n, and pay
them for it, instead of getting money for doing what they do, myself."
His boys, who were thrown out of employment on the ferry, thereupon
approached the old gentleman and said, "Uncle Samuel, don't you
remember how, a while ago, when those carpenters of ours built better
boats than Mr. Bull's could build, the old fellow came to you, and
asked you to let them build some for him? If he hadn't got them from
us his fellows would shortly have been high and dry, as we are now;
but we sold them to him, and so he kept up his business on the ferry.
Now, why don't you do what he did, and give us something to do,
instead of spending your money going across in his boats and the
Dutchman's?" Uncle Sam reared right up at this mild remonstrance. "Git
out," he exclaimed, "you ain't no account, the ferry's no account,
there ain't nothing of no account in this here family but just a half
a dozen boat builders. Say, Jonathan, what are you doin' with that ar
jack-knife? Did you make it?" "No, sir I bought it of one of Bull's
boys." "Well, then, lay it right down; _I ain't a goin' to have you
whittle till you can make one for yourself._" And then the old man
went off--mad! And in another sense of the word, he is still mad.

Transcriber's Note

Variant and inconsistent spellings in the original 1878 text have been
retained in this ebook. Variable usage of quotation marks has also
been retained.

The following typographical corrections have been made:

Page 15: Changed , to . (exclaimed my friend with some amazement.)

Page 20: Changed . to ? (buy with his own money?)

Page 22: Changed Britian to Britain

Page 23: Changed searcely to scarcely

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Free Ships: The Restoration of the
American Carrying Trade, by John Codman

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FREE SHIPS: AMERICAN CARRYING TRADE ***

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