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These papers, I am led to believe, were among the first that were ever issued devoted entirely to describing the uses and applications of the square, and so well did they meet with the appreciation of workmen who were interested in the steel square, that the writer was urged personally and by letters from all sides to put the papers in book form, and this was done in 1879, with the result that several hundred thousand copies of the work have been sold, and the demand has not yet decreased. Since the first appearance of the little book
above named the writer has been requested by
hundreds of the readers thereof to still further
pursue the subject and embody in one work all
that is known of the square and that can be
accomplished with it so far as can be gathered up to the present
time. Partly in response to this request, and partly because I
am informed of several other writers having intimated their It is not necessary
for me in this preface to remind the young workman of to-day of
the necessity of arming himself with all the resources of modern
methods and appliances for the performance of his work, if he
desires to stand in the front rank of his trade. This is
so evident that he who runs may read it on every street corner.
It is the bright, well-informed young man that wins the race,
and the fellow who drops his tools at the first clang of the
bell at quitting time and gives no further thought either to his
work or his tools until the commencement of work again the
following day, always remains at the foot of the ladder, and
wonders how it is he does not prosper and thrive at the same
rate as his more energetic and studious fellow workman. A
few hours quiet study each week during the winter nights makes
the difference between poverty and In the whole course of practice in the building arts there is no tool the artisan possesses that lends itself so readily to the quick solution of the many difficult problems of laying out work as the steel square. Therefore, it is essential the workman should have a thorough practical knowledge of its capabilities and applications, and it is to aid him in acquiring that knowledge that this work is prepared. It will be my endeavor throughout to place everything presented in as simple and plain a manner as possible, and avoid mystifying the workman with a redundancy of formulae and figures, giving graphic explanations where possible, and cutting out surplus figures where such can be done without vitally affecting the sense of the subject under discussion. As a matter of course I have drawn from
many recent writers on the steel square, both
as regards illustrations and descriptions, and in
a number of instances it may be necessary for me to repeat the
solutions of some problems,
showing different methods employed by different
writers to arrive at the same results; and in
doing this I am anxious to give credit to each
individual whose matter I have made use of.
It will be impossible, however, to give credit in
each case, so I give the names herewith, and, The first in importance are J. O'Connell, St. Louis, Mo.; Wm. Croker, Orillia, Ontario; Wm. E. Hill, Terre Haute, Ind.; A. W. Wood, Lincoln, Neb.; F. Lascy, San Francisco, Cal.; J. P. Hicks, Omaha, Neb.; E. Stoddard, Indianapolis, Ind.; W. George, England; J. R. Gill, Hamilton, Ontario; W. G. Penrose, Trafford Park, England; H. Parker, England, and H. D. Cook, Philadelphia. Besides these a number of paper and magazines have been laid under contribution for matter and illustrations that are embodied in this work, among which may be mentioned the following: "The American Builder," "The Builder and Woodworker," "Scientific American Supplement," "Canadian Mechanics Magazine", "Carpentry and Building," "California Architect," ''National Builder," "Illustrated Carpenter and Builder" (English), "The Carpenter," and "The Building World," and one or two other journals. Many of the items taken from the foregoing
have been changed, corrected and simplified
and put in such a shape that the ordinary workman
will find but little difficulty in grasping
them to such an extent as to render them
useful.
In presenting a work of this kind to the public
the author feels that he is making a somewhat
hazardous venture, as he must naturally go over
a great deal of ground that has been trodden by The author begs it to be understood that no
literary merit is claimed for this work. Practical
works offer but little opportunity for literary
culture. To be exact, practical, clear and concise
is perhaps the best that can be expected in a
book of this kind, and, if I succeed on these grounds and have
so couched my language that
the ordinary practical mind of the working man
can thoroughly understand what I have meant FRED T. HODGSON
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