New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-17

the thing with a hammer as II ne hau II Sp'oe
against II and was bound to work 1t all out AT
once II WAS q source of wonder to me TO see
how sljlfullv the old man turned that shoe. CIV
ing II form and curve while he hammered away
or let the hammer ring ia musical refrain upon
the body Of the anvil while he turned the shoe'
sauinted along its edges and Kept IL moving
until the white heat had given place to a duh
red glow Then he stuck 1t back into the black
cinders of the old forge. wiped his brow with
gr.my forefnger and bent anew over the BEL
lows handle.
TOO OLD TO LEARN NEW TRICKS
"After had made up for my mshap. quite
easily. fortunately. sat down and asked the
old man If he didn't think he'd better be trim
ming his boughs of knowledge TO nee; the new
growth in advancement He said he rockoned
he was too old to learn new tricks. and that
the horse would outlast him in usefulness. Yet
he said he was willing 10 confess that " he was
Younger he would study the machine; hut us
old chaps out In the country don't need 10 fear
we'll siarve for a few months to come. lac
went on. at least. won't I'LL they set II
using wheels and them electric wagons on the
farms. Wher they 10 that. me ana the Ola
woman is gon West. for might as we'll shut
up shop. and I've been working here boy ana
man for nigh about nifty years. You SEE. as
long as horses work they must have shoes on
their hoofs and "a long as horses wear Shoes
there must be wagons for 'em 10 draw ana
plou-~hs to turn up the ground. and harrows To
smooth 1t. and drills and mowers and rakeS t.
work in the corn and the grain and the hay
As long aa there's wheels there viii be tires
to set and as long AZ there's ploughs therell
be points to sharpen. 50 there's Il pretty com
Portable living in 1t. after all
but expect some Of them city smiths are
getting into hard times. 1t pears to me l read
in one OF your papers the other day how
blacksmith over Brooklyn way had committed
suicide because business was 50 bad he couldn't
make a living at IL any longer. Well. now.
expect that was one way to get out Of busl-
ness: but 1t isn't exactly my idea OF saving
ones credit. | won't say as how could have
done It. but ! would have tried 10 turn my old
shop into a wheelmending factory believe
you call them cycle establishments In the city
or something OF that kind. Look out for them
stockings Of yours nov. for this shoe Is burn
ing
81 sprang In behind the coalbin just in time
to gave my nerves. and as soon as the old man
had finished firing sparks about him. / went
away but as / rode along | kept thinking OF
the problem he had set up about city black
smiths. and 1t struck me there must be some
thing In it. AS l rode back to town | kept a
lookout. Often head the ring Of the ham
mer In the uptown side streets. and it seemed
to RE that the music OF it was not so cheering
as 1t had been on the anvil OF the old man out
there in the country. where the trees are
greener where the birds sing more sweetly and
where the air Is fresher. and where all nature
smiles more warmly"
LESS WORK FOR THE SMITHS.
This experience serves to point the way to an
other effect Of the growing popularity Of the BIZ
cycle and 1t is true that In many cases 1t Is hav-
ing its effect upon the business OF the black
smiths In New-York and Brooklyn. Yet In New
York the visitor among the smithies sees slight
signs OF this decadence. except In certain we'll
defined localities For instance on the East Side.
where there Is less surplus capital among tho
people for investment In wheels, the difference Is
not so great. The major part OF the trade with
the smiths in that locality is confined to draught
horses and the animals used In the hundreds of
delivery wagons for small grocers drygoods
houses. trucks and express wagons. smith in
one OF the middle uptown streets said:
II don't know there's much change in the
business around here. We get about the same
all the time, but it's a cheap trade, of course.
! There amt many men over here who are willing
! 70 pay 81 so for a bang-up Job OF horseshoeing.
That is what get for shoeing fine carriage
horses and the like. Your delivery wagon owner
comes in and ne don't care about whether his
! horses hoofs trimmed and dressed up stylish
/ or not. When shoe falls off he has another put
| on; but very seldom does ne have his horse shod
| all around at time although 1t would be bet
ter for the horse The drivens are careless. too.
They may be driving uptown. and on the way n
| shoe come, loose. They look at 1t and think 1t
! will carry home to the stable. There Is where
they ere wrong. Two squares Of travel on the
rough streets with loose shoe will do more
! harm to a hoof than all day on the stones with a
bare foot. The nails get twisted in the hoof and
splinter 1t. But that is not what you want to
know. You will find that there is more
| plant up among the Nverymen than anywhere
| else Sundays used to be their big day, and now
their horses stand idle for the most part, for