The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-03

CONSTANCE.
the cable-hook gave way and the beam
plunged downward, going with a thun-
derons roar through the dewalk tim
bering into the deep excavation below.
A mob instantly filled the street before
the building, and a scene OF indescrioa-
BILE tumult and excitement ensued. Po-
licemen came running, ambulances were
rung for, rumors flew about that many
were crushed in the cellar. In the midst
OF il all, q clear, calm voice, above the
heads OF the surging, vociferous crowd,
called, "Out of the way, please, and
looking up they saw just over them John
Burroughs, who had slid down dang
ling rope, with one coil Of 1t as brake
on his leg, as trapeze performers descend
in q circus. They made way for him,
and he, alighting, pushed through to the
Superintendent and reported placidly:
"It is number 297 ID, that Is wanted"
CHAPTER Nv.
When John Burroughs realized that he
was, temporarily, at least, POOR man,
he resolved to learn something practical,
by which he could not only support him
self with a feeling of Independence, but
even rise in the world through his own
exertions. He had q good college educa-
tion, but that was worth little in the bait
tie OF life except as mental training for
professions refugees for the lazy and in
competent genteel--did not tempt him 7;
he had neither liking nor capital for
mercantile speculation. A "trade" pre-
sentsd itself TO his mind as the desirable
thing, some good sort OF honest skilled
labor productive of something useful to
humanity and likely to be in permanent
demand. And of all the trades that even
the census takers have found out, none
suited him so well as iron working, par
ticularly that branch OF II now so import
ant in our large cities, the construction
OF buildings. To this he resolved to devote
himself
Believing in "knowing from the ground
up' anything he sought to learn, he
commenced his new career as day laborer
in the foundry OF the great "Vulcan
Works." wheeling sand and cleaning
castings. At the same time with an eye
to some day becoming an employer, he
deemed this an opportune time for &C
quiring thorough knowledge OF the class
OF toilers among whom he had cast his
lot and to this end went to live In q
mechanics boarding house. Men could
not expect much OF the comforts OF life
for IS per week, the rate paid there, but
would have been justified in disappoint-
ment at what was actually afforded in
that Establishment. Its only abundances
were dirt and foul air.
Within q fortnight, his quick observa-
tion and alert intelligence made him q
valuable "helper," and in little time
more he had SO far mastered the details
of lron-founding, as practiced In that
foundry. that though still only ranking
and paid as lsborsr, he was really do
ing the work of q skilled moulder. He
had been at this a couple of mont hs, W hen
one day he electrified the foreman by CAL
ling his attention to the inferior quality
Of a new lot OF "pigs," the first melting
,ok, haA I'll
and with technical accuracy he stated the
defective chemical composition of the
iron, by reason Of which castings made
from II would fall at least 10 per cent.
below the minimum Of strength they
should possess. Not another among the
80 moulders OF the foundry, ell supposedly
skillful men, had, or could have, made
that discovery, the correctness OF which
was readily proved. When asked how he,
q aborer, came to know 40 much about
iron, he modestly replied that he had
picked up little about II in college"
That incident gave him a new stand
ing for not only the foreman but.his en-
ployers-to whom IL was duly reported
were grateful and sppreoiative. Learn
ing that he wished TO gain q knowledge
of the iion business in all its depart
ments, they encouraged and in q short
time aided him, by a transfer to the roll
ling-mill, where he speedily learned the
making OF steel xiruers, Deafns, etc. lhen
an incident, needless TO relate but fortu-
nate a. that which gave him distinction
in the foundry brought out the fact that
he was a good mechanical draug htsman,
with evidences OF taste as a designer and
he was promoted TO the "drawing"
room. Here be remained until, i'm an
emergency, he was called upon to essay
the duties OF assistant foreman in the
actual construction OF a great steel frame
building, and that was the point he had
rcsched when Constance Dessine found
him.
All this progress he had achieved in
one year, so he had certainly done we'll
with the industrial half of his problem;
but as much could not bo said for the
social half of It, He did not get along
we'll at the mechanics boarding house.
In vain he tried TO adopt the manners
and habits OF his fellow -boarders, st
least far enough TO put from their minds
the sense OF separation between him and
them. He could not. even by effort, be
as dirty in mind. speech and person as
Some OF them were with natural ease.
And he could not help thinking logically
and using his brain when be t.lked,
which caused others OF them TO view him
with suspicion. Insensibly he grew to
realize that he was surrounded by an at.
mosphere OF distfust, sptagonism and
even malice. the inspiring force ~
which was man known as Herr Janovics.
II Janovios dio any work IL was In
A. -