Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-01-03
THE STORY or a SHOEMAKER.

| was born IN the Luxembourg just
about fifty years ago. Goodness
How used to work at the bench
when / was lad, sewing and ham
menng, hammering and sewing on
boots and shoes There was that
dear old father Of mine, with his big,
eel-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 a good shoe
maker. Never scamp anything. DO
the best YOU can, and do it all the
time We would work from sunrise
to far into the night. The pay we
GOT was little enough, so small that
we used 10 watch the candle that fiat
tered in the wind. and worry over its
cost If we worked very, very hard,
and custom was good, we might count
on a gain Of 10 sous each, but some
tunes we would all stop peEging
away, because the poor people in our
village had no money to pay for
shoes. Oh! how difficult it was to
buy a sack of coarse flour or little
scrap of meat. We lived from hand
TO mouth Poor old father, do what
he could to help him, he got into
debt, and owed at one time as much
as 30 francs. What a huge sum that
seemed to me to be! what a whole
mountain of embarrassment,
/ starved myself in order to put a
little money aside. One day | said to
father. This thing don't work. ]
am going TO clear out / can't stand
it" you viii leave me, my SOM
Your poor old father is an incum-
brance to youf' mo, not at all, But
/ must 90 away TO work for him. ~
at is well replied my father you
are a good shoemaker Your stitches
are strong and even. You shape
well. Go see the world, and Gods
blessing accompany yea,
went to Paris and LED a miserable
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 / was a good workman, how
ever, and after while found steady
employment, but / could help poor
father out but very little Oh!
1t used to make my heart sore to
think of him cramped up in his 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 helfed
me then. / scraped together sou by
sou, end at last sent him 10 Francs.
lie wrote me that the sum had saved
him from being turned outol his poor
old chamber. This viii never do, -
/ said II must go somewhere else.
| am a good shoemaker, and my eN-
perienee i'm Paris has given me the
finishing touch. / must go some
where else, where the art of Crspin
will be appreciated One fine day in
1850 took place as landsman on
an English bark from Havre to Bos-
ton. / landed in the United States
with Just 40 cents CD i'm my pocket
! sought work at once. | saw m a
little shoemaker's shop up 4 narrow
street a sign written ON paper and
stuck ON the glass with waters l
could not read lt
/ did not know q single word of
English then, but over the door there
was a German name. / made bold to
enter, and talked German to the pro
prietor. Sit down, he said "on that
bench, and sew ne ON that sole II
am fair shoemaker as You viii see,
| replied 1t was a pleasure 20 take
hold of the tools once more, they
scented to know me How blessed
my father then My boss dissatisfied,
and / got % Job right olf at 81 a day
and my food That was fortune tI
me then I worked for six month,
steadily, and, save for a secondhand
pair Of trousers bought by me al d
bargain, / boarded every penny.
sent the dear old father $50, and bach
came his blessing He wrote he hao
never seen so mUch money Mt ono
time IN his life But / was ambitious
Just then the California fever wa,
raging Something told me to 60 t.
the Pacific Coast | took ship auC
crossed the lsthmus. Just before an
irving at San Francisco there was q
heavy gale we came near being ship
wrecked, and I lost my hat remem
Der that quite well ] landed i'm san
Francisco with 81 exactly On boarl
there was a carouSug shoemaker, who
had been sent for from the East by
man who kept a Shop in San Fran
cisco. heard him say that Inc hal
come before his time and that. any
how. if he could do better Inc was no
going to work at cobbliug. He men
TONED the name of the man who wa
TO hire him. and had his consent L
apply for the place
went to the shoe-shop at once an,
asked for the position ut is givel
to another man who ought to be her
soon. and / cant make use of you
Besides you have no hat Tina
makes no difference / replied
see shoemakers' wages are $6a day
give me So and feed me, and only n
me stay until the other man turns IL
for am indeed a shoemaker TIL
boss gave consent. Then | set {
work, and slept that nightin the shol
When the master came to the plac
i'm the morning he found everythiu
i'm order and l had made s. befOl