The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-05-29
's1AH PARTRIDGE.
How He Made His Reputation and
Fortune-Not Such a BuckWheat
A.


They tell a good story in the furniture
trade Of how Josiah Partridge rose to for
tune and won the thousands ofdollars that
give him so conspicuous place in bust
ness In New York. Mr.. Partridge was.
70 all appearances, an unsophisticated.
easy going Yankee with no special anbi-
ton or purpose in life till he was sons
where between 80 and 40 yeaEs Of age At
that time the Heywards, Of Gardner,
Mass. were the practical controllers OF
the chair business IN New England as they
had been the trades pioneers Among
their hands at Gardner was Josiah Par
fridge OF 'SiRh, as they all called him.
He was q hard worker, emperate, steady,
and married. His wages amounted pos
sibly 70 as much as a round dollar a day.
The change in his life came about In q
sudden, not 70 say q very funny, sort Of a
way He had been barking a lot OF logs
In the factory yard at.Gardner all through
an Intensely hos July morning Along
about noon he threw down his adze and
leisurely perched himself in the shade.of a
friendly elm close beside the scene OF his
labor. There. bathed in a smile Of salts
faction, he was discovered by one Of his
employers. who-it may have been the
heat that made him unnaturally impetu-
Gus OF speech-hercely began to preach
upon the contemplate mean ness OF eve
service. = W hat do you suppose we are
doing; paying You for loahng,. Josiah
PARTRIDGE was the petulaut demand
Man and boys" Fetorted PARTRIDGE
I've worked TOR you folks faithfully
Mr. Hayward, aud il you get into such q
passion Tor resting bit on such a blazing
day as this, why, you'll do II when Pm
not around" Day after day passed and
still Josiah Partridge put in no ap-
Pearance at the Gardner shop.
Ia hod aH al = 4
out the secret OF a new stride In successful
ehairmaking. When he fixed upon his
plan he went quietly to the bank and
drew out his saving. just $500. A fter that
be was seen no more In Gardner One
year later some OF the firms that had been
struggling IN competition with the
wealthy Hsywards began TO receive let
ters from away up In the Vermont woods
These missives stated in effect that the
expense OF hoating RATS Of logs down 70
The Massachusetts factories. as was then
the universal custom, with the stripping
on OF the bark, drying and saving and
planning, etc, might be done away with
and that one Josiah Partridge could send
down frames all ready for finishing
guaranteeing that In one car he could pile
up more of these frames than a river
fuh OF big logs could ever be turned into"
after their tedious and costly voyage TO
the Bay State. Trials were made Jos!ah's
offers accepted and before the Heywoods
had their eyes fairly opened rival frms
about them were turning out goods at
prices lnaI were amazing. linen they too
tnrned toward the forests TO set up saw
mills but Josiah Partridge had his grip
well fixed by this time and that paltTy
$500 which couple Of years before had
represented about all his wealth in the
world had developed into big proportions
he had no lack OF capital now rich men.
captured by his originality and his pluck,
wanted to join him. He combined his
company went into manufacturing chairs
out and out. and the fortune grew He
came to New York, and TO look At the -ich
old fellow How You would never imagine
that he was getting half as much fun out
OF his thousands as he probably got out OF
his quiet snooze that was so suddenly in
terrupted that July day so long ago--N-
I TIls,ase