One day, about a year after the engine was put in, there was a great wind blowing. A gust of unusual force blew the engine-room door open at the instant when a barrowful of coal was being dumped, and carried a cloud of its dust over the guide-bars. The engine was soon brought to a standstill. All the faces of cross-head and guide-bars were deeply scored. It was found, however, that when these were cleaned up and scraped over to remove all projections that they ran as well as ever, the grooves proving good oil distributors, but they were not so pretty to look at. One day, two or three weeks after we commenced work on this engine, Mr. Phillips’ bookkeeper came to me and said: “Mr. Peters’ engine is contracted to be running on the first of May, is it not?” “Yes.” “Do you think it will be ready?” I replied that the work was in a good state of forwardness, and I thought most likely it would be running before that time. I should say that was a size for which I had made the revised drawings already, and the old cylinder pattern had been readily altered to the new style. “Well,” said he, “Mr. Phillips is a little short to-day, and he would be much obliged if you would give him your note for a thousand dollars to come due, say, the fifteenth of May.” So I gave him the note, the engine was ready on time, accepted and paid for, and the note met at maturity. This was the beginning of a uniform process, which continued for four years. It was disclosed that Mr. Phillips’ financial position was the same as my own, neither of us had a cent of money. The way we managed was this. I always afterwards required payments in instalments, one quarter with the order, one quarter when the engine was ready for shipment, and the balance when running satisfactorily. Thus with my notes we got along famously. My orders were always from first-class parties, engines always ready on time, always gave satisfaction, and promptly paid for. I had many thousands in notes out all the time, and never had to renew a note. Mr. James Moore of Philadelphia, the celebrated builder of rolling mill machinery, once long after remarked to me, “I keep my bank account in the shop.” It occurred to me that I had always done the same thing.