Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1916 — 9-YEAR-OLD BLACKSMITH. [ARTICLE]

9-YEAR-OLD BLACKSMITH.

Finds Pleasure In Making Samples for Boy Friends and Turning Blower for Father. Branchville, N. J.—Under a spreading chestnut tree the village smithy stands. The smith—a mighty man is he, just like Longfellow’s smith. But Branchville’s smith has a son who is mightier than his father, if you believe what the youth's companions say about the boy. In Branchville Cyrus Garris, 9 years old, is the boy of the hour—better the children's hours, between the dark and the daylight when he quits work as the youngest blacksmith in the state, and probably the whole world. At fhia hour “Cy’s” friends gather around the shop to reap the harvest of Lis day’s work. He wipes the beads from his brow and gives them whiffletree rings and- sometimes horseshoes, all of his own manufacture. “Sure, I’m going to be a blacksmith when I grow up,” was his sincere answer when he was asked what career he had decided upon.— “Cy’s” father, Lester Garris, was asked his opinion of the boy as a blacksmith. Mr. Garris picked up a looked at it with pride. Ii was one that "Cy” had made. “See how that toe is welded on,” he said. “It's tight, and It wouldn’t come off if it was used until it wore out. I’ve hired a good many blacksmiths right here who couldn’t do a job like that. He’s a great kid, and I never showed him about the work. He just picked it up hangin' around the 3hop.” “Cy” started as a blacksmith oy welding together two pieces of old wagon tire. He said this was “dead easy” because he had watched his father and the other blacksmiths at work. At first he found it difficulFto reach the anvil with the hammer, but this hindrance to his work he soon overcame by standing on a box. It was not long before he was making horseshoes just as well as his father and the assistants. Rings for whiffle, trees were a “pipe to make.’ Ho has welded piles of them.

“I made eight of those shoes,” he said, modestly, as he was quite shy when the interviewer first began to ask questions. “I corked ’em and welded ’em, but I didn't make 'em for any horse. I just make 'em for the fun of It. I give a lot of ’em away to my friends. Some of the men 'round here liked ’em, so I sold them some. Art Jaggers got one, an’ Mr. Snook an’ John Bevans an' Fred Layton. There was some others, too.” “Cy” has just finished his school term. He isn’t going to quit school for blacksmith trade, however, until he has completed his education. The reporter left “Cy” turning the blower In his father’s forge. _ ■.