The neighbor of Heywood, Major Daniel Putnam, was
doing a large business in hats. The preparation of the palm leaves was
not an easy business. The leaves were stripped on the folds by the
hand, then bleached with sulphur in large boxes. The leaves were then
split so as to produce straws from one twentieth to one eighth of an
inch in width. The first process of stripping the leaves on the folds
was paid for at the rate of ten cents per one hundred leaves. I
devoted my leisure to the work, and thus earned a small sum of money.
Heywood was a shoemaker by trade, and an end of the store was used as
a shop. There one man and sometimes two men were employed. From much
seeing I was able to make a pair of shoes for myself--rather for the
amusement of the thing than from any advantage. While at Heywood's
store, probably about 1834, I had a disagreeable experience, the
recollection of which has often returned. A blacksmith, named Choate,
died, and with another boy, whose name I do not recall, I was
summoned to watch the body during a night. We occupied an adjoining
room, and once an hour we were required to bathe the face of the corpse
in spirits of camphor. To this day I have never been able to
understand why two half-grown boys were put to such service.
Heywood was more of an inventor than a trader, and becoming interested
in the manufacture of nail kegs he made an invention in connection with
Dr.
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