Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-09-19
A SHOEMAKER'S STORY

lad, sewing and hammering, hammerinl
and sewing on boots ard shoes. Their,
was that dear old father of mine, witt
his big steel-rimmed spectacles perchet
on his nose, who set me an example O
thrift and honesty. "Above ALL" h
used to say to US, for brother the1
worked with me, "be good shoemak
er. Never scamp anything. Do thu
best you can, and do 1t all the time.
We would work from sunrise to far into
the night. The pay we got was little
enough, so small that We watched the
candle that futtered in the wind, ani
worry over its cost. If we worked very
very hard, and custom was good, We
might count on gain of ten sous each,
but sometimes We would stop peggine
away because the poor people in our vii.
lage had no money to pay for shoes. Oh
how difficult it was to buy sack Of
coarse -four or little scrap Of meat. We
lived from hand to mouth. Poor old
father, do what we could to help him, he
got into debt, and owed at one time as
much as thirty francs. What large
sum that seemed to me to be! what q
whole mountain of embarrassment!
starved myself in order to put lit.
tie money aside. One day I said to
father, "This thing don't work. I am
going to clear out. can't stand it. u
''You will leave me, my son? Your poor
old father is an incumbrance to you %
"No, not at all, but must go away to
work for him." sit is we'll. replied my
father. ''You are q coed shoemaker.
Your stitches are strong and even. You
shape we'll. Go see the world, and God &
blessings accompany you.
life there for time. hardly gained
my bread at first. The habits Of the
Partisan shoemaker Mortified me, for
had been brought up by pious father.
1 was good workman, however, and
after awhile found steady employment,
but could help poor father very little.
Oh! it used to make my heart sore to
think Of him cramped up in little, dingy
room, working away for dear life, with
the meager reward of a crust of dried
bread. The habits of economy he had
taught me helped me then. scraped
together sou by sou, and at last sent him
10f. He wrote me that the sum had
saved him from being turned out of his
poor, old chamber. "This will never
do" said. Sc must 60 somewhere
else. AN a good shoemaker, and my
experience in Paris has given me the fin
ishing touch. l must gosomewhere else
where the art of Crispin will be appre-
ciated. Oae fine day in 1850 I took q
place as iandsman on an English bark,
from Havre to Boston. I landed in the
United States with just 40 cents (2f.)
in my pocket. I sought work at
once. I saw in little shoemaker's shop
up narrow street sign written on pa
per and stuck Oh the glass with waters.
could not read it. I did not know a
single word of English then, but over
the door there was German name. I
made bold to enter: and talked German
to the proprietor. est down." he said,
ION that bench and sew me on that
SOLE" ~ am fair shoemaker, as you
will see," 1 replied. 1t was a pleasure
to take hold Of the tools once more; they
seemed to know me. How blessed my
father then. My boss was satisfied, and
I got job right off at 81 day and my
food. That was a fortune to me then.
I worked for SIX months steadily and,
save for secondhand pair of trousers
bought by me at bargain, boarded
every penny. / sent the dear old father
$3.50, and back cana his blessing. He
wrote he had never seen 80 much money
at one time in his life. But was am
bilious. just then the California fever
was raging. Something told me to go
to the Pacific coast. I took ship and
crossed the Isthmus. just before ar
irving Ut San Francisco there was a
heavy gale; we came near being ship
wrecked, ard I lost my hat. l remem-
Der that quite we'll. I landed in San
Francisco with 81 exactly. On board
there was carousing shoem aker, who
had been sent forfrom the cassidy man
who kept shop in San Francisco.
heard him say that he had come before
his time, and that, anyhow, if he could
do better he was not going to work at
cobbling. He mentioned the name OF
the man who was to hire him, and 1
had his consent TO apply for the place.
I went to the shoe shop at once and
asked for the position. eft is given to
another man, who ought to be here soon,
and I can't make use of you. Besides,
you have no hat" "That makes no elf.
ference" replied. 81 see shoemakers'
wages are $6 day-Qt was the flush
times of California then)-give me So
and feed me, and only let me stay until
the man you hired turns up, for I am
indeed shoemaker" The boss gave a
kind of grudging consent. Then set
to work, and slept that night in the shop.
When the master came to the place in
the morning he found everything in ele.
CANT order, ,and I had made IS before
breakfast by mendiDg a boot. I suited
him exactly, for I am good shoemaker.
lived with that man for year, and
saved all my money. sent the dear
old folks 1T home 800. If you could
only have seen tie letter that came back!
The blessed, old daddy wanted to know
if I thought he was a spendtbrift. That
800 he vas going to make do for the
next three years! There was chance I
heard of in Sacramento. 1 went there,
NY master giving me some of his shop.
worn stock. did splendid business.
In six months I had made for my share
So, 600. My fortune was before me.
Poor old daddy was not forgotten.
got cross letter from him this time.
The poor simple soul wanted to know
whether I thought he was going to the
dogs. Did waut to make him drunk
ard, gommand, and put all kinds of
temptation in his way? Too much
money was the source of all evil, Twas
robbipg myself to pamper him. But,
for all that, there was a lot OF sweetness
in the letter. j. tt' BIG q :. s..sa.-.
Well, thought that fortune was now
mine. But one night bad fire broke
out and was burned out. Fires occur
red in Sacramento every night and were
the work of thieves. I gathered togeth-
er the few pairs OF boots. I could place
my hands on and placed them with my
money, all in gold, in trunk, and I
carried it out of the wooden shanty just
as the roof fell in. For better security
Isat on my trunk, and gazed bewilder-
ed. like at the flames. II had something
Left" ! SAID. tsaHer all b sbegin the
world with % Just fhan 4sHas sstruckss