News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-01-24

ALucky Hit.
u,..u, vaozia was a plain, good
hearted. honest farmers 0oy' ~ his
Darents lived on the farm wn0i 9ozan
tyrondfatber was born, not hall W. ~
miles from Augusta, Me. win q nral sUo
sa., i,.oS = - -obooi EDUCATION, and natural
ATTITUDE, Hiram was eonslueleu o,,;sino
ace of twenty to be very pl. a-.oaf
young man. and was cer5alniy Ola
sor1iee 10 his father upon the farm. Olo
ar. voozio was comfortably sltnated aS
- ,oonriarv means first, because MS
- were few, and secondly, because
h;s land very nearly supplied them all.
p,1t 1rban Hiram asked his father 20
,I--,,,., him some small amount With
,,-Ii.b 10 commence business, the good
old man Frankly acknowledged ms ma
biIitv and rather wondered that his son
could not content himself on the farm,
as his father and grandfather had done
before him.
The truth was, that Hiram had from
boyhood, and during all his school hours,
been the intimate friend and companion
of pretty Lucy White, the squire's
daughter, and this childish friendship
had ripened with years into love.
Lucy's father understood the position of
affairs perfectly between the young
people, but never interfered, until one
day when Hiram took the old gentleman
one side, and asked him for Lucy as his
wife. Old Squire White, as he was
universally called, replied kindly, but
firmly, that Hiram must first acquire
some trade, and means enough to sup
port Lucy, before he could give his con-
sent to such an arrangement. The
future looked blank to Hiram, therefore,
for he was but a poor farmers boy.
Lucy was gentle and lovely girl of
10, as intelligent as she was pretty she
loved Hiram sincerely, but she was too
sensible to sit down with him and pine
over the situation of affairs. She was a
practical Yankee girl, and her advice to
Hiram was sound and loving.
"Go," she said, ''to Boston or New
York. You are active, good-looking,
intelligent and industrious-the very
characteristics that command place, /
should say, in large city, and see il
you do not find the means of earning
such wages as shall help you to lay by
something. I, too, will be industrious
IN the meantime, and what little 1 can
save shall go to make up the necessary
sum for the purchase of snug little
home for u.s.
Hiram kissed his sweet little school
mate, and promising her that she would
never for one hour be out of his mind
soon gathered a small sum of money to.
gether, and with kind farewell and the
blessing of his old father and mother, ht
took the cars for Boston. 1t was hi.
first visit to large city, aud at the out
set he was almost bewildered; but, seek
ing economical lodgings, he began a
once 70 T00K About himself for employ
ment. This he found it hard to obtain
but he was daily growing more ant
more conversant with city life and ways
and he wrote every few days to Lucy
digest of his observations and fortunes
A fortnight or three weeks in Bostol
made fearful inroads into his slende
purse, and at the suggestion of some ney
acquaintance he determined to go t,
New York.
Here he passed some two weeks will
various adventures, but without finding
an hour of paying occupation. he wan
dered everywhere, observingand search
ing out places, 1nquiring freely of all
until, at the end of the third week, h.
had but single dollar left in his pocket
and felt for the first time nearly dis
heartened. In this mood he strolleC
through one of the uptown cross street
above Union Park, and found his atten
ton attracted by the operation of ;
steam sawmill, which he entered ant
quietly watched the business of. H
saw a small but efficient engine driving
four saws fed by four men, while ther,
stood at desk hard by one evidentl.
the manager of the establishment.
Hiram felt strong interest in wha
he saw; there were large piles of excel
lent lumber in the building, an articl
he was familiar with from childhood
and he watched the process OF saving
up, carefully observed to what purpos
the wood was put, and saw couple o
hands in further part of the shop en-
gagged IN dovetailing the pieces together
and forming the lumber into boxes O
various sizes. He consumed so mucl
time, and was so minute in his obser
walton, that at last the proprietor came III
to him and addressed him pleasantly:
"You seem to be quite interested!
he remarked to Hiram.
"Yes, I have seen a great deal of lum
Der in my day, and was calculating ho'
much you probably used up in thi
way"
eve use a good many thousand fee
every week"
$50 should think. and best numbe
ones, too
''Yes, we require the very best stock
and lumber is up now"
'How much do you pay?"
"Twenty-four dollars a thousand, a
clear and assorted"
"What do you do with all thes
boxes ?" continued Hiram.
"Oh, we can sell them quicker tina
we can make them, for packing soal
chemicals, ETC."
''Rather heavy for that purpose,
should say added Hiram.
'Well, they are rather heavy, but "
can't get boards sawed any differen
they are down to the lowest gauge
the lumber mills"
Hiram looked thoughtful, handled IL
boxes, examined the saws, talked goo
common sense, business style, to IL
man, and at last he said, half-seriousl,
half In Jest
"You don't want a partner. do you
"Why, no, not exactly; though if
had one who would put in a couple
thousand dollars, and would take no
heartily himself, 1 wouldn't mind sha
ing the thing with him, and throwing
the machinery"
"I haven't got any money!" sa
Hiram; "but I viii give you an id
about this matter, end will take hold al
give my time, in a way that l think
III L 4, . Abn