A Wall Street Alternative

The blood rolled down my arm as I nursed my finger. This was not the first time I had hurt myself with my own hand hammer. I walked over to the doctor’s office to have it sewn up. Doc had his back to the door when I came in. He turned around and smiled. “Again Joshua?” He asked. “Ya doc, this is a good one”. It took eight stitches to close the wound and after thanking doc, I walked back to my blacksmith shop. This order for the Daltons hoe must be done this afternoon. I also have three horses to be shod tomorrow. “Well, better busy than no work at all”, I thought out loud. Some of the farmers had lost their crops to bad weather on the outside of Black River Falls. Such is life in Wisconsin in 1848.

My mind had been drifting and I was threatening to injure myself again so I got back to my job. I was glad to have a job during these harder times.

The mill was running daily as they produced the lumber for the first schoolhouse being built near the center of town. The town had invited the Ho-Chunk Indian children to attend much to the chagrin of several older citizens. There were only 2 children anyway and they were very excited at the prospect of learning. The Ho-Chunks lived off the land on the outskirts of Black River Falls which was growing by leaps and bounds.

Just last year, we built the first church, and everyone attended Sunday services. I was hoping to marry Grace there one day. My hand slipped and I caught my steel chisel just before it hit the ground. “Pay attention Josh,” I reprimanded myself. I took a new piece of iron and laid it in the fire. It blackened slowly as it heated up enough for me to begin molding a large pot for Mrs. Devon to cook corn on the cob in. The Devons were planning a picnic for all the workers building the church.

After several hours of heating, molding on my professionally crafted anvil, cooling in my large tub of creek water and reheating for touchups, I was very pleased with the final product. “How’s it coming along?” Mrs. Devon surprised me as I was finishing up her corn pot. “Oh Joshua, it’s just beautiful. Extraordinary work. How much do I owe you?” “Seventy cents will do it”. “Oh, that’s very reasonable” she declared. She handed me eighty cents and said, “the extra is for doing such a fine job and so quickly”. I tried to protest but she grabbed her pot and walked away, hugging the new pot to her. I was deeply pleased that she liked it so. Now, back to the Dalton’s hoe. A little harder work than usual due to an injured hand, but that was my fault. It was near “completion when John Dalton rounded the corner of the shop. “How’s it coming Josh?” I wiped the sweat from my brow and looked up.

“Nearly done John”. Admiring the new blackened iron hoe and thinking how it would make farming so much easier, John reached into his pocket and pulled out several paper bills. “Seven dollars, right?” John asked. “Exactly”, I replied and reached out as John placed the bills in my hand. After John left with his newly crafted hoe, I decided I was done for the day. “It must be after 4:30 by now and I have a date with Grace”. I realized I was talking out loud and stopped before someone saw me and thought me crazy.

When I got home that evening, I cleaned up and picked up Grace for dinner at the restaurant. We had a wonderful time and before dessert, I got down on one knee and proposed. Grace cried and said yes. I was now engaged and very happy with my life.

The next morning, I awoke, jumped out of bed, saddled my horse, and rode to the blacksmith shop. I had three horses to shoe today. Who would come in first? Soon after I arrived and had my fire blazing, young Sally Huntington showed up with Domino, a beautiful black and white pony. “Hi Mr. Watson. I have Domino here for her new shoes”. “Well, hi Sally. Is Domino supposed to get new shoes today?” Sally’s face dropped when she thought I had forgotten and now I felt guilty. “I’m only kidding Sally. I am all set for Domino to get her new shoes. Look at them. Aren’t they pretty?” I asked as I held them up in front of her.

Sally got very excited and smiled at me with a grin that was missing two front teeth. ‘Should I come back for her or can I watch?” Sally’s eyes grew wide when I told her it was okay for her to stay and watch. I lifted Dominos feet, one at a time, cleaned her hooves with a hoof pick I had created out of wrought iron and nailed her new shoes on. Sally was very pleased, mounted her pony bareback and headed for home.

Later that morning, Dale came in with his horse, a beautiful palomino with large brown eyes. He was shoed in no time at all and after Dale paid me, he walked his gorgeous horse toward his farm. The only one left now was Rob Hanson’s horse. A headstrong mare who was always a problem. I greeted Rob and took temporary ownership of Ginger. I put her in a bridle with a new bit I had just made, hoping the new bit would help keep her under control. It didn’t unfortunately. Always ducking her kicks, I managed to get her new shoes on her in a fairly short amount of time. Rob picked her up an hour and a half later and thanked me for taking such good care of her. He knew she was a difficult mare.

With the afternoon sun headed toward the west, I decided to put all my tools away for the day. My beautiful black anvil, all my hand tools and some leftover wrought iron. I locked up and headed for home thinking how lucky I was to live in Wisconsin in 1848.

I awoke to find that I had dreamed that dream again. Maybe I was a smithy in my former life. It would have been certainly preferable over my life on Wall Street.