Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-25
FoRTY-sIx YEARS At THE FORGE.
The Remarkable Record Of Popular
Augusta Blacksmith,

Chester NJ. Clark. the sale of whose
blacksmith shop on Cony street was
briefly noted in the Journal, a few DAYS
ago. has a record In mis- line OF Wort,
that deserves more than RAISING notice
and one that probably very few men in
our State can equal.
He has worked at his trade almost
continuously for between As and 4s
years. and is. today. as straight as an
arrow, and lively as Il boy. There are
many fields Of work that will permit a
man to work this length OF time with
out suffering any painful effect. but
blacksmithing is not one of that sort.
Mr.. Clark says Is years Is about the
limit for the ordinary man to stand the
work and there are MANY who do not
care to follow it that length of time.
Mr.. Clark began blacksmithing in
1860 in South China AMI during all
these intervening years has worked in
various shops in this vicinity. He has
been in the shop he has Just sold out on
Cony street for the past six years and
has worked steadily since that time.
He has taken day off once in a while.
but he has worked mora than enough
extra hours to make the 10 hours a day
for all the working days in each of
those six years.
Mr.. Clark says he enjoys the work.
and in his day has fastened shoes on
some frisky ones. and in his youthful
days he used to take pride in this line
Of work. tackling horses which had to
be put in sings at previous shoeings.
He is not afraid of them now, either,
according to the word of those who
know Mr.. Clark.
Mr.. Clark offers no special reasons
why he has stood the train of all the3a
years Of hard work so well and stated
with genial laugh that he used to be
out as much nights when young man,
as anybody, although he was not given
to carrying it to excess.
Mr.. Clark says he shall not retire
from blacksmithing yet awhile but in
tends to round out 4 full half-century,
which is less than years away. And
there seems no reason in the world 20
doubt that he will De able to do so.
Mr.. Clark has made many warm
friends during these years, both by rea-
son Of his ability as a blacksmith and
also Of his merits as man. Even
while the Journal man was in the shop.
an elderly gentleman came in and re-
marked. well. Mr.. Clark, guess
there1l be some sorry faces around
now. according to what l read in the
paper the other day." 10 which MIR.
Clark responded that ne should rather
hear a man say this than that he was
trl. he
who has known Mr.. Clark for years. re
marked to the Journal that he doubted
If there was man in the State Of
Maine who had shod so many horses
and whipped so few, as ne had never
seen him strike a horse in his life, no
matter how bad the animal might act
Mr.. Clark himself says, modestly, that
he thinks he must have driven about
as many nails as any one he knows Of
He has not decided where he will
locate next. but as already stated. he
intends to follow the trade till he
reaches the so mark and there is no
doubt but that he will find the oppor-
tunity.
Nowhere is Mr.. Clark better known
or more highly respected than in Ma
sonic circles. and the hundreds of menu
bers of the order in this city will great
ly miss him if he decides to leave Au-
gusta. He has been n Mason about as
long as he has a blacksmith and is a
member of the lodge. chapter and COM
mandery. He has not only filled all the
offices in the two lower bodies, but IS
always ready at moments notice to
step in and do the work of any station
in them. He is a splendid worker, too
as any Mason will tell you, and very
rarely indeed does he mss meeting
of any of the bodies.