Chapter 5
A Doomed Trade

There had not been much in the papers about the coopers' strike lately. Even when the strike was on, the papers had bigger news. The Bond election had filled the pages. Even when the strike ended not much was said about it. So this headline caught William Pender's eye:

Passing of the Cooper:

Coopering seems to be a doomed trade in St. John's, and every man who possibly can, is getting out of it. It is being hit from both ends. It will be next to a wonder if it ever survives.

On the one end is the barrel making machinery cutting into its old area, and on the other is the handy man who, after a little practice, can make "slack" work good enough to pass.

There will always be room for a few coopers here, but four fifths of the usual number cannot now find employment. Some of the craft have, I am told, thrown off their aprons. They have gone to work as ordinary labourers.

William stood up, put his coat on, and stuffed the paper in his pocket. He looked out the window at the merchants' wharves-Morey's, Ayre and Sons, Baine Johnston, and all the rest. Lined with barrels, but none made by him.

"Ordinary labourers," he repeated. For him, that meant working as a longshoreman. He looked down at the docks and tried to picture it. A lot of fellows from the South Side worked at that.

They made a half decent living some of the time. But they were never sure of a job. They had to be down on the docks at the right time. If they were lucky, they got chosen to load and unload the coal and salt boats.