The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1891-01-03
iBILL GERRITY'S WIFE.
She Strikes the Iron and He Blows
the Bellows
The Woman Blacksmith OF Roxbury.
Mass. - How She Assists Her Aged
Husband-An Irish Girls De-
votion and Muscle.


Boston Globe, who hasn't heard of old
bill" Gerrity, the blacksmith, who for
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.
BILL" as he is familiarly 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
age by comparison.
If you ask "Bilr' 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,
insomuch 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 thirty-five
summers
1t was only about year previous shat
death had taken from him his first wife,
who had lived to the rare old age of
ninety-eight years.
"Bill's" new spouse was stout girl
named Hannah McIvers. She is about
six feet tall, with physique that many
. strong man would envy. She was
born in County Leitrem, Ireland.
When "Bill's' 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
tion in fondling the shiny pieces
Some believed these stories, for it was
we'll known that the old blacksmith
worked early and late at his forge and
always had lots of work to do. He wa,
known to be of saving disposition, and
it was said that his wife, having passed
the allotted threescore and ten line, de
termined that, when her somewhat
Younger husband should find himself
alone and bent down with the results o.
hard work, he would not want for plen
ty to eat or place to lay his head i
money could procure them.
According to the stories that have be
come chapter in the "Old Settlers
Biographical History of Events from
Personal knowledge" when she dice
there was great excitement on tn,
Hill" 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 i
besides the old blacksmith. Since then
owing to the effects of competition
"Bill' has not done the rushing bust
ness he did formerly, and then, too, h
Is not able to work as hard as before.
Hispresent wife learned of this chang
of affairs and without standing on cere
mony she went to him and volunteere
to work at ths forge and save the ex
pense of hts hiring helper. Bin
only laughed at her, for, besides being
little doubtful OF her ability in that line
he had too much chivalry to permit il
But she persisted in her entreaties to b
permitted to take her place at his side
and at last he reluctantly consented,
The blacksmith shop is little stor.
and-a-half structure opposite the bi
ledge, known as McCarthy's ledge, o
the hill near the Mission church on Tr
mont street. Until recently the ledg
has been worked by large force of mel
and Bill depended on them mostly fl
his "jobs," lie had almost the exclusiN
charge OF sharpening the drills used |
the "ledgers," and the work was of
heavy character. Since the introducrit
Of steam drills "Bill :" has not had
much to do as before, but he sharper
the new drills, though it requires muC
more skill and labor than sharpenir
ordinary tools, ~ =
The first day that his new wife sto'
at the anvil and swung the hamm
"Bill" was convinced that she could
what she claimed. From that day o
she has stood by his side, never DENT
ring, but working cheerfully and we
"Bill" blows the bellows and handl
the iron, and after it is properly heat
he holds it or the anvil while his vi
hammers 1t into shape under his dire
ton,
People used to flock around every d
and watch them work, but the novel
soon wore off, and the woman blacksmi
became fixture in Roxbury, attracti
no unusual attention.
Death Attributed to Pickles.
In commenting on recent case