He did not enter; instead, the need of money being pressing, he went to work in one of the local stores, selling behind the counter.

If his father had lived he would, probably, have gone away after finishing high school and perhaps, if by that time the mechanical ability which he possessed had shown itself, he might even have gone to some technical school or college.

In that case Jed Winslow's career might have been very, very different.

But instead he went to selling groceries, boots, shoes, dry goods and notions for Mr.
Seth Wingate, old Jedidah's younger brother.
As a grocery clerk Jed was not a success, neither did he shine as a clerk in the post office, nor as an assistant to the local expressman.

In desperation he began to learn the carpenter's trade and, because he liked to handle tools, did pretty well at it.