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I START ON MY TRAVELS.
Now that I was a master puddler, I faced the problem of finding a furnace of my own.

I saw no chance in Sharon.

Furnaces passed from father to son, so I could not hope to get one of the furnaces controlled by another family.

My father was not ready to relinquish his furnace to me, as he was good for twenty years more of this vigorous labor.
I wanted to be a real boss puddler, and so, when I was eighteen I went to Pittsburgh and got a furnace.