Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-05-06
tanned THE PLUMBER
The BOY HELPER WHO WAS too
STRONG FOR THE. BUSINESS.

onoNo rOH The BUSINESS.
A Talented Journeyman Who Hal n,
Fault, Which Has Been Cured Recant,
by an Employers Novel Plan.-On n,
Guard Now Against ssRineers.n
Ihls Is the story Of the tanning Of tb,
pourneyman plumber. The journeyma,
plumber was the best of his kind :,
Town, and was much sought after b,
boss plumbers. AS one of them describec
ms talents, He can sling more ma
terlal into job in the greatest length
VI tllne than any man in the business. u
buG the Journeyman plumber was. with
al ms talents, hard man to keen en-.
ployed on account of his irascibilitx.
his temper was shorter than a rabbits
tail, and he took out his Indignation
and his headaches and rows with his
wife On his helpers.
"A helper to a journeyman plumber is
youth who lays out tools, holds pine.
nands the journeyman his solder and
ms soldering iron, and who carries back
and forth the journeyman's bag Of tools
and his furnace. He is journeyman in
embryo, and the first thing he learns is
implicit obedience to his journeyman
and not to be too swift Plumbers call
him "cub'' and s'kid."
This particular journeyman abused
his helpers. When things went wrong
he usually caught his helper by the ear
and swatted him. The result was that
the helpers returned to the shon and
told the boss they lacked the talent for
plumbing and quit. As O result the
available helper timber was rapidly be-
coming exhausted.
Inc boss plumber did not wish to
lose his journeyman, but he was almost
at the end of his list of helpers Conse-
quently he thought. After much labor
ne produced an idea. He went down to
a resort kept by a professor. 1t was
a dlngy place, with sloppy bar and fly
specked mirror Oh one side and row
OF barrels on the other. The walls were
covered with boxing gloves and highly
colored pictures Of men in fighting atti-
tudes AS the result Of conference he
tween the boss plumber and the "pro-
lessor, stunted youth, very broad
across the shoulders, was called up.
Il want boy to learn the plumbers
trade, " said the boss plumber.
well, you'll have to guess again."
said the stunted youth ''There amt no
money in it. Maybe four or five a week.
eh? can knock that out of the punchin
bag in here, see?''
He meant that he could earn S5 a :
week teaching half baked sports to punch
The bag.
III give you SO. so day to see how :,
you like the plumbers business, Z" said
he plumber.
"I'u go you, said the stunted youth. s
The next morning the stunted youth f
appeared at the plumbers shop in over
Ills and little round cap with peak. &
lie was told to go out with the Journey 2
nan plumber. Together they went to
'lg vacant building to set up an iron 81
ipe. They were sent to the vacant b
u1ldlng that there might be no family p
here to be shocked should anything oc-
ur. On the car the stunted youth en- M
Favored to become acquainted with the s,
ourneyman, but the jou1neyman was :
1llen and the acquaintance stopped.
When the building was reached the
)urneyman said, "Scatter them tools -
he tools were scattered about, so that
hen one was needed some little time ev
as consumed in picking it out. The M
lpe was several inches in diameter, NJ.
1d the game was to pile one joint upon
lother and solder it there, and so to
le top OF the building. The pipes were ,,.
eavy and four times as tall as the a.,
united youth. AS a result, it was diff
lit for him to hold them up straight.
last the journeyman, who was on s
oder soldering, looked down and said: cry
"Gol darn you. II you don't hold that Wa
pc up straight, I'll come down and Ere
nd your facev'
At this the stunted youth dropped the
pc and said: "All right Come down 81
d bend me face.'' The journeyman me me
d never been talked to like this be- n,.' 1,o
re, and he "came down" on
When it was all over, the journey
IN went home in a carriage with a N
IN holding his head in his lap. The in t
nted youth walked back to the shop Mai
Say he said to the boss, "I'm too F.
ong for the plumbin business Guess
quit.
why, what's the matter?" asked N'
boss Dist
'Oh, that guy you sent me out wild
rted to bend me face. De does took
a home in hack. Say, his face is Al
d." and he rubbed his knuckles. NEE
All right, said the boss. eff you've mon
to quit, here's your 50. SO, but I Rob
1k you'd make great plumber. reta
he next morning tho journeyman
mber walked into the shop He was Oh
ght. mee'
Wot kind of murderer was that an
sent out with me yesterday" he d. ~
I'd, out of the uncovered corner of
mouth. "say, he beat me scandal
with q piece Of lead pipe. ?" And the
laughed a loud, scornful laugh, na
he knew that. the journeyman had Hal,
| tanned. And, sure enough, there Kni,
r the journeyman treated his helpers
snderly as SONS, for he never knew
Il he might run against another Vale
lger kansas City Star. Mono