The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-24
WORK OF THE MACHINE.


and ran back $50 feet to the alley. The
house was two-story brick, standing in
one of those long rows Of two STORED
brick cottages on the far west side which
! lcok as if they had been taken out OF a
child's box of toys.
The family conference was held in the
little front room, which Tom Johnson
the head of the family. had been buried
two days before.
There is 500 still due on the house. -
said Mrs Johnson. If We had it paid for
we could get along all right. But 1
don't see how we can live and keep up the
payments on sls a week
I'm hoping to get a raise" said Neil.
the eldest daughter. ION the first of the
year. They ought to make me assistant
fCrelady and give me 50 a week.
Yes. said her mother, but you're
only getting seven now, and it won't
co to bank on what may happen"
I've been spending more than l need
to- said Lena, the other girl. 81 can
save a
Jaw, Lena" Mrs. Johnson answered.
you cant do much better on your S
week. Besides. Tommy is costing more
every year. He'll be through the gram
mar school next year and
Now, look here. mother" broke in
little Tom, who was almost IA and big for
his age. you needn't worry any more
about 1t. I'm through costing you any
thing. I'm going to quit school right
away 1 can earn S. week to start
over at the tin can factory. l was over
to see the boss this morning and he'll put
me On next Monday. Then 1 reckon you
cad keep the house ell right, mother?"
Now, Tommy, you know your father
wanted you to go through to the high
school, and we amt going to let you quit
to help us out" said Mrs. Johnson. and
the girls backed her up with vehemence.
But little Tom had already taken his
place as head of the family and he car
ried his point
'Pshaw. mother" he urged. what has
book learning got to to with it. any
how? Ill get along just as well without
any more schooling. Anyway, I amt
going to see you give up the house. /
know father would want me to take hold
and help. Besides I've taken the job
and it's too late to back out
So Tom went to work at the tin can
factory on the next Monday morning.
His work was to feed sheets of tin into
the jaws of two great machines. Within
a week he had learned all there was to
know about the joD- 1t took no great
skill to run the machines, but it kept
him busy on his feet ten hours a day
seeing that both of his machines were
kept supplied, that the long sheets of
l.
they did not buckle or wrinkle on the
way through. So when night came he
vas always dead tired and ready to go to
bed right after supper.
AT the end of a few months the work
had grown perfectly mechanical to him.
it was not necessary to think what he
was doing: his hands, almost unaided,
were able to take care of his part of the
work and the great machines did their
W hum
and accuracy. But one thing grew not
L whit less. That was the amount of
physical labor required in running be-
tween the two machines, lifting the
heavy sheets Of tin and slipping them
into the jaws of the machine. Every
night when the whistle blew he was
tired out.
dollar by dollar. the $500 due on the
house was paid off. The man who owned
the long row of little cottages proved
to be kind-hearted and honest. Twice
he extended the time at Toms request.
He was always ready, he said, to help an
Industrious and honest family.
Tom woke up one morning TO find that
he was 20 years old. He was a man. The
house was paid for at last. He was
feeding four machines now and was get
ting $40 a week. But that was the
limit of what it was possible for any man
to do in that line, and consequently SO
was the maximum wage he could hope
for
0 most of the other machines boys
were at work. 1t seemed to Tom that he
had better be looking for a mans work
Anybody can feed a machine" he
thought. II learned the job in a week,
so l could do it as well as l can now.
I'd better get out and hustle for a mans
job with more money in it
He got UP that morning with a touch
OF his old ambition stirring in his veins
The world was still before him. He
would stick to the machines no longer.
Mrs. Johnson. his mother. was growing
old and bit feeble. Nell the oldest Sis
ter. was married and living in CIeve-
land Her husband was an expert ma
making his 81 day. But they
had two children. and besides Tom had
never thought of allowing anybody else
to contribute to the support of his fam
lily" Lena. the second sister. had grown !
sckly. She was not able to work much |
more than half the time and consequently !
found il hard to hold a job
a good many of the young fellows Tom |
had grown up with were still living near
I'm. There was Mike Hogan, who was
now a tool-maker. In the neighborhood !
fabulous stories were told of his earn |
ings. Next evening. though Tom was
tired as usual. he went over to have a |
talk with him.
You see" said Tom, I'm a man now, |
ard / want to be doing a mans work. |
Any kid can feed those machines of !
mine. What kind OF show is there in |
your trader
"A bully show" said Hogan. mo bet |
ter chance in any trade: but you've got |
to learn the trade. 1t took me four |
steady years before worked as a jour |
neyman. You can't go to work now as an |
al prentice boy. can your"
Tom saw that it would look ridiculous |
for a man of - to be working along |
side the little chaps who were serving |
az apprentices. Besides he saw at once |
hat he could not live and support his 1
family on the wages Of an apprentice. |
lie made other inquiries of other friends. |
and he found that all the other trades |
we're shut off from him in the same way !
Willis Glgard. another old friend and |
seighhcr, was the assistant manager OF |
lne OF the departments in a big insurance !
office on La Sale street. He was well |
dressed and prosperous. and il struck /
Tom that perhaps, since he could not |
y DIRK at a trade. he might. through CT !
gard. get q chance in an office. where a |
ong apprenticeship was no; required.
Let me see. Tom said Gigard. after
Tom had explained his ambition. how
Jar did you go in schooi?''
To the sixth grade" answered Tom. |
With sinking in his heart.
Well. then. I'm afraid there's no use |
n trying to get 4 clerical job IN down |
Town office. Yo1 ser. a fellow has got |
20 have 4 pretty fair education to hold |
Town any kind OF job. and they are
Getting str,cter every year. Now. in my
lffice they won't hire anybody nova
lays without he's gone through the high
school. / went through the second year
myself. ycu know"
Tom went home ard sat down with