I told
him, during the day, how anxious I was to obtain a pair of horses for
my sister. I wished to make her a present of a span, and I had heard
that St. Louis was a noted place for them. Had he seen anything
superb?
The bait took. He launched forth into a description of several spans
of horses he had seen and stables he had visited. I asked him if he
could possibly stay over and select the horses. I knew very well that
he would wish to see them and drive them many times which would keep
him busy. It happened just as I expected. He purchased a splendid
pair, but then another difficulty occurred about transporting them to
Pittsburgh. He would not trust them by rail and no suitable boat was
to leave for several days. Providence was on my side evidently.
Nothing on earth would induce that man to leave the city until he saw
those horses fairly started and it was an even wager whether he would
not insist upon going up on the steamer with them himself. We held the
bridge. "Pipe" made a splendid Horatius. He was one of the best men
and one of the most valuable partners I ever was favored with, and
richly deserved the rewards which he did so much to secure.
The Keystone Bridge Works have always been a source of satisfaction to
me. Almost every concern that had undertaken to erect iron bridges in
America had failed.
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