The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-09-22
A SHOEMAKER'S STORY

about fifty years ago. Goodnessi Howl
used to work at the bench when was a
lad, sewing and hammering, hammering
and sewing on boots ard shoes. There
was that dear old father of mine, with
his big steel-rimmed spectacles perched
on his nose, who set me an example OF
thrift and honesty. "Above all" he
used to say to us, for a brother then
worked with me, "be good shoemak-
er. Never scamp anything. Do the
best you can, and do 1T ali 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, and
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 pegoinp
away because the poor people In our vii
lage had no money to pay for shoes. Oh!
how difficult it was to buy a 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 a large
sum that seemed to me to be- what
whole mountain of embarrassment!
| starved myself in order to put lit
tie money aside. One day l said to
father, This thing don't work. 1 am
going to clear out. l can't stand it,"
You will leave me, my son? Your poor
old father is an incumbrance to you %
"No, not at all, bat must go away to
work for him" SIT is well, replied nv
father. You are a good shoemaker.
Your stitches are strong and even. You
shGpe well. Go see the world, and Gods
blessings accompany you"
| went to Par,s and led miserable
life there for a time | hardly gained
my bread at first. The habits of the
Partisan shoemaker Mortified me, for |
had been brought up by pious father.
[ was a good workman, however, and
after awhile found steady employment,
but could help poor father very little.
Obi it used to make my heart sore to
think Of him cramped upin little, dingy
room, working away for dear life, with
the meager reward of 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. 6 | must go somewhere
else. / am a good shoemaker, and my
experience In Paris has given me the fin
ishing touch. / must go somewhere else
where the art of Crispln will be appre-
ciated. One fine day in 1850 / took
place as landsma1 en- an English bark,
from Havre to Z stOn. / landed in the
United States With just 40 cents (2f.)
in my pocket [ sought work at
once | saw in Q little shoemaker shop
up narrow street sign written on pa
per aud stuck II the glass with waters.
| could not read it. / did not know
single word of English then, but over
the door there was a German name /
made bold to enter and talked German
to the proprietor. "Sit down" he said,
: on that bench and sew me on that
sole" 81 am fair shoemaker, as you
viii see" | replied. 1t was pleasure
10 take hold OF the tools once more; they
seemed TO know me. How [ blessed my
father then. Ny boss was satisfied, and
| got job right off at 81 a day and my
food. That was fortune to me then.
! worked for SIX mouths steadily and,
save for secondhand pair of trousers
bought by me at bargain, bearded
every penny / sent the dear old father
$3.50, and back came his blessing. He
wrote he had never seen SO 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. / took ship and
crossed the Isthmus. Just before ar
irving at San Francisco there WIS
II;
wrecked, and | lost my hat. / remem-
Francisco with 81 exactly. On board
there was carousing shoemaker, who
had been sent for from the east by man
who kept a shop in San Francisco. l
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 /
had his consent to apply for the place.
| went to the shoe shop at once and
askel for the position. 1T is given to
another man, who ought to be here soon,
and / can't make use of yon. Besides,
you have no hat" "That makes no diff
ference, | replied. q see shoemakers'
wages are SIS day-Gt was the flush
times of California them give me So
and feed me, and only let me stay until
the man you hired turns up, for l am
indeed a 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, Iand | had made So before
breakfast by mending boot. | suited
him exactly, for l am good shoemaker.
[ lived with that man for year, and
saved all my money. l sent the dear
old folks at home 500. If you could
only have seen the letter that came back!
The blessed old daddy wanted to know
if thought he was spendthrift That
500 he was going TO make do for the
next three years! There was chance l
heard OF III Sacramento. | went there,
my master giving me some of his shop
worn stock. / did splendid business.
In SIX months | had made for my share
$1,000. My fortune was before me.
Poor old daddy was not forgotten. l
got cross letter from him this time.
The poor simple soul wanted to know
whether [ thought he was going to the
dogs. Did | want to make him a drunk
ard, gourmand, and put all kinds of
temptation in his way? . Too much
money was the source of all evil, Twas
robbing myself to pamper him. But,
for all that, there was Iot of sweetness
in the letter.
Well, l thought that fortune was now
mine. But one night bad fire broke
out and l 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 1 could place
my hands on and placed them with my
money, all in gold, in a trunk, and
carried it out of the wooden shanty Just
as the roof fell in. For better security
sat on my trunk, and gazed bewilder-
ed.hke at the flames. az had something
left" l said, 81 after all, to begin the
world with" Just then was struck g