Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-08-15
BLACkSMITHS' APRONS.
A Legend Which Explains why They
Are Always NOtched.

Are Always NOtched.
The teacher of forging at the Manual
Training High school, James Yule, told
a story to his pupils which was report
ed as follows by the Indianapolis News.
Boys" said the teacher, you have all
seen Rembrandt Steele's decorative
work, the blacksmith with the edges Of
his leathern apron notched. There's
probably not one blacksmith in a hun
dred who knows why the apron is
nOtched, and yet every blacksmith fix
es his apron in this way, whether in
America, England, Germany, France,
Spain or Mexico.
when | was a boy in England,
where | learned my trade as black
smith. when got my first apron I sat
down and with my knife began to
notch the edges. One Of the older men,
seeing me at work, knife in hand, ask
ed me If knew what l was doing and
why was doing it. l replied that
was doing what had seen the other
smiths do. Then he told me this leg
end:
OhSC uPOh a tlllC a Mig VI
gave great feast, to which he invited
the masters of the various crafts in
his kingdom. After they were seated
at the table the king, passing from one
to another, talked with them, asking
questions as to their handiwork. At
the head of the table sat the tailor.
dressed in his best and looking very,
very proud in his fine attire.
SIN answer to the kings inquiry as
to his trade he said Il am the tailor.
l make the kings robes of state and
the suits for his hawking and hunting
"'With what dost thou do these
grand thingsY asked the king.
"'With shears and needle said the
tailor
"'And who makes these rare tools
for theeY asked the king.
"'The blacksmith. answered the
tailor
''Then the king. passing along the
table, spoke to the carpenter, to the
bricklayer. the mason and to other
craftsmen. Each one told of the work
he did for the king. But these, as did
the others. acknowledged that 1t was
the blacksmith who made the tools
with which they did their work
"At last the king came to the black
smith, modestly seated at the very foot
of the table, not clothed in as good ap-
parel as the other craftsmen, but with
q smutched face and a grimy leathern
apron.
"'Ho, hov said his majesty as the
blacksmith rose in an awkward way,
for he had no acquaintance with the
manners of the court. What dost thou
make for thy kingY
"I make your armor and your sword
when you go to war for the honor of
the Kingdom stammered the smith.
eyes said the king, and thou max
est the sharp points to the arrows Of
my stout longbows and the heads to
my spears and battleaxes. More than
that-without thee there would be no
tools for these craftsmen
'The king then took the blacksmith
by the hand. His bushes could even
be seen through the, smudge on his
face, and, moving the tailor down to
the foot, the king placed him at the
head of the table.
"The tailor alone of all the craftsmen
did not like this change of places, so,
watching his chance, while the others
were drinking the health Of the king in
great fiagons of beer, he slipped under
the table and with his shears cut the
edges Of the blacksmith's apron.
sand that is the way the blacksmith's
apron came to be notched. and 1t has
been worn so ever SINCE"