Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-10-19

well, I'll take you at your wofd.
Times are dull and haven't much Of
anything else besides chopping aud
saving
Judson Hardacre pressed a button,
and tab, quiet man with a pen thrust
Behind his ear stepped into the room.
"Calkins, this is Willis Everett. He
will go to work tomorrow morning at
the Edwardsburg mill ut $50 month.
He will board at the company's hotel.
Have him report to Matthews. Let me
know each week how he is doing"
I'm very much obliged to YOU
Willis faltered, hardly realizing that at
last he had found job.
Don't thank me yet" said his uncle,
almost gruliiy; you may not want to
after you have been working awhile"
Willis went home in high spirits.
Mother, mother" he called; I've go,
hudson, too"
That afternoon Willis packed his
satchel and took the train down the
valley for Edwardsburg, where the
Hardacre mills were located. It was
about twenty-five miles from home, and
he had never been in the place except
On his bicycle and he hardly knew
where the mills were located. But he
found them easily enough, and with
them the foreman, Matthews-a big,
| red-faced, stoop-shouldered giant, with
a voice like foghorn. Matthews read
the letter and then glanced at Willis
keenly and half contemptuously, VIII.
| lis thought.
Well he said, 'be on hand at I
you to work"
Willis found a place In the company's s
| boarding house-a single bunk in an
attic room with four other men. The
walls were dingy, the floor was cover
ed with coarse mating and the bedding
did not look any too clean. One little,
cobwebby window commanded a view
of vast heap of sawdust and slabs
| Supper was served on long table GOV.
cred with oilcloth, and the tea was
brought in by men walters, who laugh.
ed and joked one another. The work
men came in with their sleeves rolled
up and ate almost In silence.
| In the morning Willis was set to load
ing slabs from the waste pile into a box
| car which stood on a siding near al
hand. One man handed them down
from the pile, a second tossed them In
to the car, and third corded them up
| Willis was given the easiest tob--tha.
of piling-but he was compelled to keer
up with the other two. The slivers
stuck into his soft palms and the jag
| ged bark bruised his arms Besides
that, 1t was hot June day without q
breath of air stirring in the car Fol
| an hour or two he stood 1t pretty well
but before noon he began to feel thai
he should drop In his tracks, but he
| was determined never to give up. He
was cog in the machinery Of the mill
and he proposed to do his duty until be
broke down. Never was music sweeter
than the sound of the noon whistle
He wearlly dropped the last slab ant
staggered into the dining-room of the
boarding-house. At first he was too
tired to eat, but he managed to swal
low a little dinner, and by o'clock hi
| felt better. But he knew he never
| could last through the long Afternoon
| at the same work, and 1t was with 6
deep feeling of relief that he heard
| Matthews order his crew from the car
loading to the sawdust chutes. Herr
he was required to stand knee deep II
| soft sawdust at the end of the chute
where the waste Of the mill came blow
| ing out in a dusty cloud, and shovel fol
| dear life to keep himself from bein.
buried. 1t was hot, wearing work, and
| by the time the afternoon was finished
Willis was thoroughly discouraged.
But he was naturally vigorous o
body, and, although his uncle had made
fun Of his tennis and football, he knew
now how much good strength they hat
added to his muscles. He awakenet
the next morning lame in every joint
with his hands almost raw with bills
ters. "But I'll stick to It," he said
gritting his teeth; 1--WE got to &c
through college next year"
That DAY he was paired with bic
red-bearded Scotchman, and they wer
assigned to the work Of trimming u
some timbers with a long cross-cut saw
For a few hours Willis bent bravel.
back and forth. 1t was fearfully har'
work, particularly because he did no
understand the science Of getting tn
greatest results from the least efor'
Towards noon the big Scotchman, wh
had been watching him keenly, foun'
that the saw would need filing. Will
never felt more grateful for anythin
In his life, and In the afternoon he wa
enough rested to continue the work.
And 50 1t went on day after day. Be
fore the end Of the second week Will
grew somewhat hardened, and a
thoueh tho WORT wpe edu YeSY bar