear old daddy did
before me-" added. Then / Kicked
over his workbench, and said: mo
more work for You. old pappy. for am
rich. lhave awife; | have a baby-a boy
baby, named after you-and Won are IN
take the cars-first-class -to-morrow
or the day afterwari. and come post
haste out of the old country to Caiifor-
MIA, so that grandchild shall sit on your
Knee, and you shall tcsch him to be
honest and pious, and 10 love YOU. -
And may l not make him good shoe
MAKER! he asked. But YOU 60 too
fast. Let me think over it. You ask
me to leave this old Luxembourg. where
! was born. / should never see again
the grave where your mother. my good
wife. has slept for these last thirty-odd