Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-04-18
THE GOOD OLD TIMES.
AN HONEST SHlPBUILDER TELLS
ABOUT THEM IN OHIO.

Zen Shillings a Day For Skilled Mechan-
ic-He Got His Pay In Goods at the
Store and Not Cent OF Ioney-The Hal
cyon Days of Free Trade Recalled.
Last week had occasion to go over to
Long Island on bR>iness and tumbled in
to regular old free trade nest where
three free trade papers are published in
a couple Of villages of 10000 inhabit-
ants in the township of Hampstead.
felt sorry for the farmers there and
particularly for the farmers wives, be-
cause those papers never speak the truth
and would never tell the women folks
that millions of dollars had been saved
to the country every year by protection
on eggs. People down there have felt
the hard times PINCH too, and want all
they can get for their farm stuffs with
out having to sell in New York in COM
petition with potatoes from Bermuda
and Europe and cabbages from Dutch
land.
An old man, who had an eye as bright
as new dollar and wits as keen as the
edge of razor, said: ''There are lots of
young fellows around here who talk of
good times and hard times, but they
haven't been alive long enough to know
anything about it. | let them talk, and
I listen, and sometimes [ tell them of the
good old Democratic times we had near
ly so years ago."
elbow were the times then?' asked.
eve read a good deal about them, but
it is not often that one has chance to
talk with a man who has seen real good
old Democratic days"
He looked at me pretty sharply, as if
sizing me up, and then began:
81 am an old ships carpenter and
shipbuilder. That's my trade. 1 was
born right here in Freeport, but I've
moved around good bit and seen some
thing. For quite number Of years I
lived in Ohio, and there | had contract
to build vessel for the lake trade. The
country back of Ohio wasn't opened up
then as it is now, and the lake trade was
not so large, but still there was some
thing doing. Well, I got this contract.
The owner supplied ali the lumber and
stuff himself, and his contract with me
was to pay me 10 shillings for each and
every day | worked"
The old salt looked around, thought
he'd try some cider and said: ''Ten shil-
lings was pretty good wages, my boys,
that long time back, when the country
wasn't what it is today, and then we had
Democratic government and plenty of
free trade too. Yes, sir, 10 shillings a
day was pretty good pay"
He paused, took sip at the cider and
a pull at his pipe. His eyes began to
twinkle as he asked, "How often do you
think got paid?'
We waited for him to answer his own
question, which he did as follows:
III tell you. My pay was 10 shillings
day, and good pay too. l worked for
months in and months out on that YES
sci and put in good work On her, but
from the day began to the day l fin
ished 1 received never a single shilling"
bringing his fist down with a whack on
the counter that made the windows rat
tie.
''Not id shilling did I ever get"
he repeated, mot a shilling"
Didn't he pay you anything at all
then for your work.
"Oh, yes, he paid me. He paid all he
owed me. You see he had store, and
every days pay that L earned I had to
take out in goods at his store and at his
price. was loaded up with wheat, but
thank heaven it wasn't as cheap as in
these free trade times, Or else I'd have
had an elevator full. Yes, sir, every
shilling I earned I had to take out in
trade at his store al top notch prices,
and [ never once saw red
tive been through the mill. That's
only part Of my experience with the
good old free trade times that these
young fellows around here have been
hollering for. Give 'em all they want Of
EN- he said, GIVE had my share. Let
'em get some sense and earn it as did"
B. THINKEN.