The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-06-04
n Dough Head Of I
a Man.
observation-disclosures
v ~ ~ \ 4 4 4 4 \ y ~ I \ ! 1

Copyright, 1907. by G. III. sutclffel
william Brice applied to a rich iron
master for work on the ground that
his father had been the ironmaster's
friend. He was given job, but It
was reported to the chief that he was
no good
"Shift him." sud the ironmaster.
every man has his niche" So Brlce
was shifted again ana again, but after
he had been the cause Of one or two
accidents Che men complained to the
foreman and the foreman TO the head
Of the department, and the second COM
plant was carried to the ironmnster.
.stilI dough head chr he queried.
l"Well, we must try another niche. I
knew man once who entered into
Thirteen different occupations before
Ehe finally made success as horse
Grader. Shift him along"
Brice was shifted, and at the end OF
y week one OF his fellow worknen tried
80 brain him with a crowbar because
he let go when be Should have held on.
Then he was shifted again. He was
on his fifth or sixth shift and had be-
come butt Of ridicule among 500 men
when the great man said:
"The man is finding 1t a difficult road
70 hit his own particular niche. 1t
nay be that it's clerical Instead OF
physical labor he should be put to.
TIy him In one Of the departments as
timekeeper"
The man was tried. He had a smile Of
self confidence on his face as he as
surned his duties. but inside OF three
Alays he had the time business so mix
ed Up that the men did not know Z
o'clock In the morning from in tLe
afternoon He was then tried as 4
messenger, and be held that place for
two weeks. 1t was the general opln-
ion among the heads OF departments
that he held it two weeks too long, but
subsequent events proved to the con
trary, 1t took Brice two weeks to make
a score Of blunders and to learn that
new and larger works were TO be erect
ed farther down the river All the
land except an acre belonging to an
aged widow had been secured, and he
heerd 1t whispered that she had re-
fused to sell at any price.
"0h, well, don't let's be discouraged
over him." said the ironmaster when
told that Briee ought to be sent to an
IDIOT asylum. Gle Is simply hunting
for his niche He is the son OF an old
friend Of mine, and we must bear with
him until be finds It will never 20
back on my contention that every man
has his niche. Outside OF it he II al
most worthless; n that particular spot
he may do great things. Shift the man
nlong1
There were three more shifts, and
then William BFice found his niche.
No one but himself had the least sus-
picion OF 1t. When they saw him smil-
ING and grlnning and heard his chue.
king they simply thought he was one
week nearer the idiot asylum.
On certain Sunday William Brice
had gone down to see the aged widow.
He was twenty-five years old and she
almost seventy. lie was sturdy and
in tho best Of health; she was all knot
ted up with rheumatism and fun OF
complaints. The young man might
have been a dough head In the shops.
but outside of them he knew n rabbit
track when he saw one. he fell In
love with the widow. She was neces-
sary TO his future happiness. She was
old but he didn't believe In alghty
young girls. She was all twisted IN,
but marriage at the best was full of
twists. He loved her gray hairs. her
cracked voice and her wrlnl,led face.
and in month they were married.
and he assumed the head Of the house
When he had been shifted for the
twelfth time in the shops he had found
his niche No foreman or head OF de.
partment discovered this fact. It was
The ironmaster himself. or, rather. the
lawyers who were Silly. working to