New-York tribune., 1896-10-18
A WOMAN BUILDS A HOUSE.
Ill.
HER EXPERIENCES AS HER OWN CON
TRACTOR.

nd
of doors. sash. blinds and mou'dnss in's -,
ured at the shop Of one Of the most important CITY
dealers where I purchased also the P.e'"'.'f
Dutch front door OF my house FROM .h'' "'
attained the address Of a Responsible "ea'e' "
builders hardware and one In WINDOW siasS' i"e
quality Of glass that Jimmy Brown hao pu' "'
nv house was inferior ana nish-price" '"'
ordsred him TO use no more glazed sasn.
found these metropolitan dealers were uniformly
courteous in filing my comparatively SINAI. o'",.
They gave me the proper discounts on theu "'l
nrIces which reduced them CONSIDERABLY oe'o"
what I had paid Henry Sly d CO. rui'ne'no..'
they understood my orders and shipped tner soou.
,;tb a care and promptness which were electriIyins
after nv experience with the diiatory' s"i'
methods Of country dealers. ID, 49,.
was informed by the natives OF the "''"ss &c
nv freight bills from such distance would DC
"orf,,, T soon found that where goods are snippe'
continuously on the same line OF raiiroa' o'S'a"eo
il = comparatvely small matter IL often cost ~
more to bring building material from the city :"
miles distant than from the next village ou' u"
miles away. .
..Its the handling that costs, the ireien' 'so"'
explained ~,
T finally astonished myself IN this matter by
hr,pons c,0 feet of small oak heading from dis-
t,nt town in Indiana for 20 cents After ms .ne
cost Of small freight from distant points ''ouoe"
me far less than that from near towns 80
I engaged a thrifty, industrious carpenter WI"
an exceptionally good reputation. to prepare '"e
house for the masons. TIc explained thar ne was
not a contractor. but he was so prompt ana 'o"
or,h,s in keepn1 track OF any time spent away
from work that was tempted 10 ask him 10 nhlsn
the house He owned two houses ara his '"e''''
ness and prosperity were i'm marked contrast "
Moor Browns continual depression. These houses
rore the results OF his frugai,y and INDUSTRY
,,ough he worked at lower price tnan MeSSIT'
eh.rne G. Brown had charged me per hay io'
labor He was unable however. to compete 'he
house as he was always engaged In advance
NJ Hubbes. the next man who came to see me-
cxplalned that he was very ola na"' "'
er,oIv convinced OF this when saw him at WORK.
IT, CANA we'll recommended" He said "he knew
Nd had q hard time with that scoundrel sharpe
and he himself Intended to work for most noun
in" When asked him what most no'hn "a
he finally admitted that at was y day. lie sa,,
hc would finish the house in three weeks IL "ou''
.,,nlov John A man Of his. TO help him. 'ohh
',,, ,,so work for 81 n day. This was % cents
,.os than Messrs Sharpe & Brown had charged me
for work by the day.
Mr. Hubbes appeared the next morning 'oon' ""''
an bour late II took him about TWO honrs 10 s''
thoroughly at work. About TINS Time ne 'oT' NE
n.c,acles and charity demanded that some one
t,,1 hmm, them up When they were finally
,,rd bo had lost one OF his tools: and by the time
tho day was over he had made tn" SMALLEST poSs.,
Ill, proercss Ills labor would have been dear al ~
\ d,y John tho man. arrived tne next "dS' nv
va. . nervous, bright WoFkinaii WIN
,ccomplish an excellent days work Huooes
.,,on,iv relied upon him make good his own
,o,c;encics Through the work Of the two conid
hardly expect get more than DAY anu NAN
of labor for days wages
w Uuhbes was a toval individual. fu OF ahec-
do,os of Judge Smith" and various other great
roonle for whom he had worked down IN tanha
COUNTY" These stories took up considerable time
| F., ,as compolled 10 go TO the city temporarily
a,d 7 was unwilling TO leave these mon III '''a's'
y, ,h, work Mr.. Hubbes had "contracted lot an
o,hcr lob" about this time. ana ne came W ser nv
! nronosod that he should let his man John WORK
for me while he worked on the now l"p' re
nra,i,. consented reluctantly TO this arrangement
,,hts man worked industriousy and aocompNshe"
, rreat deal Then Mr.. Hubbes came oack anu sus-
gos,ed that he ready 10 go on oy inc da!'
ia Rim, frankly that ] did not think he was able
,o do a DAYS work. and could NOT pay MIN io'
DAYS work must acknowledge that "edHe"o"'
co,,sr,nu him cxpatiating on his value as con-
| tractor and Judge OF good work TIC sa'' ne ''''
very much injured that he felt JUST IKE ~''"'
County Niger; that was tn" way ne ''" "' va"
- o,d man" I told him that the only way
corlA ,Gord 10 employ him was on laoor con-
,.o, r,btch n, and John could sign between them
rb,s no consented 10, and this. with some mlsgl'-
ing his workman John signed with MN " "'S
irawr worry carefully. Everything remaining TO II"
done was ninu'ely estimated
! ,ho lumo sum for which the two men offered 70
| ,o,o ,h. house was quito within reasonable
,,aods They were to divide this sum between
Them. according TO the amount OF time ea'n spe'i'
~ ,ho work simple minded Mr.. Hubbes felt ag-
srieved At this last section. , -.
.vy,,v he said divide II equal befwix' us
r,,, clause however went In and was signed as u
stood -, ,,n
| Nv next purchase WAS a builders tim" 'ooN
This hook John asked me 10 buy FOR MN III III"
| civ there wcre time hooks in our village IN
! 49,. hook tho amount Of time each man spent on
| IL.
Iohn told Mr.. Huhbes anything about ms arrange,
| o,, 7, was the only condition on which n" had
consented 10 sign the contract for labor win 'h'
| easy going old contractor
| rh. work progressed with painful sovness, owing
/ % Nr uubbes's various methods OF spending time
| uo confidently told me- that he was ''lookin for
| 80, "a ,srd him money build a row OF housen
| Uc often made plural by adding EN- after inc
| method of the Dutch OF Canda county. nc spent
| largo perlods OF time searching for TINS man
nre dav he came back with quite downcast air.
lie said "the man had decided not 10 no IT, '"" Tic
uas eoln' TO look for another
! sometimes he would work little and go through
Tho farce OF losing his tools and spectaces. III
seemed Ike dcceving innocence 10 take account W
this mans time" Finally. in spite OF all delays
| tho work was done by the patient john
J There was not the slightest trouble In regard to
,,rher Every consignment was carefully meas
ureJ and few mistakes or shortages were re-
ported and were always made right. The hrm
dealt with proved TO be perfectly honorable dealers
Tb. door knobs and other trimmings were sent
from n city shop. The city window glass was nav
loss and was put In by the village gl1zier. Alto
~c,hcr the house admirably finished ana
! great success. -. -..,.s =, =.
settlement with MIR Huobes until he had seen him
shoud NOT have done this after my previous u
! nIcasant experience OF threatened liens Mr. Hubhes
e,r,r Down the day after the work was completed
" y,ant vou 10 see John" said, "and settle with
him on the proper sum coming to each OF You, ana
.vhv weren't We TO divide equal he said
81 think your contract" | repned was on the
Ia sis NJ the amount Of time you each put In. l
| have a time book" Desperation had made me al
most hard - ..o.o, =. had hoo,