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Chapter 39:- Sparks and Manure
The owner was a sour man named Jonathan Sparks who said, “I need a man, not a boy. I expect once you save a few dollars you will run off like the last boy.”
I said, “No, sir, but I have a special skill you might be able to use.”
“All you farm boys think you are something special and are a great disappointment, and then you leave, with me to do all the work again,” he whined. I never did like whiny people.
“I apprenticed with John Soliday at Union Forgeand am a full Journeyman. I even brought my own tools,” I replied.
“Huh, a back wood smith probably, never heard of him, not a “Master Smith” of the “Old English School” like me! Besides, you probably know nothing and are just trying to impress me. I’ll give you twenty-five cents a day if you work hard. You may sleep in the hayloft, but no candle or oil lamp and my wife will make you two meals a day. I will not bargain, take it or leave it!” He was a petulant little man. I did ask, “May I see your “Master’s Jewel” you forged?” He answered, “No, that is not allowed.”
While not desperate, I needed work, so I accepted it, figuring I could leave when I wanted to. I put my tools and clothing under the hay. To all the world, I looked totally impoverished, but I had a pouch with sixteen dollars and forty cents, that I hid in the loft under the hay. Then he yelled up, “If you really have any useable skills and work hard, I will raise your pay to thirty-five cents a day.”
I got to work immediately, mucking out the stalls. Apparently, Sparks had done nothing since the boy had left and the horses were standing in deep manure. It took two days of hard work to thoroughly clean the stalls. I collected all of the potassium nitrate crystals from the deep manure that I could find. I eventually sold them to an apothecary. I even washed the stalls down as they reeked with manure and urine. I washed the horses’ hooves and scrubbed them well. I found a large black horse I really liked and gave him special care. Of course, I oiled the hooves of all the horses with neatsfoot oil and gave then new straw. Sparks whined that that type of service would bankrupt him. Of course, he charged extra for the care. I gave myself no spare time, for as the Bible said, “A worker must be worthy of his hire.” I began by patching the roof. It badly needed it, having leaks, that led to mildew, and rotting hay. Sparks grumbled about having to buy shingles. The shingles he gave me to work with had been used before, probably on a shed that had been torn down and the wood thrown into the dump.
During late daylight hours, I spent my time repairing tack that I found was in a back room, sewing. and oiling it. When I could, I assisted at the forge. I soon learned that Sparks was a bumbler and certainly no master of any smithing school. Basically, Sparks had no skills at all. If he had a “Master’s Jewel” he must have been stolen it.
It seemed in Germantown, the more often and the louder you said it, the easier it was for the people to believe it. Of course, he took credit for all the extra care the horses got. Some people didn’t believe him and I even got some extra coin secretly for the special care. Sparks, not knowing this, raised my day wage to thirty- five cents, but moaned about bankruptcy all the time. He was getting much more than he expected for his money.
On occasions when I was given time off, I walked around looking for better opportunities, but work was scarce. As I walked the streets near the large estates and mansions, an idea came to me. Gardeners took care of shrubs and ornamental gardens, but no one seemed to pay any attention to the great trees on the estates. With this in mind, I came up with an idea of how to best use my saved quarters that I kept in a black, leather pouch. I had been taught to never squander either time or money. I did not drink, gamble or womanize. I still had the money I had brought from home and now, the quarters I had earned. I had started putting my money in the bank and not just hiding it in hay. I felt the money would be safer far away from where I slept. I had thought that some of my money had periodically disappeared from my leather pouch in the hay.
The owner was a sour man named Jonathan Sparks who said, “I need a man, not a boy. I expect once you save a few dollars you will run off like the last boy.”
I said, “No, sir, but I have a special skill you might be able to use.”
“All you farm boys think you are something special and are a great disappointment, and then you leave, with me to do all the work again,” he whined. I never did like whiny people.
“I apprenticed with John Soliday at Union Forgeand am a full Journeyman. I even brought my own tools,” I replied.
“Huh, a back wood smith probably, never heard of him, not a “Master Smith” of the “Old English School” like me! Besides, you probably know nothing and are just trying to impress me. I’ll give you twenty-five cents a day if you work hard. You may sleep in the hayloft, but no candle or oil lamp and my wife will make you two meals a day. I will not bargain, take it or leave it!” He was a petulant little man. I did ask, “May I see your “Master’s Jewel” you forged?” He answered, “No, that is not allowed.”
While not desperate, I needed work, so I accepted it, figuring I could leave when I wanted to. I put my tools and clothing under the hay. To all the world, I looked totally impoverished, but I had a pouch with sixteen dollars and forty cents, that I hid in the loft under the hay. Then he yelled up, “If you really have any useable skills and work hard, I will raise your pay to thirty-five cents a day.”
I got to work immediately, mucking out the stalls. Apparently, Sparks had done nothing since the boy had left and the horses were standing in deep manure. It took two days of hard work to thoroughly clean the stalls. I collected all of the potassium nitrate crystals from the deep manure that I could find. I eventually sold them to an apothecary. I even washed the stalls down as they reeked with manure and urine. I washed the horses’ hooves and scrubbed them well. I found a large black horse I really liked and gave him special care. Of course, I oiled the hooves of all the horses with neatsfoot oil and gave then new straw. Sparks whined that that type of service would bankrupt him. Of course, he charged extra for the care. I gave myself no spare time, for as the Bible said, “A worker must be worthy of his hire.” I began by patching the roof. It badly needed it, having leaks, that led to mildew, and rotting hay. Sparks grumbled about having to buy shingles. The shingles he gave me to work with had been used before, probably on a shed that had been torn down and the wood thrown into the dump.
During late daylight hours, I spent my time repairing tack that I found was in a back room, sewing. and oiling it. When I could, I assisted at the forge. I soon learned that Sparks was a bumbler and certainly no master of any smithing school. Basically, Sparks had no skills at all. If he had a “Master’s Jewel” he must have been stolen it.
It seemed in Germantown, the more often and the louder you said it, the easier it was for the people to believe it. Of course, he took credit for all the extra care the horses got. Some people didn’t believe him and I even got some extra coin secretly for the special care. Sparks, not knowing this, raised my day wage to thirty- five cents, but moaned about bankruptcy all the time. He was getting much more than he expected for his money.
On occasions when I was given time off, I walked around looking for better opportunities, but work was scarce. As I walked the streets near the large estates and mansions, an idea came to me. Gardeners took care of shrubs and ornamental gardens, but no one seemed to pay any attention to the great trees on the estates. With this in mind, I came up with an idea of how to best use my saved quarters that I kept in a black, leather pouch. I had been taught to never squander either time or money. I did not drink, gamble or womanize. I still had the money I had brought from home and now, the quarters I had earned. I had started putting my money in the bank and not just hiding it in hay. I felt the money would be safer far away from where I slept. I had thought that some of my money had periodically disappeared from my leather pouch in the hay.
