The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-04-09

our kitchen. 1t was an open well from
which, with pole with a hook to it,,
the pals were hauled out. This well
often reminded me of Woodwork S
poem:-
How dear to the heart are the scenes of my
! childhood
When fond recollections present them to
( The orchard, the meadow, the deep tangled
| wildwood
And every dear spot, which my infancy
| knew
The wide spreading pond, and the mill that
| stood by it,
The bridge, and the rock where the cat
| araCt fell.
The cot of my father. the dairy house nigh it,.
| And even the rude bucket which hung in
| the well.
l first carried water in one pail, but
soon discovered that could carry two
easier than one by simply getting in
side of barrel hoop, and carry the
pals outside. Just across the street
|
shop, operated by John Peters. He was
constructing his first wagon, and when
| was getting water, | was wont to run
across to watch its progress from start
| to finish, which was very interesting to
| me, as it was the first | had ever seen
built.
7 tn., Ion,
and kept my mother waiting for the
water, is attested by the commotion |
| raised in our neighborhood. Some one
was sent after me, and when only the
pals and hoop were found at the WELL
| ii at once spread the rumor that ! must
| be in the well. OF course, the dear
mothers stood around it crying. one
of the men, looking down the well, saw
| bubbles. Another said, this must be
johnny, he always was full of wind.
| soon took in the situation when | no.
| ticed the multitude, ran across the
street, and in a hurry, threw myself in
| to my mothers arms to escape all harm
with the promise that ! would never do
such foolish thing again.
think Peters must have worked on
| the wagon about two months after it
was ready for painting. one day |
watched him mixing green paint and
he said: well, Johnny, at last the
wagon is done, except the painting;
there are no painters in town; by the
way, could you not paint the wagon?
| want it painted with one heavy coat
of green
"Why of course | can; what will you
give me, and how long about will it
take to do it?''
He said, you ought to complete it
in a day or two, and | will pay you one
shilling "All right" said |, that is
go. But we ought not to paint it all
green, but the box only green and the
lower body red this will show better
taste YES he said, you are right,
and it will cost no more either" SO
he mixed some red paint, and com
| menced painting some spokes TO show
me how. OF course thought | could
| do il better thad he, and commenced
my job starting on the wheels. When
came to the lower end of the hub |
had to get down on my knees, and fl
nally on my back, to paint the under
side. 1t was now noon, quite warm,
and when left for dinner / told Peters
| that this would not turn out as easy n
| lob as had bargained for. "Oh well" he
replied, when you come from dinner
| shall have the axle on stools, so that
you can turn the wheels and you will
find it easier
After returning found ii so adjusted.
How nice, by turning the wheels l
could paint the hubs and fellies by
merely holding the brush on it, and to
still further tighten my work | procur-
ed a soap box and sat down to my work.
This pleased me so that | had to give
vent to my feeling by singing all the
songs | could remember, which could
be heard all over our quiet village. |
know that John Nagle had not yet been
born, else | might not have had the
| courage. After the hubs and fellies
were finished, | tried to paint the spokes
in the same way, but soon stopped this
as it despatched me with paint.
My first days labor done, | went
home for supper. Mother noticed some
red spots on my pants and asked wheth-
er had nose bleeding. Iexplaind that
it was paint from painting wagon for
shilling. "Why boy, you leave that
alone, you will spoil ten times more on
your clothes than you get"
corrected her by saying that | had
never paid a cent for my clothes yet
and would be one shilling ahead after
my job was done. Besides this, should
not like to back out of my first job
Then my father who heard us from the
adjoining room, said: Johnny is right
never back out of A bargain, even if a
bad one; keep up good reputation to
the end. 1t will finally pay best.
You had better give him one of your
old aprons" he advised mother. This
settled it. l went regularly to my
work, and in about three days had the
wagon painted.