Bone Street/Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
A NEW JOB
EVENTUALLY Jack’s perseverance was rewarded. One day he was summoned into the office and ordered to take some samples of wool to a customer and wait for the reply. Donning his coat he took his parcels and proceeded with his commission to the customer, who was probably one of the largest firms of wool merchants in Beckton. The business had been started by the father of the present principal of the firm, Mr. Harman, from very small beginnings, and now they had representatives in every sheep-raising district in the British Isles. They purchased the wool from the farmer, had it classed by experienced men, and then brought it to Beckton to be converted ready for spinning.
On arriving at the warehouse, Jack was shown into the office of Mr. Harman, and there he saw the proprietor, who was entirely different from the business men he had seen previously. A big, burly man of almost six feet, dressed in a loose tweed suit, with the ruddy tanned appearance of a man who spent most of his life in the country. Jack stood a moment while he examined some wool by the window. He smelt at it. Tore it up in small fragments, picked at it, and all but tasted it, then when his examination was complete, turned round and asked:
“Are those samples from Clayton’s?”
“Yes,” replied Jack, who was still standing.
Mr. Harman reached over for the parcel, saying, “Sit down.”
Jack did as he was bid. Mr. Harman untied the parcel disclosing a ball of wool, coiled somewhat like a ball of twine, with this difference: instead of being a thin thread, it was perhaps more than an inch and a half in diameter but loosely held together. Pulling a piece off, he took it to the window and examined it critically for length, degree of texture and whiteness. It was typical of the man that each motion was done with deliberate carefulness, and he was still examining it when a knock came to the door, and the door opened to allow the entry of the new-comer.
“I say, Mr. Harman,” he said. “What are we going to do about William’s job? You finished him this morning, we’ve nobody to take his place, and there’s a quantity of sheets of wool to be weighed in to-morrow morning.”
Mr. Harman turned slowly from the window.
“Sit down, Meyson,” he said, but Meyson was too troubled to do so.
“Oh, this drink is a curse. We get a man who can do the job, and then he comes to work drunk and has to be sacked; it’s such a pity, too, for he was smart at figures. I wish we could get a man to rely on—ah well, I suppose I shall have to do it myself. Is that the sample from Clayton’s?” he continued, and together they continued the examination. Jack was quietly observing Mr. Meyson curiously. He was different in every way from his chief. About fifty, he was spare in build, and darted about where the other was deliberate in every movement.
The examination finished, the subordinate turned to go, Mr. Harman telling him to get a reliable man if possible; the other, nodding, departed, saying, “Yes, but it’s not so easy.”
Then Jack was struck with the great idea. Why not apply for the job? Yes, why not? but not too confidently, he said: “About that job, sir; will I do?”
Mr. Harman turned to him slowly, asking, “What job?”
“The one you spoke about just now. I am fairly good at figures,” and, he continued with a smile, “I know I am steady.”
“I don’t know,” replied Mr. Harman. “Are you married?”
“Not yet,” replied Jack.
“Hope to be?”
“Yes, in August,” answered Jack just as briefly.
Without further question the older man opened the door and called up Meyson. Meyson was quickly on the scene, looking questioningly at his chief.
“Will this chap do for William’s job?” asked the chief. “He says he’s quick at figures, and steady, about to be married too. Take him in the warehouse and try him.”
“Right,” said Meyson. Then to Jack, “Come with me.”
Jack followed him through the outer office and into the warehouse, where a number of men were busily engaged stacking huge bags, or as they were termed “sheets” of wool on top of each other. He instructed the men to place a sheet of wool on the scales, then told Jack to weigh it, and write the weight down on the ticket in hundredweights, quarters and pounds. He did this fairly quickly; Mr. Meyson looked at the ticket a moment, then led Jack back to the office, and on entering nodded to his chief. The latter proceeded to ask a few questions. His age, where he had worked, his reason for desiring a change; all of which were answered satisfactorily.
When Mr. Harman had finished questioning he volunteered the information about his infirmity, but added, “I hope you will give me a chance. I want to get out of the mill, and I’ll promise to do my best.”
Mr. Harman looked across at Mr. Meyson, who again nodded, then asked Jack, “When can you make a start?”
“Oh, as soon as Clayton’s will release me,” was the reply.
But Mr. Harman had hold of the telephone and was ringing up Clayton’s.
“Is that Clayton’s? Well, I want to speak to Mr. Turner. Is that Turner? Well, this is Mr. Harman speaking. There’s a young man employed by you called——” He looked enquiringly at Jack. “Bradley,” said the latter. “Bradley. I would like him to start for me in the morning. I wouldn’t ask for him at such short notice, but we had to sack the other man this morning for drinking, and I must have a man in his place for to-morrow.—What’s that? Ask him to call at the office to-night—Thank you.”
He placed the telephone on the receiver and addressing Jack said, ” The job is yours, the wage is twentyseven shillings a week. Do your best for me and you’ll have the chance to do something for yourself. Above all, keep steady; we start at eight in the morning.” And with that Jack was dismissed, so he betook himself out of the office. ” What a piece of luck,” he thought. ” My word, won’t Mary and Marthalice be pleased.”
He hurried back to the mill and after explaining to Mr. Turner, it was arranged that he should call during the following Friday for the wages due to him. Quickly he hurried home, and changing his clothes and bolting his tea, made his way to Bone Street. He knocked, as was invariably his custom, and following his knock walked in whistling jauntily, threw his cap on the sofa and regarded them all with a smiling face. The girls had just arrived home from the mill, and a strong smell of kippers pervaded the place. The Imp looked up from her task of eating one of those tasty fishes.
” There’s summat up. There is. I know. I can see it in his eye. What is it, Jack? Mek him tell us, Mary.”
Catching Mary’s questioning eye, he said, ” I’ve got another job.”
This created a sensation, as he related how he had asked for the job and secured it, adding,
” I think the prospects are good, providing I keep steady, for I’m sure I can give satisfaction.”
” Champion,” said Marthalice. ” Tha’ll keep steady all right, an’ if tha doesn’t I’ll bray (pound) thi face to a jelly.”
“That’s good, lad,” said Mary, already using the Yorkshire idiom, such as “lad” and “lass.” “I’m really glad, indeed I am.”
“Nay, lass,” said the irrepressible Imp. “Kiss him and get it ower wi’, cos if tha doesn’t, I will.”
So Mary was compelled to do so, if only to save Jack, and as these two took their accustomed walk that night, many were the castles they built on the strength of Jack’s new job, but they finally came to face the fact that it was only two shillings more per week than his present position. “But certainly,” said Jack, “the prospects are better, and, anyway, lass, I shall be out of the mill and in a cleaner job.”
Jack commenced work at his new place next morning, and found it much better than he had anticipated. The work was easy and much more interesting than his previous job, in addition to which his new employer took a much keener interest in the workpeople he employed than the majority of mill owners. Jack learned that he would be paid for all holidays and sickness, so these conditions of employment in effect increased his wage, and tended to make him feel more secure and comfortable. He determined to give satisfaction if possible.
Mr. Meyson informed him that he would be held responsible for booking and weighing—in fact, everything which entered and left the warehouse. He was also told plainly that he was not expected to assist with the manual work, as there were plenty of labourers employed for that, but that his duty was to record correct weight and superintend the storage, so that any parcel of wool could be found immediately it was required. His first job was at nine in the morning, when a railway lorry came in with six sheets of wool, and Mr. Meyson stood by while Jack weighed them, and the men removed them for storage.
“I suppose the wool is sorted here?” Jack asked of Mr. Meyson.
“Yes,” said the other. “The room above has twenty sorters in, and you book the wool to them, as they are all on piece-work.”
“Well,” Jack further asked, “how do you know where each lot of wool is?”
“Oh,” was the reply, “we put it in the first vacant place, but we can generally find it.”
Jack nodded rather dubiously, for considering the number of parcels in the warehouse, he could hardly imagine that if one was lost it could be found without difficulty. During the course of his duties he went into the top room where the sorters were engaged, and watched with great interest and admiration the skill displayed, as they sorted the wool into its different qualities, and Mr. Meyson advised Jack to keep his eyes open and endeavour to learn to discriminate between the different qualities, informing him that the more he knew about wool, the more use would he be, and the better his chance of promotion. All this tended to make Jack take advantage of every opportunity to gain knowledge, for he was hoping he would give satisfaction. At four o’clock Jack was asked to find a bale of wool which was needed to complete a lot, and taking a man, proceeded to where the bale was supposed to be; but on going there found no bale, and although he diligently searched it was nearly five o’clock before it was found. He informed Mr. Meyson of the time that had been wasted, but the latter merely nodded, just taking it as a matter of course; but Jack was not satisfied and determined to evolve a system that would prevent needless searching. He finished the day’s work with more spirit than he had previously done for years. In the factory he had only been one of those human machines necessary to factory life, but which unfortunately contribute so largely to the stultifying of mind. Here at the new situation he had been compelled to think for himself, in order to accomplish his work in a satisfactory manner; moreover, he was not as tired physically, for although his work in the mill had only been comparatively light from a manual standpoint, the heat and the deadening effect of doing repetition work had always wearied him.
All things considered, he had made a good move, and said so that night when he arrived in Bone Street to take his sweetheart out for their customary walk.
“Ay, lad,” said Marthalice. “I can see thi getting on well, an’ another thing,” she continued, “tha deserves it if ivver a lad did.”
“And another thing,” Jack took it up, “if anybody deserves any credit it’s my old friend.”
“Nowt o’ t’sort,” she retorted, but she was obviously pleased. “If tha hedn’t hed it in thi, it ud nivver ha’ come out.”
“That may be,” said Jack feelingly. “And if you’d never had me in your home I don’t know where I should have finished. In the canal, perhaps.” He added reflectively, “Do you know, Marthalice, I think I was very near to it that Sunday night you found me.”
“Not thee, bairn,” she flashed back. “Tha’s too much sense. Nah off wi’ ye both for yer walk, and think on ye, get that lass in before nine, she’s to be up at five in t’morning.”
Jack put in a parting retort, saying: “But I was hungry, Marthalice, and you took me in.” And he was compelled to duck his head to escape the dish-cloth she threw at him.
“I think Marthalice is the dearest woman in the world,” said Mary. “What would we both have done without her I don’t know.”
To which Jack replied very seriously, “I don’t know, either. She’s always helping someone. I was only a kid when I first knew her, and she’s been helping me ever since.”
“Well,” replied Mary, “we may be able to help in return some day.”
A week at the new job made him familiar with almost every place, and at the end of the week, as Mr. Meyson was paying him his wages, he remarked that he was doing well, and intimated that if he continued as well, he would receive an additional two shillings a week, all of which was very gratifying to Jack.