The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-12-26
Waiting on a Bird.

NaltlHS VII d D.Iu.
The late Edward Corliss, of Provi-
dence, the inventor and manufacturer
of the great Corliss engine, was Il man
who valued his business largely forthc
opportunities which it brought him of
doing thoroughly and unpretentiously
humane acts. Very many stories are
told at Providence Of his generosity to
people in his employ, and especially OF
q way he had of coming to some en-
ployee or workman who looked i'll or
overworked, or who had complained
of having a hard time, and saying to
him, "Now, look here; you are not
looking well. You had better go off
somewhere for rest Of 4 few weeks,
and 1 will take care of your family
while you are gone" And the man
was started off on a vacation of
months, if months were needed, with
out any apprehension on his mind as
to the needs of his family.
But other employers have done the
same thing, no doubt, and the Listen
er would not have had occasion to
note the matter if it had not been for
the true story of another generous deed
of Mr.. Corliss', lately told him from q
most authentic source, which is so en-
ceptional, and so quite idyllic, that it
merits special relation. More than
that-it merits such setting of Incl
dent as the story telling genius of a
Hawthorne or Hale would give it;
but as the Listener can give it no such
setting, and as, moreover, he has no
right to do more than tell the tale just
as it was told to him, he will narratc it
in its simplest form:
Mr.. Corliss, not very long before his
death, had occasion to build an addi-
tion to this manufactory-a big 49,"
for additional machinery. To prepare
the foundation for this l. it was neces-
sary to remove ledge of rock by bias
ting. The men to do the work OH the
addition had been employed and put
on the pay roll; the materials had
been purchased and brought to the
building, and the work of blasting had
begun. The next morning Mr.. Corliss
passed by the place where work was
proceeding, when the foreman in
charge, knowing his interest in pretty
things, called him.
"See here, Mr.. Corliss," said he;
"here is birds nest that we've found,
and that's got to CO."
He showed the manufacturer a robin
sitting upon nest that had been built,
fast and snug, in crevice of the rock,
among some bushes that grew there.
The bird flew OF her nest as the men
came near, and showed five blue eggs.
that looked as if they had just been
laid. "Can we move that nest some
where else ?n asked Corliss.
Pm afraid not, sir. We'd tear it tC
pieces getting it out, and it isn't ut Ill
likely that you could get the bird to &C
to sitting again anywhere else. Wc'v,
got to go on, so we may as well rip il
out and throw the eggs away"
"No," said Corliss. awe won't dis.
turb her. Let her bring out her brood
right there"
"But We'll have to stop the work OF
the building"
"Let us stop it then"
And so orders We're given that opera
tions OH the addition should be suspen
ded. They were suspended; and tht
hands stood still, drawing their pay
for doing nothing, or next to nothing
while the robin sat on her nest Will
her air of great consequence and zeal
Gus attention to business, and had lcl
food brought her by her mate, and a
last Matched her brood. And thel
there We're three weeks more to go by
at the least, before the young onc
could fly. Corliss visited the nest fire
quently, not with any uneasineSs o
impatience to have the robin and tn,
young ones out of the way, but with :
genuine interest in their growth. The
old birds had all the time they wanted
and when ut last they had stcrnll
helped the clumsy, reluctant youn"
sters over the edge OF the nest, ant
they showed themselves to be able L
get about on their own hook, order
We're given to resume the buildin:
operations; and the dull boom Of th'
~ gunpowder, tearing the rocks apart
was heard where the birds had pcepeli
1t was an idle freak, Il practical MAJ
would say, of q man who may hav
had more money than he knew wha
to do with. Perhaps it was q freak
but it was one of the sort of freak
that make the world better.