The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-04-12
-Four Clever New York Girls in the
Business.
EXPERTS AT THE TRADE
They Are Not Only First Glass Black
smiths but Can Play the Plano
and are Accomplished.

W
girls, daughters of James Doris, a prac-
tical horseshoer, now deceased. Nearly
all of their lives these girls have lived
in comfortable little frame house at
632 West Forty eighth street, in the
rear of their fathers blacksmith shop,
says the New York World.
While they do not actually shoe horses
themselves, they know enough about
the business TO do so. AT all events,
ever sjace their fathers death they
carried on his business successfully and
have made a com Portable living out of
1t. Their mother, who came nearer to
being veritable woman blacksmith
than 90 her buxom daughters, died
year ago. Ever since they have con-
Quoted the business alone
twenty-five years ago james Doris
brought his wife 10 the little frame
house on Forty-eiebth street. To be
near her and the babies, of which there
always seemed to pe a new one, he built
his shop in the front garden of the little
house. James Doris and his wife were
an ideal married couple, even II their
ovemaking was done amid such humble
surroundings as a blacksmlth's shop
And 1t usually happened that his wife
was in the shop with him. As for the
children, they practically grew up in
the shop. 1t was their playground as
"a hau ha1 Il lIrI
watch father make the sparks fy."
But James Doris had one disappoint-
ment. All his boy ba bies died Ia in fancy.
And, like many men of great wealth, he
regretted having no son 10 take up his
business.
Mrs. Doris was her husbands "right-
hand man." as he used to fondly express
1t. Ii was with considerab BILE pride that
he always said she knew as much about
horseshoeing as he did. There are peo-
pie In the neighborhood who say that
not only did she know as much, but that
she could actually shoe horse as we'll.
he did the work, while she kept the
books, did the saving and managed gen.
orally. In fact, when James was i'll or
away she carried on the business quite
as well as he did.
So 1t happened that when james died,
about five years ago, leaving his widow
with four daughters, the business went
on just the same. James Doris iovial
race was missing, but capable man
had taken his place at the forge. Grad
ually the customers, many of whom had
patronized James Doris for a dozen
years or more, became accustomed to
the idea of a woman blacksmith. They
soon forgot the uniqueness of seeing a
woman at the forge. And instead of
patronizing Mrs Doris because she was
Jones Doris widow, as they had done
at first, they patronized her because
she was good blacksmith. Although
she rarely shod their horses herself,
she was always around to see that sat
isfactory work was done.
Several years after her husbands
death Mrs. Doris became i'll. From
that time until the date of her death
she was unable to look after the shop.
year ago she died. Then something
happened which proved how futile had
been all of James Doris regrets that all
his hoped for sons had been girls. Just
as naturally as duck takes to water
did those four girls take hold of their
fathers business. Never for a moment
did they think of disregardiug their
mothers wishes-that the business
should go on after her death Just the
same as before.
The eldest daughter, Mary, or "Mol-
lie," had relieved her mother so much
during her illness that naturally the
principal responsibility fell on her. If
newcomers felt any diffidence about
dealing with woman blacksmith, thew
were quickly disarmed by her practical
knowledge. Besides, she was vounp
and pretty. Without doubt many
horse has been shod in James Doris,
shop because its owner hoped for few
minutes chat with the pretty black
smith. All day long, following her
mothers example, Mollie is in and out
of the shop. IL is only step from the
kitchen door, and she probably takes
that step fifty times a day to see that
everything is going on right.
About O'Clock one morning several
weeks ago fire broke out in the shop. |
The shop was burned to the ground.
Since then the workmen have been
at work few doors farther /
up the street. The old shop was of |
'rame. The splendid new one, which is
n process of building on the old site, is
If brick.
Mollis Is pretty young woman of %.
She has big blue eyes, fair hair, and
ound, plump figure. Although but lit
lie older than her sisters, she is prac-
ically mother to them. She manages
he house as we'll as the shop. She was
ppointed execrutrix of her mothers
state. About year ago she married
'homas Bambrick, policeman. Short
after her mothers death relatives
dvised her to give up the shop and
love farther up town In a more stylish ,
eighborhood. The reason they gave
as that the girls would get better hus- ,
ands.
Her very sensible answer was: sMy I
sters are good girls and they don't L
eed TO live In a stylish nefohborhood | a