Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

87. shalt see it shining in the arm that wields a pick or drives a spike; that democratic dignity which, on all hands radiates without end from God; Himself! The great God absolute! The centre and circumference of all democracy! His omnipresence, our divine equality!” (Moby – Dick)(“Knights and Squires”)

     Last Wednesday evening – took family to movie, while I went to Harbor – a soft warm freshness – talking to the old man who lives in the houseboat – or rather he, talking to me. Once he started there was no stopping him. He chewed tobacco, and must spit at every two or three words. He told me of some of the old days in this particular spot in the harbor – tho I had difficulty in keeping him to that time. He was always wanted to talk about modern political conditions. He told one of the Monarch elevator once falling into the creek – followed a long complicated recital of the salvaging of the wheat, machinery lumber (sic) etc. – in which he himself was the unappreciated & misjudged hero – all his stories of his work in the harbor had the same bias – he would be asked for his price bid; it was always too high – the employer would always take a rival at a lower bid, who either bungled or cheated on the job – in the end they had to come to him, and hire him at his original figure before they could get the job done right. I thought he would never stop talking and