The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-11-14
CAUSED BY A RAG WHEEL
SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS
OF THE DAN8URY NEWS MAN.

OF THE DAN5URY NEWS MAN.
Abnsi Pierce Employs Man Named !
Watts to Make Him New Rag wheel
and Things Are stirred Up Generally. |
lCopyrighted by Lee d. shepard. Boston. and
published by special arrangement with them.l
AS this account pertains mostly to the
rag whsel of sawmill, there may be
people who will think | ought 10 know
what rag wheel is, and be able to throw
a good deal of interesting light on its
origin and history Fortunately, don't
know anything about it. a rag wheel
may be some part of the hoor Of eaw-
mill or adapted to its roof OF only
something to keep the boys from fooling
with the saw ! know nothing about it.
only know that this is a sad account TO
wIlte and that |, like the public, would
much rather that some one else would
do It,
The owner Of the sawmill in question
was Abner Pierce He was man who
was fond Of hunting foxes and kept
eight men employed about his farm and
mill The rag wheel becoming impaired
and unsafe from age or wear or both,
| needed replacing and he employed a
carpenter from place twenty miles dis
tant to make a new rag wheel
The carpenter who came twenty miles
to make rag wheel for Abner Pierce
was stranger to that gentleman. His
name was Zebulon Watts He brought
a man with him to do the work, volun-
teering TO attack the bossing Of the job
single handed and unaided Watts was
mentally and physically remarkable. he
! was not worker, but a designer He
| could plan work for any number of men
| TO perform, and stand around handy to
see that they did it. He was man fond
/ OF the law. and when party refused to
| pay him for work his delight was al
most hysteric he then sued them,
plead his own case, covered everybody
with mud and retired defeated He sould
not help but think man was trying
to beat him in an underhanded manner
If he paid him cash down without
equivocation of any kind
Physically he was not adapted TO
heavy labor He was sbout FIVE feet
nigh and about four feet square. he
wore Shanghai overcoat, which rather
impaired the natural outlines Of his fig
ure. and a huge cap made from the fur
OF horse, with q forepiecs that stood
straight out like the step to . stage
coach It may be mentioned in pass
ing that MIR Watts didn't know any
more about rag wheel than l dc, and
the information the assistant possessed
on the same subject was considerably
hampered By imits But while | am
painfully aware Of my ignorance, it
never for an instant occurred TO Mr..
Watts that he didn't know anything
about the matter,
He took charge of the manufacture OF
that rag wheel with all tho confidence in
the world, and laid his plans, and made
his estimates. and set the man TO worl!
getting out thestuf, end walked around
with his hands in his pockets and talked
about religion and the legislature.
And so day PASSED into day and time
rolled on
On the evening preceding the close OF
the Job Pierce, as was his custom, had
all his help, including the carpenters, il
the large. old fashioned kitchen. 1t wai
a cold November night, and large and
very grateful fire roared and snapped il
the yawning fireplace The men sal
there until 10 o'clock talking about fol
hunting and public schools and then re
tired to their respective couches, eaci
man drawing off his boots and leaving
them in front of the fireplace. IN shor
time the house was as quiet az pot o
paint, and the flicker Of the dying fir,
created fantastic shadows among tn
eleven pairs OF boots
At . O'Clock one Of the men was awal
ened by glare of light in his eyes, anC
bounding to the window saw that tn
mil was on fire The alarm was at one
gwen Pierce heard it, and was the frs
IN MS clothes Then he darted for tn
kitchen to get his boots. He was a mai
OF great nervous susceptibility, and no
, at any time unpleasantly particular abou
ms language 1t was very dark in tn
; kitchen so dark that bat dim outlin
OF the walls could be seen. But he wa
in a hurry--there was no time to strik
a light. He made plunge for the frs
%