Evening star., 1938-07-24

talent for machinery, left the farm
and went to Detroit. He arYaneeSN
for board and lodging at the home
Of Mrs. James 8. Payton. 4S2 Baker
street. The consideration was $3.50
a week. But his job at the James
Flowers Bros. Foundry and Machine
Shop, Woodbridge and Brush streets.
paid him only $3.50. Here was born
the young mechanics hrst major
problem in finance, q subject in which
he was. years later. to demonstrate
himself as something of a wizard
The extremity drove him to 10
Baker Street Jevelry Shop, Baker
and Twentieth streets, where he re.
newed an agreeable acquaintance with
its proprietor, Robert Magill. The
two struck a bargain. For SO cents
q night. Henry was to sit in work.
shop back of the store and repair
what clocks and watches found their
way to the premises. 1t was a happy
arrangement for both parties. Henry
closed the deficit for board and room,
with something to spare. Mr. Magilh
became possessed Of the services g.
young genius.
1t is the truth to reveal now that
Henry was tucked away at his work.
bench in the small back room, so he
would be concealed from the prying
eyes of Mr.. Magill's canny clients.
For Mr.. Magill was shrewd enough
to know that his customers would
never entrust their treasured time 4
pieces to the ministrations Of strip
ling. To handle watches. a man had
to know his way about delicate mech
anisms. He couldn't be Just an or
dinary country lout!
60 HENRY had to use the side door,
and he had to be careful to keep
well hidden among the dials and the
pendulums. John S. Haggerty, an
other schoolboy pal. recounts the fic-
tion Of Henry's summary dismissal
from Mr. Magill's employ because Of
a too great efficiency. Mr. Magill, it
appears, went forth one evening I'd
fulflll q social obligation. He enjoip
ed on Henry the necessity of look
after the trade, but warned him not
to do any actual labor within sight
Of the customers.
When Mr.. Magill returned he found
II clocks that had been sitting in
silent gloom for several days, ticking
right merrily. They were in full
flight and fine fettle. In Mr.. Magillf
absence. Henry had fixed them ALL
To L. %ha<
gill was so infuriated that he dis
charged the hapless Henry on the spot
That would be nice to believe, bit
1t strays from the truth. It Is one Of
the small exaggerations Of the legend.
What really happened was that Mr..
Magill first anxiously inquired II
Henry had performed the miracle Of
the IL clocks in the seclusion Of his
own small workshop, or If he had
passed any Of his magic in the pres
ence Of the trade. Henry assured his
employer that 1t had all been done
in the seclusion of his own private
precinct. Mr. Magill was highly
pleased. So was Henry Ford. It waAl
his hyst triumph In mass producti( 4
John S. HAGGERTY. the man who
has made building bricks in the
old Dearborn area for more than half
century. went to school with Henry
at the Miller School, District No. 8,
Springwells. This represents a later
period than the Scotch settlement
days. The episode Of the water wheel
was enacted at this time. Haggerty
well remembers 1t. The water wheel
(the first Henry ever made) was con-
nected with an old coffee mill, which
had been made fast TO q nearby fence.
Haggerty and some of the other Mil
Ter School boys bought shovels and
other tools and with them blocked
the county ditch to provide water
| power. ~
The mill was fed with gravel about
the size of wheat, and when the power
J (see FORD, Page o-5)