New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1892-03-16


full there was but q few hundred dol
lars left
Being thus suddenly thrownupon our
own resources 7, who had been reared
in luxury, was at a loss to know what
to do for q living. | had a fair acade-
mic education; but without ability to
make use OF it it could be OF small ser
vice.
/ searched San Francisco over for
employment without avail. found
several openings, but in every case
either the wages were not sufficient or
I did not consider the work congeniaI.
] had yet to learn that beggars must
not be choosers.
While | was doing nothing my mon
ay dwindled away and with most
surprising rapidly. At length was
reduced to q few dollars. felt dis
couraged and half desperate. I'M
agIne my delight, therefore, on re-
ceiving an invitation from an old
friend OF my fathers to come and
spend a few weeks with him on his
vineyard in Frenso County, Southern
California; | accepted without the
least delay or consideration, and pur-
chased Il ticket to Frenso with my
last cent.
[ enjoyed my visit exceedingly. Mr..
Eller was a genial, pleasant man.
Fresno itself was a dirty little town
with few merits, but the country
surrounding was delightful! in climate
and marvelously productive. I had
arrived at the most favorable season
OF the year-autumn-a and the wine
making was in full progress.
/ never tired OF hanging about the
winery, watching the heavy teams
come in, each with 1ull ton OF grapes
10 the load, The pretty, inviting
fruit was emptied, a box at a time, in
to the sticky elevator; this conveyed
1t to the Crusher, from the cruel fanes
Of which it came forth an ugly pulp.
This pulp was placed in a press and
every particle of Juice squeezed from
il. The juice, after it has fermented
and attained the proper age, becomes
wine.
1t surprised me to see how little
real waste there is about wine-making.
Thegrape in it's prime is used for the
~.
hogs; the stems make an excellent
roadway; and those grapes that have
decayed can be utilized for brandy.
In q burst OF confidence I informed
Mr.. Filler OF my penniless condition.
He sympathized with me.
II might give you employment in
the vineyard" he observed: 'but OF
course you would not wish to asso-
clate with those rough day laborers,
all so inferior to you intellectually"
II don't know" [ returned; ''my
ideas upon that sub ect have changed
materially within the last few weeks
No man need be ashamed ofan honest
occupation by which he makes a. liv-
ing. I really believe, Mr. Eller, that I
will ask you to give me employment
here-for time, at any rate.'
You will find the word hard"
III expect that" he answered. am
ready for hard work. [ need manual
labor, and think I can obtain it
here"
II think you CAM" returned Mr.. FL
der, dryly.
[ went to work next morning. My
position was "feeder." [ had to re-
ceIVe the teams as they arrived and
empty the boxes into the elevator 1
arose at o'clock; at half-past 5 the
gong sounded for breakfast. The
men filed into the great dining-room
and took their Individual seats at two
long tables. | dined at separate
table with Mr.. Eller. This arrange
ment suited me very we'll ,@
can vouch for it that [ was tired
that first night. Handling fifty-pound
boxes of grapes eleven hours day is
likely to prove pretty fatiguing even
to one who is used to working, and
that l certainly was not. But | went
to bed early had sound nights rest
and awoke the next morning much re-
freshed
Things went on this way for some
weeks. My work grew very monoto-
nous. but | stuck to it from necessity,
not choice. My muscles began to de-
velop, and l felt in splendid health.
One day the big windmill which sup
piled the whole winery with water
fell out Of order and refused to pump.
Mr.. Eller examined it carefully, but
wasunable to learn wherein the diff
Guilty lay. Hecame down from the tank
much disturbed, for water was great
necessity in that hot country.
Harry he said to me 'you're
something OF q mechanic, aren't you?"
81 did pay a little attention to the
study at one time, answered modest
dy.
"Well, wish you would try what
you can do in the way Of fixing that
windmill
promised that would, and Mr..
Eiler left me-
After supper that night secured a
hammer and chisel and started for
the mill | had need to make haste if