the iron puddler-第25节

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t　be　misunderstood。



CHAPTER　XL

FATHER　TOOK　ME　SERIOUSLY


There　was　an　interval　of　nearly　five　months　between　the　time　of　my　election；　which　was　in　May；　and　the　date　of　taking　office　in　September。　I　decided　to　use　this　time　to　improve　my　qualifications　for　the　job。　I　returned　to　the　old　home　town　of　Sharon　and　took　a　course　in　a　business　college。　Again　I　walked　the　old　familiar　paths　where　as　a　boy　I　had　roamed　the　woods；　fished　the　streams；　brought　the　cows　along　the　dusty　road　from　pasture　and　blacked　the　boots　of　the　traveling　dudes　at　the　hotel。

There　is　a　great　thrill　for　the　young　man　who　comes　home　with　a　heart　beating　high　with　triumph；　to　see　the　love　and　admiration　in　his　parents'　eyes。　Father　shook　my　hand　and　said。　〃You're　a　good　boy；　Jimmy；　and　I'm　proud　of　you。　I　always　knew　you'd　make　your　mark。〃

〃I　haven't　made　much　of　a　mark；　dad；〃　I　laughed。　〃City　clerk　isn't　much。　County　recorder　is　what　I'm　aiming　for。〃　In　fact；　I　had　gone　so　far　as　to　dream　of　being　auditor　of　the　state　of　Indiana。

A　jolly　old　uncle　who　was　there　and　who　was　looked　on　as　the　sage　and　wit　of　the　Welsh　settlement；　began　kidding　me。

〃From　city　clerk　to　county　recorder　is　only　a　step；　Jimmy；〃　he　said。　〃Next　you'll　be　governor；　and　then　president。〃

Father　took　it　seriously。

〃You'll　never　be　president；　lad；〃　he　said；　〃because　you　wasn't　born　in　this　country。〃　He　seemed　to　think　that　was　the　only　reason。　He　turned　to　my　uncle　and　explained　regretfully：　〃Of　all　my　boys；　only　one　has　got　the　full　American　birthright。　My　youngest　boy；　Will；　is　the　only　one　that　can　be　president。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　jolly　old　uncle；　〃the　rest　of　'em　can　be　government　officers。〃

Even　this　joke　father　took　as　a　sober　possibility。　I　saw　then　the　full　reason　why　he　came　to　America。　He　wanted　to　give　his　boys　boundless　opportunities。　A　humble　man　himself；　he　had　made　all　his　sacrifices　to　broaden　the　chances　for　his　children。　This　was　a　lesson　to　me。　I　could　not　repay　him。　I　could　only　resolve　to　follow　his　example；　to　stand　for　a　square　deal　for　children　everywhere。

Mother　was　as　pleased　with　my　humble　success　as　was　father。　When　I　sat　down　to　the　table　she　apologized　for　her　cooking　and　said：

〃After　the　fine　food　you　have　been　eating　in　the　big　hotels；　you　will　find　our　table　pretty　common。〃

〃You're　wrong；　mother；〃　I　said。　〃The　best　food　I　ever　had　I　got　right　here　at　your　table。　You've　never　lived　in　boarding…houses；　but　father　has。　He　knows　that　it's　a　rough　life；　and　they　don't　feed　you　on　delicacies。　Hotel　cookery　is　not　like　the　cookery　in　the　Old　World。　Over　there　they　make　each　dish　as　tasty　as　they　can；　and　good　eating　is　one　of　the　main　objects　in　life。　But　Americans　don't　like　to　eat。　They　begrudge　the　time　they　have　to　spend　at　the　table。　They　get　it　over　as　soon　as　they　can。　They　seem　to　take　it　like　medicine；　the　worse　the　medicine　tastes；　the　better　it　is　for　them。　An　egg　is　something　that　is　pretty　hard　to　spoil　in　the　cooking。　Yet　some　of　these　boarding…house　cooks　are　such　masters　of　the　art　that　they　can　fix　up　a　plate　of　steak；　eggs　and　potatoes　and　make　them　all　as　tasteless　as　a　chip　of　wood。　I've　had　this　kind　of　fare　for　the　last　few　years；　and　getting　back　to　your　table　is　the　best　part　of　home…coming。〃

Father　was　still　a　puddler；　and　to　show　my　appreciation　of　all　he　had　done　for　me；　I　went　into　the　mill　every　afternoon　that　summer　and　worked　a　heat　or　two　for　him　while　he　went　home　and　rested　in　the　shade。

The　workout　did　me　good。　It　kept　my　body　vigorous　and　cleared　my　brain　so　that　my　studies　were　easy　for　me；　and　I　advanced　with　my　education　faster　than　ever　before。

This　proved　to　me　that　schooling　should　combine　the　book　stuff　with　the　shop　work。　Instead　of　interfering　with　each　other；　they　help　each　other。　The　hand　work　makes　the　books　seem　more　enjoyable。



CHAPTER　XLI

A　PAVING　CONTRACTOR　PUTS　ME　ON　THE　PAVING


I　was　the　only　Republican　elected　that　year。　But　for　this　exception　the　Democrats　would　have　made　a　clean　sweep　of　the　city。　If　the　editor　had　not　charged　me　with　being　illiterate　I　would　neither　have　been　nominated　nor　elected。　When　I　appeared　before　audiences　in　the　〃swell　end〃　of　town　and　wrote　my　lessons　on　my　little　slate；　I　gained　their　sympathy。　They　believed　in　fair　play。　And　I　found　I　had　not　lost　their　support　by　thrashing　the　editor。

Nearly　all　of　the　mill　workers　in　Elwood　voted　for　me。　I　supposed　that　I　had　made　many　personal　enemies　among　the　men　by　refusing　to　take　their　grievances　up　with　the　bosses　when　I　thought　the　men　were　wrong。　But　the　election　proved　they　were　my　friends　after　all。　The　confidence　of　my　own　fellows　pleased　me　greatly。　Later　on；　the　men　as　a　further　token　of　their　good　will　clubbed　together　and　gave　me　a　gold　watch。　This　gave　me　greater　joy；　no　doubt；　than　Napoleon　felt　when；　with　his　own　hand；　he　placed　a　gold　crown　upon　his　head。

When　it　came　time　to　qualify　and　be　sworn　into　office　I　found　trouble。　The　Republican　boss　was　disgruntled　because　only　one　Republican　was　elected　while　the　Democrats　got　everything　else。　He　wanted　me　to　give　up　the　office。　〃Let　the　tail　go　with　the　hide；〃　he　said。　〃Let　'em　have　it　all。〃　His　idea　was　to　give　the　Democrats　a　closed　family　circle；　so　that　when　temptation　came　along；　they　would　feel　safe　in　falling　for　it。　He　feared　that　a　Republican　in　the　house　to　watch　them　would　scare　them　away　from　the　bait。　He　wanted　them　to　take　bribes　and　be　ruined　by　the　scandal；　and　that　would　bring　the　Republicans　back　to　power。　It　was　a　good　enough　way　to　〃turn　the　rogues　out〃　by　first　letting　them　become　rogues；　but　my　heart　was　not　set　on　party　success　only。　I　believed　in　protecting　the　public。　So　I　went　ahead　and　got　bondsmen　to　qualify　me。　But　as　often　as　I　got　men　to　sign　my　bond；　the　boss　went　them　and　got　them　off　again。　A　firm　of　lawyers；　Greenlee　&　Call；　stood　by　me　in　my　struggle　to　make　my　bond。　These　men　were　ten　years　older　than　I。　I　was　twenty…five。　They　acted　as　godfathers　to　me。　They　gave　me　the　use　of　their　library；　and　throughout　my　term　as　city　clerk　I　spent　my　nights　poring　over　their　law　books。　I　became　well　grounded　in　municipal　law　and　municipal　finance。　I　was　able　to　pay　back　their　kindness　some　years　later　when　C。　M。　Greenlee　aspired　to　be　judge　of　the　Superior　Court　of　Madison　County。　I　went　to　the　convention　as　a　delegate　and　worked　hard　for　Judge　Greenlee　until　he　was　nominated；　and　elected。

The　city　administration　of　which　I　was　a　member　let　many　contracts。　As　I　said　before；　a　cross…roads　town　had　become　a　city　and　there　were　miles　of　paving　and　sewer　to　put　in；　and　scores　of　public　buildings　to　go　up。　Old　Francis　Harbit　was　the　Democratic　mayor；　and　he　didn't　intend　that　the　contractors　should　graft　on　the　city　nor　give　boodle　to　the　officials。　I　remember　one　stirring　occasion。　There　was　a　big　contract　for　sewers　to　be　let；　and　if　a　certain　bid　should　go　through；　the　contractor　would　profit　greatly。　Big　Jeff　Rowley　（I'll　call　him）　was　the　grafting　contractor　who　had　ruined　the　Republican　administration。　He　was　six　feet；　two　inches　tall　in　his　stocking　feet。　He　had　put　in　his　sealed　bid　and　then　had　approached　everybody　with　his　proposition。　His　overtures　were　scorned　and　he　was　told　that　we　were　not　out　for　boodle　but　were　〃playing　the　game　on　the　square〃　（that　had　been　my　campaign　slogan）。　It　finally　dawned　on　the　corrupt　old　bully　that　the　lowest　bid　would　get　the　contract。　He　then　came　into　my　office　and　took　down　his　bid　to　revise　it。　It　was　such　a　big　contract　that　he　could　not　afford　to　lose　it。　I　told　him　that　if　his　bid　was　not　back　in　time　I　would　so　note　it。

Bids　were　to　be　opened　that　night　and　read　by　me　before　the　mayor　and　council。　I　was　familiar　with　every　detail　of　the　law　governing　municipal　bonds　and　contract　letting。　We　had　advertised　that　bids　must　be　filed　before　seven…thirty　that　evening。　Big　Jeff　took　down　his　bid　at　seven…fifteen　and　filed　his　new　bid　at　seven　forty…five；　fifteen　minutes　after　the　legal　time　limit。

The　council　was　in　session　and　hundreds　of　citizens　were　there　to　protest　against　any　more　deals　in　letting　contracts　at　exorbitant　prices。　I　opened　and　read　aloud　the　various　bids；　including　that　of　the　big　boss；　Jeff　Rowley；　adding　that　Jeff's　bid　had　been　filed　too　late　to　be　legal。

〃You　lie！〃　he　screamed。　〃You're　a　Welsh　liar；　and　I'll　kill　you　for　this！〃　The　threat　was　heard　by　the　council　and　the　citizens。　But　the　man　seemed　so　terrible　that　no　one　dared　reprimand　him。

A　few　moments　later　the　city　attorney　sent　down　to　the　clerk's　office　for　some　blanks。　Jeff　was　waiting　behind　a　corner　of　the　hall。　He　hit　me　a　blow　in　the　neck　that　knocked　me　four　yards。　It　was　the　〃rabbit　blow〃　and　he　expected　it　to　break　my　neck。　The　hard　muscles　that　the　puddling　furnace　put　there　saved　my　life。　I　sprang　up；　and　he　came　after　me　again。　I　seized　the　big　fellow　by　the　ankles　and　threw　him　down。　Then　I　battered　his　head　against　the　floor　until　I　was　satisfied　that　he　could　do　me　no　more　harm。　He　went　home　and　took　to　his　bed。

He　announced　that　when　he　got　out　he　would　charge　me　with　assault。　I　went　before　the　mayor　and　offered　to　plead　guilty　to　such　a　charge。　The　mayor　protested　against　it。　He　said　I　had　done　the　right　thing　in　protecting　the　h