The San Francisco call., 1896-08-02

"I felt that the structure must be of good
size and fine appearance to compare with
other dwellings in the neighborhood. !
had but little money and nothing to de-
pend upon except what employment l
could get, and my two hands with which
to do the work. can command, how
ever, pretty good wages, and when / work
as a stone cutter and carver l can earn so
cents an hour. 1 worked three months for
my brick. and 1 have put in the founda-
ton and walls q, 900 bricks. Then / went
to Fillmore. Ventura County, and quar-
ried my stone from the bed of a creek
where was at liberty to get what could
free OF charge. If had paid for it, after it
was quarried, it would have cost me S5
cents foot. l had to stop at times, and
work for wages, when 1 could get job, in
order to keep up with my expenses. l
have made arrangements to pay for the
wlndow-frames and doors, and for the
lum Der, with work, and in this way shall
secure nearly all OF my material.
II have felt discouraged time and time
again. Once went off in despair and
almost crazy with the thing weighing on
my mind. and did nothing with it for
five months. The trouble was could not
control myself as do now. I would work
all day for wages, and then when came
home woald look at the brick and stone
and say to myself: There's that work;
it must be done. If you don't do it no
one else will Then l would think: We'll,
am pretty tired, but 1 will just work at
1t a few minutes However, instead of
doing as | intended 1 would get ratified
sometimes by fool or two coming around
In order to tell me that / had job on my
hands which l never would finish. Then
l would work until 10 or IL o'clock at
night, using lantern, and, perhaps,
would start in again at or o'clock in
the morning. AS result / broke down,
and saw that such course would not
do, and since than l have been more de-
liberate, working only when out of em.
ployment.
II am bothered more by people than by
anything else. All sorts of folks come
around and sometimes ask foolish ques-
tions. One man wanted to know if the walls
had been taken from some building and set
up there. Other questions have been asked
which were still more foolish. Besides all
this l am continually told that l can not
do the work, although not SO often now
as at first. Ii you think it is fun to be
pestered as I am just take the job and try
1t yourself. | am not so worried as | was
have got over my hurry and look at
it as something on which to merely spend
my idle time. Why, if a man did not lay
but brick day at the end of ten years
he would find that he had built quite a
q 70 ~,
three or four more years the structure will
be completed. Moreover, when the work
is still more advanced, l can raise money
on the property if necessary and quickly
finish it.
when | am through with this I shall
organize an association of workingnlen,
and we will build houses-not large ones
at first but small ones. We will put in
our spare time that way, paying for the
material with work and selling the prop
erty for enough to bring us fair wages
with a small premium. This dwelling
which | am at work on now will have a
capacity of five rooms above and three
very large rooms below, one of which can
be thrown into two. There will be quite
a roomy hallway, a parlor, sitting-foom
and dining-room. The kitchen will be in
the basement, and also a bedroom for
help. The property so far, count ting my
work at regular wages and including the
price of the lot, has cost me some $500o
When finished it will be worth $4,000"
This builder. by his determination and
courage, has turned contempt into ad-
miration, and he has now the sympathy
of the entire community. In fact, most
of those who have become acquainted
with the circumstances are as anxious that
he should succeed as he is himself.