The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-10-14
UNCLE JUDSONS CRUST.
.ssssssssss Q eeseeeeeeess

after you have been working awhile"
Willis went home in high spirits.
Mother, mother" he called; "Ive got
a Job at last-and a job from Uncle
Judson, too"
That afternoon Willis packed his
satchel and took the train down the
valley for Edwardsburg, where the
Hardacre mills were located. 1t 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, op-shouldered giant, with
| a voice like foghorn. Matthews read
the letter and then glanced at Willis
keenly and half contemptuously, Will
| lis thought.
"Well," he said, ''be on hand at Z
| o'clock tomorrow morning, and I'll put
you to work"
Willis found place in the company's 9
| 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 view
of a vast heap Of sawdust and slabs.
Supper was served on long table COW
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 box
car which stood on a siding near at
hand. One man handed them down
from the pile, second tossed them in
to the car, and a third corded them up.
Willis was given the easiest job-that
of piling-but he was compelled to keep
I'D with the other two. The slivers
stuck into his soft palms and the jag
ged bark bruised his arms. Besides
that, it was a hot June day without a
breath of air stirring in the car. For
an hour or two he stood 1t pretty well,
but before noon he began to feel that
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 he
broke down. Never was music sweeter
than the sound Of the noon whistle
He wearily dropped the last slab and
staggered into the dining-room of the
boarding house. At first he was toe
tired to eat, but he managed to swal.
low little dinner, and by ! o'clock he
felt better. But he knew he never
could last through the long afternoon
at the same work, and 1t was with a
deep feeling of relief that he heard
| Matthews order his crew from the car
loading to the sawdust chutes. Here
he was required to stand knee deep in
soft sawdust at the end Of the chute,
where the waste Of the-min came blow
ing out in dusty cloud, and shovel for
dear life to keep himself from being
buried. 1t was hot, wearing work, and
by the time the afternoon was finished
Willis was thoroughly discouraged.
But he was naturally vigorous OF
body, and, although his uncle had made
fun of his tennis and football, he knew
now how much good strength they had
added to his muscles. He awakened
the next morning lame in every Joint,
with his hands almost raw with blis-
ters. "But I'll stick to it." he said
gritting his teeth; 'I've got to gel
through college next year."
That day he was paired with a big
red-bearded Scotchman, and they were
assigned to the work of trimming up
some timbers with long cross cut saw
For q few hours Willis bent bravely
] back and forth. 1t was fearfully hard
work, particularly because he did moi