The Washington times., 1911-05-14

1t made me feel lazy to sit aroun
the house after an hours lesson i
Italian and watch Ruth busy wit
her sewing and see the boy bending
over his books. Still l couldn't thinl
OF anything that was practicable un
III heard Giuseppe talk one evening
about the night school.
l had thought this was a sort o
grammar school with clay modelling
thrown in for amusement.
NO, SiSnore," he said. You cal
learn anything there. And there /:
another school where you can learI
other things"
found that the school he attended
taught among other subjects, book
keeping and Stenography-two things
which appealed to me strongly.
But in falling to the principal h
suggested that before l decided l look
into the night trade school which was
run in connection with a manua
training school. l took his advice
and there l found so many things
wanted that l didn't know what K
choose.
L was amazed at the opportunity A
man could learn here about any trade
he cared to take up. Both tools and
material were furnished him. And al
this was within ten minutes walk OF
the house. l could still have my
early evenings With Ruth and the
boy even on the three nights l would
he in school until a quarter
seven, spend two hours at learning
my trade, and get back to the house
again before ten.
l don't see how a man could ask for
anything better than this. Even then
l wouldn't be away from home as
much as l often was in my old life.
There were many dreary stretches to-
ward the end of my service with the
| nltai W0nlltV hen / didn't get
home until midnight.
And the only eA, pay We salaried
men received for that was brighter
hope for the job ahead. This was al
ways dangled before our eyes by
Morse as a bait when he wished to
drive US harder than usual.
l had my choice Of course in car
pentry. bricklaying, sheet metal
and " pattern drafting. The work
covered from one to three years and
assured a man at the end of this time
OF position among the skilled work
men who make in wages as much as
many a professional man.
Not only this but man with such
training as this and with ambition
could look forward without any great
stretch of the imagination to becom-
ing a foreman in his trade and event
ually winning independence.
All this he could accomplish while
earning his daily wages as an ap-
prentice or a common laborer
The class in masonry seemed to be
more in line with my present plans
than any of the other subjects. 1t
ought to prove of value. l thought to
a man in the general contracting
business and certainly to a man who
undertook the contracting OF build
ing construction.
At anv rate it was trade in whic
was told there was steady demaT
for good men and at which many men
were earning from three to five dol
lars a day. | must admit that az 4
didn't understand how brick-laying
could be taught for I thought i, :
glance at the outline of the course
showed me my error.
1t looked as complicated as many
Of the university courses. The work
included first the laying of brick
to line. man was given actual
practice with bricks and mortar un-
der an expert mason.
From this q man was advanced,
when he had acquired sufficient skill,
to the laying out Of the American
piers of different sizes; then the build
Ing of square and pigeon hole corners.
then the laying out of brick footings.
The second year included rowlock
ing. toothing. and corbeling; build |
ing and bonding of vaulted walls; |
polygonal and circular walls. piers |
and chimueys; fire-Places and fiues.
The third year advanced man to |
the nice points of the trade such as
the foreign bonds-Flemish, Dutch. |
Roman. and Old English; cutting and |
turning Of arches of all kinds
straight, cambered.. emi-circular.
three centred elliptical. and many
also brick panels and cornices
Finally it gave practice in the lay
ng out OF plans and work from these
plans. Whatever time was left was
devoted to- speed in all these things
Is far as II was consistent with ac-
,urate and careful workmanship.
I enrolled at once and also entered
class in architectural drawing which
vas given in connection with this.
came back and told Ruth and
hough of course she was afraid 1t
night be too hard work for me she
Omitted that in the end II might
ave me many months of still harder
work.
lie would have liked TO follow me even
n these studies.
Whatever new thing l took up, she
wanted to take up too. But as | told
Ter. it was she who was making the
Whole business possible and that was
nough for one woman to do.
The school iidn't open fer a week and
uring that time ] saw something of
sanerty. He surprised me bv coming
ro-nd to the fat one night-for what l
ouldn't imagine. I was glad to see him,
ut / suspected that he had some pur-
ose in making such an effort.
| introduced him % Ruth and We all
at down in the Kitchen and l told him
hat / was planning to do this winter {
nd asked him why he didn't join me. :
was rather surprised that the idea
idn't appeal to him, but l soon found 7
Ut that he had another interest which
,ok all his spare time. ,
olitics. And Rafferty, hadn't been over
ere long enough yet to qualify as
oter. in spite of this he was already
n soealIing terms with the State rep
sentative from our district, the local
derman, and was an active lieutenant
SweeneY's-the ward boss.
At present ne was interesting himself 9
the candidacy of this same Sweeney =
no was the Democratic machine can
date for Congress. Owing to some
cal row he was in danger of being
nifed.
Dan had come around to make sure
was registered and to swing me over
possible TO the ranks of the faithful
The names Of which he spoke SO fam
arly meant nothing to me. had heard
few of them from reading the papers,
II I hadn't read a paper for three
onths now and knew nothing at all
ooUt the present campaign.
AS a matter of fact I never voted ex-
,pt for the regular Republican candi-
tte for governor and the regular Re-
Iblican candidate for President. And
did that much only from habit.
NV father had been a Republican and
felt that in a general way this party
ood for honesty rs against Tammany-
m. Bit with councillors, and Senators