Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-12-10
BILL GERRITY'S WIFE.

forty years has worked the bellows and
pounded the anvil in his little shop on
fremont street, near the Mission
church?
If you haven't heard of "Bill" YOU
surely have heard Of his wife, who
stands at the anvil all day and, with
sturdy strokes, swings the hammer and
fashions the iron, supple under the heat,
while her husband assists her.
"Bil, as he is Familiarity called, is
one OF those old settlers whose face and
form have become, as it were, one of the
old landmarks Of old Roxbury, so rich in
its coterie of oldest inhabitants, while
his little shop stands to-day, as it did
forty years ago: undismayed by the
presence all around it Of modern build
ings, which make its crude outlines
stand out more forcibly and shows its
age by comparison.
If you ask "Bill' how old he is he will
tell you he is sixty years, but If you ask
one of the old settlers he will tell you
that according to his "reckonin'" Bill
must be nigh on to ninety years"
II "Bill' was picturesque character,
insomGch that his occupation as village
blacksmith rendered it proper to so
characterize man in time gone by, he
was rendered more so when two years
ago he startled his friends by taking to
the altar a buxom lass of thirpy-five
summers.
1t was only about a year previous that
death had taken from him his first wife,
who had lived to the rare old age of
ninety-eight years.
"Bilrs" new spouse was q stout girl
named Hannah Mowers. She is about
six feet tall, with physique that many
strong man would envy. She was
born in County Leitrem, Ireland.
When BILLS first wife died there
were many stories floating around
among the regulation gossips concern
ing the wealth that she had left behind
her in her little apartments over the
blacksmith shop. According to the
stories she was one of those people who
are said to deny themselves the pleas.
ures Of life and hoard up in mysterious
hiding-places bags of yellow gold, and
in the still hours Of night find consola-
ton in fondling the shiny pieces.
Some believed these stories, for 1t was
we'll known that the old blacksmith
worked early and late at his forge and
always had lots of work to do. He was
known to be of saving disposition, and
it was said that his vito, having passed
tho allotted threescore and ten line, de-
termined that, when her somewhat
younger husband should find himself
alone and bent down with the results of
hard work, he would not want for plen-
ty to eat or place to lay his head If
money could procure them.
According to the stories that have be-
come a chapter in the "Old Settlers
Biographical History Of Events from
Personal Knowledge" when she died
there was great excitement on the
Gill;" She had left relatives Of vari-
GUS generations, and it is said that, sew
eral thousand dollars having been dis
covered, good many people shared it
besides the old blacksmith. Since then,
owing to the effects of competition,
"Bill" has not done the rushing BUSH
ness he did formerly, and then, too, he
is not able to work as hard as before.
Hispresent wife learned of this change
Of affairs and without standing on cere-
mony she went to him and volunteers
to work at the forge and save the ex-
pense of his hiring helper. "Bill"
NhAJ AhuS uOIt lOE1 D0SluSS
little doubtful of her ability in that line,
he had too much chivalry to permit It,
But she persisted in her entreaties to be
permitted to take her place ut his side,
and at last he reluctantly consented.
The blacksmith shop is little story
and-a-haf structure opposite the big
ledge, known as McCarthy's ledge, on
the hill near the Mission church on Ire
mont street. Until recently the ledge
has been worked by a large force of men,
and Bill depended on them mostly for
his "jobs." He had almost the exclusive
charge Of sharpening the drills used by
tho "ledgers," and the work was of a
heavy character. Since the introduction
of steam drills "Bill " has not had so
much to do as before, but he sharpens
the now drills, though it requires much
moro skill and labor than sharpening