LUTHER BURBANK 



that his son be a mechanic. An uncle, Luther 

 Ross, was superintendent of the wood working de- 

 partment of the great Ames Manufacturing Com- 

 pany which had plants at Worcester, Groten, and 

 Chicopee, Mass. So a place was readily secured 

 for me in the factory at Worcester. 



When entering on my duties I was first 

 employed in turning plow-rounds, for which I 

 received the munificent sum of 50 cents a day. 



I also paid 50 cents a day for board. And as 

 there are seven days in the week when one must 

 have food and shelter and only six working days, 

 it is obvious that I was 50 cents in arrears at the 

 close of each week. 



As this arrangement did not appeal to my busi- 

 ness instincts, I induced my uncle to grant me the 

 privilege of working by the piece instead of by 

 the day. By special activity under this arrange- 

 ment I was able to make two or three times as 

 much as formerly. 



But I had not been long at the work before the 

 knack at contriving things mechanical came to my 

 aid. I conceived an improvement in the turning 

 lathe that would enable me, I thought, to perform 

 the work much more expeditiously. The inven- 

 tion proved a success, and with its aid I was 

 enabled to earn as much as sixteen dollars a day — 

 a very notable advance on my initial wage. 



[46] 



