While at work there, I heard of a vacant position in the household of General Lewis Ruffner, the owner of the salt-furnace and coal-mine.

Mrs.Viola Ruffner, the wife of General Ruffner, was a "Yankee" woman from Vermont.

Mrs.Ruffner had a reputation all through the vicinity for being very strict with her servants, and especially with the boys who tried to serve her.

Few of them remained with her more than two or three weeks.

They all left with the same excuse: she was too strict.