Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-25

ways uoPlHS W wv OoeOoA, AoA6Os0AAS
the old adage, chat "A rolling stone
gathers no moss" When Peter was
born, the fifth child, he was named
after the Apostle Peter, because his
father said: This boy will come to
something, but he proved feeble, un-
able to go to school a W n year in
his life, and then only every other day.
When he was eight years old, his father
being a halter, he pulled hair from rab-
bit skins for hat pulp. Year after year
he worked harder than he was able.
but he was determined to win. When
his eight little brothers and sisters need
ed shoes. he ripped up an old one, and
thus learning how they were made,
thereafter provided shoes for the whole
family. A boy with this energy would
naturally be ambitious. At seventeen,
bidding good-by to his anxious mother,
he started for New York to make his
fortune. He had carefully saved ten
dollars of his own earnings large
sum, it seemed to him. Soon after he
arrived he saw an advertisement of a
lottery, where, if one bought a ticket,
he would probably draw a prize. He
thought the matter yer carefully. If
he made some money he could help his
mother. He purchased a ticket and
drew-a blank. The ten dollars gone,
Peter was penniless. Years after he
used to say, cit was the cheapest piece
of knowledge I ever bought" for he
never touched games of chance after
ward.
Day after day the tall, slender boy
walked the streets of New York, asking
for work. At last perseverance, con
quered, and he found a place in a a +
riage-shop, binding himself as an ap-
prentice for five years, for his board
and two dollars a month. He could
buy no good clothes. He had no
money for cigars, or pleasures of any
kind. He helped to build carriages for
rich mems sons to ride in, but there
were no rides for him. 1t is an old
saying that Everybody has to walk at
one end of life," and they are fortu.
nate who walk at the beginning and
ride at the close.
When his work was over for the day,
his shop-mates ridiculed him because he
would not go to the taverns for .%iovial
time; but he preferred to read, Max
ing a little money by extra work, he
hired a teacher, to whom lie rccited
evenings. He was tired, Of course, but
he never complained and made many
friends because he was always good
natured.
He used to say to himself: eff ever
l get rich l will build a place where the
poor boys and girls of New York may
have an education free" How absurd
it seemed that a boy who earned only
fifty cents q week for five years should
ever think of being rich and establishing
reading-rooms and public institutions.
Yet the very kind and quality of his
dreams was an earnest OF future sue
cess and greatness.
When Peter became of age, Mr.. Wood
ward, who owned the carriage factory,
called him into his office. "You have
been very faithful" he said, land l
will set you up in a carriage factory of
your own; you can pay back the money
in a few years"
Peter was astonished. This was a
remarkable offer to poor young man,
but he had made a solemn resolution
never to go into debt, and he declined
it, though with gratitude.
Mr.. Woodward vas now as greatly
astonished as Peter had been, but he
respected his good judgment in the
matter.
The young mechanic now found a
situation in a wooden mill at Hampstead,
Long Island, at nine dollars a week.
Here he invented Il shearing machine,
which proved so valuable that he made
$500 in two years.
With so much money as this he could
not rest until he had visited his mother.
He found his pareuts overwhelmed in
trouble on account of their debts, gave
them the entire $500, and promised to
meet the other notes his father had
given him as they became due. His
father had evidently made no mistake
i'll naming him after the Apostle Peter.
Meantime the young man had fallen
in love not with a foolish girl: who
cared only for dress and her own pretty
face but with one who had a fine mind
and lovely disposition. After tifty-siN
years of married life she died on
the anniversary of her wedding day.
Her husband said: -'She was the day.
star, the solace and the inspiration OF
my life"
When the first babe was born he in.
vented a self-rocking cradle for it, with
a fan attached to keep og the flies, and
a musical instrument to soothe the child
to sleep.
He now moved to New York and
opened a grocery store.
An old friend advised him to buy o
glue factory, which, having been mis-.
managed, was for sale. He knew moth.
ing Of the business, but he had faith in
himself that he could learn it, and he
soon made not only the best glue but
the cheapest in the country. For thirty
years he carried on this business almost
alone, with no salesman and no book
keeper. He rose every morning at day.
light, kindled his factory fires, worked
all the %forenoons making glue and after
Moons selling it, keeping his accounts
writing his letters and reading in tn,
evenings with his wife and children
He continued to work thus when hi
income had reached $4,000 a year, no
because he was oyer-economical, but h
might some day carry out the purpos,
Of his lite-to build his free school 70
the Door.