Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-01-19
WORKING AT EIGHTY
an interview with an octorennr,.n
bricklhyer at Lynn. Ma.

an interview with nm octo.en.r,.,
br'oklnyer at Lynn, Mass.
among the 10000 inhabitants .,
Lynn Macs, says tho Bee. of that
place. there are number Of yeteran
"orkmen. and one Of whom we wlsh
70 refer to in particular at this lima l.
haskell u. Merrill. who resides with
hls vile at his son.in.law's home No
ia GUNNER street MIR. Merrill r.
now eighty-one years Of age. and has
been a mason and laid brick for sixty.
SIX years.
Al the present time he is employed
In building the brick block ON Pleasant
street that Is to be occupied when com.
pleted by the Lynn Electric Light COM
pany and reporter had an ..airy' in
'erView with that gentleman the other
afternoon on the staging at that place.
Dir. Merrill worked as well as talked
during the time the reporter was pres.
ent and. to see him do the former.
one would be surprised to see how
agile be handled tho troweL mortar
and brick. keeping up with the other
"orkmen. who are many years younger.
Mr. Merrill. when questioned, said
that he was born In ChArlestown. ON n
spot between Bunker Hill monument
and the navy yard. in 1907. and learned
The trade Of brlek.layer and masonry at
Newmarket n. H.. when he was four.
teen years old After working two
years Rt Newmarket be went 10 Dover.
and from there TO Boston. From Bos.
ton he came to Lynn. and has re-
mained here tho greater part Of his
LIE. lie put in some eight or ten
years shoo-making on the seat and
made "welts" and 'spring welts"
mostly. lilo then went back 10 his old
trade. briek-laylng, and has worked at
i ever since. and proposes 10 do so the
remainder Of his days
II suppose. " sail the Zee man. 'lhnt
you have worked on many OF the brick
blocks in the ciiy?" Yes" replied
Ibe veteran. nearly all Of them. /
have also worked for almost every
mason In town" "You also worked
on that chimney. did you?' as ked the
reporter. pointing TO tho one-hundred.
foot shaft which has Just been complet.
81 for tho works Yes" said he. 81
worked there until VIC got up forir. Two
.sei. sud Then | told the boss he had
3clicr pui on Younger man. You see.
| am getting old, aud eau not. aud, Ia
fact. 10 rot. care 10 climb around as
much as did years ago. / helped TO
build tho chimney that stands at the
Buanm box factory on Broad street.
tho ono that was moved after the old
mill WAS burned down, aud have also
assisted Ia putting up boilers"
do you enjoy good health. Mfr.
McFrillg' asked tho scribe.
Yea 10 rrpl ed. Il have had n
fever which kept me confined for some
time. but AZ present my health is much
better. aud can get in a pretty good
DAYS work. The others are generally
ready 10 quit whom do"
Mr.. Merrill Is strong. well.built
man. and shows bis ripe old ago but
very Little. His form is erect and
every thing shout him denotes that be
practices the best Of hsbitS lie is
married. aud has three girls living. and
ho and hIs wife reside with one Of
them al The present time. The only
army experience he SAYS he ever had
was when he lived in llaycrhill years
ago lie was then tho chosen captain
Of militia company. and has his COM
mission now. which he trcssurers very
highly From all appearances Mr..
MERRILL will live a good number OF
years yet. aud will probably keep right
on TO work at his trade.