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len with an ex.
"I hang around listening to them talk, watching them drink, and learn-
ing about fires, forges, and hammering tools. Steel tools lose their edge
fast on granite, you have to keep sharpening and sharpenirg them. Granite
is hards the men that work it have to be hard too*
"The Hill was some place in those days, wild and tough, bo,ming wide
floen* I took my first drink in that blacksmith shop. Old Jed Wygant gave
it to me. I liked to choke me. I couldn't talk for ten minutes, choking
and gasping, and with those old devils like to bust a gut laughing at me.
Well, I've had my share to drink since that day, I guess.
"I cut it out, though. ky stomach is had ulcers. Probably from
drinking and the food they gave us over across in the War. Ivas over
there. I can't tell you how bad it was. You wouldn't think men could go
through what us men did. And now they've started another one. People are
such goddamn fools. It's hard to believe in God since I saw 'ghat I did on
the other side. Probably thereto Something but not the Ood they preach
about. And I've seen thing' hap :en in the quarries that a deeent 'god never
would let happen. Ay folks were all religious, too...
"I went to that new Veterans' Hospital down to white kiver Junction,
but I didn't stay long, I'd rather be haus. I don't mind not drinking, but
I'd like to eat mere ono e in awhile. Peel better, now I'm working again*
The worst of ::freinr sick for me is to lay around doing nothin I like to
keep busy.
"Besides working in the shed I got a roller-skating place we run nights,
FLnd we get pretty good business. Alice helps me out. I come home fro*
work, take a bath, change, and eat. (JD this diet of mine it don't take
long to oats Then we drive down to the rink and we're there until midnight.
3.
Not every night, but it makes a long day when we do. Alice ran it when
I was sick. 4he's always been a good wife, a god woman, and tried to
help me all she could. Summer nights when there's no rollergoskating I
work around the house or in the garden. ihere's always things to be done.
On week -ends we teke trips with the kids sometimes. Once a year Alice and I
go away sosewhere by ourselves. Se have a good life together we always
did.
"I've worked beside Sootehmen. Italians, Spaniards. Swedes, and get.
along good with them4mest all of them. Of course I had my share of fights
when I WA younger. I know they don't like the Frenchman who cane in to
take their jobs. Ytu can't blame than for that. They still won't have
anything to do with some french families, and most of the Frenob stick
together. But it's different with us and they all know it, and ve got
along fine. 7.111 wife's folks were an old Swedish family bore*
"By three brothers don't have anything to do with granite. They're
all married now and we get together once or twice a year. They all got
pretty gotd jobs. Outside of my own and my wife's people, we don't go out
a whole lot. But lots of people call on us at home.
"I own my house and a good oar. I don't owe money to nobody. Not
enough to count, anyway. I've always liked to pay for things when I get
them. Sy father taught me that, he was a pretty sharp shrewd fellow. But
I couldn't do it if I depended just on working in the shed. I've always
had a lot of other things doings and I've made investments. I knew I had
to if I wanted to bring up a family of four kids any kind of way right.
I've had my fun teo, spent a lot of money, and wasted some. But I never
threw it around the way sone of these stonecutters do. If a single guy
gets in the habit of spending his week's pay like a sailor, he will break
4.
out every so often even after he's married.
"Talk about accidental. Just a year ago a youn fellow was killed up
on the Hill. A big strapyln.:, fellow, not more than twenty or so. Ahoy
were blasting in the spring too early for blasting, everythizg damp and
loose. A whole great ledge fell from the top rim. The men hoard it break
like thunder and they ran. It carried almost across the bottom, and this
boy vas caught under it. He must haAo tripled or something. One end 111111
on top of him, with his head, shoulders and arms sticking out. They works,
ad for three hours to get him out, and he was alive and conscious all the
time. Conscious with his body crushed under that reek. He spoke to,them
while they 'perked. Gave them directions and everything. He even helped
pass a chain under for them. Three hours he lay there... Jesus Christi
And he tried to joke with the blood coming out his mouth. 'I get my
stone already,' he said. 'A good big one too.' And he tried to grin.
Think of being three hours that way, by Ciedi Then after they got him out
he died.
'The next day there was hundreds of oars and people up there to look
at the place. That quarry is 300 feet deep. They drove up there, whole
families, men, women, even little kids playing around the oars. Some of
them took their lunches, and made a regular picnic out of it. ihere were
drunks with bottles and fellows with their arms ermine their girls. I tell
you it turned my stomach, honest to vod„ to see those people eat like that.
I knew that boy and all his family. I thought how they must feel. All
those outsiders pointine and pEering and talking about it. Still, I don't
swpose that really mattered. An4 anyway I guess that's the way people are
5.
and the way the world is... Across the quarry, on to whore the 1.40
fell, was a big sin. Big white letters on black wood. It said* 'Remember'
Safety first&