Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/135

 on most all of the others bidding at about $200 or $250, so I said to myself, for the honor and glory of the thing I'll go lower, so down I put $210.

"Well, then it came out as to how the bids had gone. Shelton & Co. had bid $147. Now, you know, I was knocked out. I said to my old lady, said I, 'I'll bet I lose.' Well, you know, after having wanted for fifteen years to have my wish it was mighty hard to give up then. But I got an idea. I went to the Shelton place, and I saw Mr. Shelton. 'Mr. Shelton,' said I, 'I sure do want to put Davis' name back on the slab at "Cabin John Bridge." Now, what's going to be done? Can I come and work for you?'

" 'Sure,' said Mr. Shelton. Well, we started out, and I was to work by the day. Then he found out he was losing money, and so I said, 'Here, I'll take the thing.' So I did. Of course, the contract is in Shelton" s name, but I'm doing the job.

"SOME WORK," SAYS HORNE.

"You know there's some work on that thing. It isn't just putting the name in. Lord bless you no, child! That whole thing has to be leveled off, first with one kind of tool, and so on through four. Then the whole tablet has to be all re-lettered. But I'll tell you what. You know I have to be through by May 15th. I'm going to knock that in the collar and finish it between the 10th and that time.

"I've done lots of jobs," said Horne, "but this one sure is to my liking. You know, I'm an orphan, and, as I said, there is no one in our family but my old lady and me. But I have a little niece, Bessie. The other day I wrote to Bessie, and I said: 'Bessie, your Uncle Jim is sure enough putting those letters back on that thing.' And when I get through I'm going to get the history of the place, take some pictures of the bridge, and then go home.

"You know, my old lady wants me to settle down, and for us to live here in Washington. Now, I haven't a thing against this place. But, bless you, a stonecutter has no home. Why, I've followed my work all my life. I've been all over the country—anywhere the work was.