my 51. An Unexpected Trip to the Doctor

Alphy continued to make hand sleighs for a few years after he started the business of making windows and door frames. He only discontinued making the sleighs after the window business was well on its way. Most of the carpenter work was done in Alphy’s work- shop but Alphy still used the forge to make metal runners for the sleighs. In the forge there was the blacksmith ‘pit’ where the metal

was heated.

To cut the lumber for the sleighs, windows and door frames Alphy had devised a long table for the lumber to go through for cutting. The table was approximately twelve feet in length, with precise measurements marked on it, so that the lumber would be cut to the exact requirement. At the end of the table, secured to the floor was an ‘air coolant’ engine which was used to move the ‘pulley’ belts. The function of the pulley belts was to turn the large circular saw at the other end of the table. There was also a crank attached to the engine to start it. Alphy had designed this whole

contraption .

When Ivan was approximately twelve years old, he was working in the workshop with his father. Alphy usually started the air coolant engine, and Ivan would help push the lumber through. On this particular day, Ivan decided that he would try to start the engine. The crank was heavy and difficult to turn. Ivan was slight; it was all he could do to exert enough pressure on the crank to turn it. With as much force as he could muster, Ivan turned the crank, but there wasn’t enough force to make a complete turn. The crank went forward, but then ‘kicked’ back. As it spun backwards, the crank hit Ivan’s arm. Ivan felt the jar. The crank broke his arm in one quick

snap!

When Alphy looked at Ivan’s arm, he knew it was broken, as the bone was sticking out like a goose neck. When it came right down to it, Alphy was quite squeamish around broken bones and

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