The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-11-20

! in town to match it. But it's just
like you. Whenever I desire to make
an improvement you are the drag on
me-"
"But let it go until spring, any
how
"Irs. Bowser did you ever hear
the word 'economy'?"
eyes, sir"
"But you evidently DO not under
stand what it means. 1t means, in a
broad sense, to sell where you can
sell the highest and buy where you
can buy the cheapest. Tile painting
season is about closed, lots OF men are
out of work, and I can get this house
painted now $40 cheaper than next
spring Isn't $40 worth saving"
eyes, but the house doesn't need
it,"
"Not in your judgment, perhaps.
People who are brought up in log
houses in the country have tastes Pc
culiarly their own. The house will
be painted"
He crossed his hands under his
coat tails, paced up and down the sit
ting room, and, of course, I sank into
insignifcance and dropped the sub
ject. Two days later four or five
hard looking fellows with paint on
their clothes came up and looked the
outside OF the house over At brief
intervals they consulted together
and made figures on the back gate
At other brief intervals they meas
ured the width and length of the
house with a tapeine After three
hours hard work they came to con-
clusion of some sort and then went
out to the barn to rest their tired
brains and wait for Mr. Bowser to
appear. When he came home he
confabbed with them for half an
hour, made pore figures on the back
gate, and finally told them to go
ahead.
'sThey won't make the least muss
around" he said as he came in.
They'll skim right over in about
two days, and you'll hardly know
they have been here"
1t was useless to say anything af-
ter the bargain had been made, and
so T held my tongue. Next morn
ing wagon came with three long
ladders, two short ones, four step
ladders, two saw-horses, twenty-five
paint buckets, four pals, and so many
cans and brushes that I got tired of
counting them. I expected to see
fully fifteen painters come with the
outfit, but ten must have got lost on
their way up. The five were enough,
however, to take the possession Of
the barn, the kitchen, and the base
ment
"Looks as if they wouldn't be over
day and a half" said Mr.. Bowser
as he started off down town.
1t looked to me as II they meant
to take whole week for it, and [
went out to interview the boss on the
subject. He did some more ,neasur-
ing with tape line, put down some
more figures on the back gate, count
ed his long and short ladders over
and finally replied:
"I did say two weeks at first,
ma'am, but if the weather holds good
I think twelve days will see the last
of it"
Twelve days?"
"Not over thirteen anyhow
care you doing this by the job?''
"Oh, no, ma'am. Some of the
scrubs take jobs and rush 'em through
and cheat folks in the most horrible
manner, but we don't. We work by
the day and do our work we'll.
Then began a circus which lasted
just seventeen days without a change
of programme. Every painter went
down into the basement to inspect
the walls of the house. The were
gone just half an hour. When they
reappeared they inspected the inte
rior of the barn, and We're invisible
for a long hour. Then they came
out and managed to raise a ladder
against the side of the house. They
might possibly have raised. another
during the forenoon, but one of them
fortunately observed that the first
ladder was a little shaky. This
brought about q consultation, and the
ladder was taken down and inspect
ed. By vote of three to two, it was
decided that one of the rungs was
loose. Then the FIVE put in just all
hour and half hunting for hammer
and nails, glue-pots, wedges, crow
bars, jlck-screws, pile-drivers, and
other articles deemed necessary to
make repairs. Wien Mr.. Bowser
came home to dinner not thing had
been done in the way of painting.
I complained OF this, but he re-
Piled:
ooh, give them show. They
have got to get ready. When once
they start they will move like a cy-
clone"
"Wby did YOU hire them by the
day?"
'1'o get good work.
During the afternoon the painters
raised another ladder, mixed about
a gallon Of color, drank four pints of
Mr.. Bowsers bottled beer, and care
fully inspected and gave each other
their individual opinions on the age
and nationality of the kitchen girl.
Halt an hour before Mr.. Bowser
came home one of them carefully
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