Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-03


| ringing of noisy bell. He
dressed. shivering, and STUN
| bled downstairs to the round stove, big
| as boiler, into which the cripple
dumped huge logs of wood from time
! to time. After breakfast Thorpe re-
! turned to this stove and sat half doing
| for what seemed to him untold ages.
| The cold of the northern country was
i initiating him.
| Men came in. smoked 4 brief pipe
| and went out After time he hlmself
| put on his oycrcoat and yentured out
| into the town 1t seemed to Thorpe d
menger affair, built of lumber, mostly
unpainted, with always the dark, men-
acing fringe Of the forest behind. The
great sawmill, with It's tall stacks and
! its rows of water barrels protection
[ against firc-on top, was the dominant
note. Near the mill coughed a little
red painted structure from whose stove
/ pjpe a column of white smoke arose,
/ attesting the cold. clear hundred feet
straight upward, and to whose door
| number of men We're directing their
steps through the snow. Over the door
i Thorpe could distinguish the word of
] fee" He followed and entered.
| In narrow aisle rallied off from the
main part of the room waited Thorpe's
| companions Of the night before. The
1 remainder of the Office gave accommo-
! dation to three clerks. One OF these
glanced up inquiringly us Thorpe came
! ill.,
81 am looking for work" said Thorpe.
"Wait there" briefly commanded the
clerk.
In few moments the door OF the
inner room opened and Shearer came
out. A mans head peered from within.
/ "Come on. boys" said he.
/ The five applicants shufiled through.
Thorpe found himself in the presence
I OF a man whom he felt to be the natu-
raj leader of these wild, independent
spirits. He was already a little past
middle life, and his form had lost the
elastic vigor of youth. But his eye
was keen, clear and wrinkled to GER
tain dry righteousness, and his figure
was OF that bulk which gives an I'M
preston of subtler weight and power
than the merely physical. You felt his
| superiority even when he was most
comradely with you. This man Thorpe
| was to meet under other conditions,
| wherein the steel hand would more
| plainly clink the metal.
He was now seated In worn office
chair before Uttered desk. In the
| close air hung the smell of stale cigars
and the clear fragrance of pine.
what is 1t, Dennis:" he asked the
/ first of the men.
/ 1--WE been out" replied the lumber
man. "Have you got anything for me.
Mr.. Daly!"
The mill owner laughed.
II guess SO. Report to Shearer. Did
| you vote for the right man, Denny?'
| The lumberman grinned sheepishly.
81 don't know, sir. I didn't get that
far"
Better let 1t alone. I suppose you
and Bill want to come back too!' he
added. turning to the next two in line.
"All right; report to Tim. Do you
want work." he inquired of the last OF
the quartet. big. hashful man, with
the shoulders of Hercules.
Eyes, sir" answered the latter, I'M
comfortable.
What do you want?
I'm cant hook man, sir"
"Where have you workedw
81 had job with Morgan & Steb-
bins on the Clear river last winter"
"All right we need cant hook men.
Report at seven and If they don't
want you there 30 to thirteen
The man went out. DAILY turned to
Thorpe with the last fickers of amuse-
ment in his eyes.
what can l do for you?" he in
CURED.
81 am looking for work." Thorpe re-
piled.
What kind of work?"
"Any kind SO long as l can learn
N,mething about the lumber business"
The older man studied him keenly for
q few moments.
Have you had any other business
experienced"
"None."
''What have you been doing?"
Nothing"
The lumberman's eyes hardened.
I'VE are very busy firm here" he
said, with certain elaboration. I'VE
do not carry Il big force of men in any
one department. and each OF those men
has to fill his place and Stop some over
the sides. We do not pretend or at
tempt to teach here. If you want to
be lumberman you must learn the
lumber business more directly than
through the windows OF a bookkeeper's
office Go into the woods. Learn few
first principles. Find out the differ
ence between Norway and white pine
anyway"
After his speech the business man
whirled back to his desk.
"Have you anything for me to do In
the woods, them the other asked
quietly.
No. said DAILY over his shoulder.
Thorpe went out. He had made the
elementary discovery that even in chop
ping wood skilled labor counts. He
did not know where to turn next, and
he would not have had the money to
! go far in any case; So although Shear
er's brusque greeting that morning had