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After pondering the problem at some length I noticed that I had several novelty sets of salt and pepper shakers. It came to me that I might work out some new designs to be made of wood and which I could then decorate and exchange for still others to add to my collection.

By good fortune my brother owned a home wood-turning shop and he was able to help me with advice as to kinds and quality of woods, prices, etc. I soon learned that summer cut wood is porous and much more difficult to smooth and paint than winter cut wood. When I had worked out two or three unusual designs, he helped me by shaping them for me and working out what they would cost to make.

My problem then was how to finance the project so as to buy the necessary wood, have it shaped, and buy the paint, brushes and glue that I would need to make a sufficient number to produce revenue. There just wasn't any money available and I couldn't bear the idea of borrowing from anybody on what was, after all, only a hope on my part. At that point my glance happened to fall on "Oscar," the children's piggy bank. It was true that he hadn't been fed for quite a while but there he stood, looking fat and pleased with himself, a reminder of more prosperous times. You will have already guessed the horrible thought that came into my mind. Resolutely I put it from me and tried to think of some other way out of my dilemma. But, like a lodestone, he seemed to draw my eyes and thoughts back again. There he stood, grinning away, as though, at some private joke. Finally I put my conscience in my apron pocket and relieved Oscar of $5. I'll never forget how guilty I felt.

WITH THE money which Oscar "lent" me, I purchased a dozen china shaker sets and these I sold to friends and relatives. I remember that I had a terrific sense of urgency about getting the loan back to Oscar before the family should notice that he had a lean and hungry look.

I was fortunate and quickly sold eleven of the first dozen sets, keeping one set for my own collection. With the profits I bought some more china sets and sold them, always keeping one set for my own collection. Within a few weeks I was able to pay back the $5 to Oscar and still have a small capital with which to work. I continued with the china sets but began to add some of my own wooden designs.

Small towns do not offer much of a market for the things on which I was concentrating and I was reaching the saturation point among my friends, neighbors and relatives. By chance one day I saw an advertisement about a hobby periodical. At once I wrote for subscription and advertising rates. I received this information by return mail and immediately subscribed and ran an advertisement offering my shakers for sale or trade. This proved to be a good investment for it brought in many orders.

Also, I had 2,000 attractive descriptive leaflets printed. These were distributed in several ways. For example, I always kept a number of these advertising slips in my bag, handing them out wherever an opportunity presented itself. I also mailed my leaflets to my pen pals asking them in return to enclose the leaflets in their letters or packages to their friends.

Whenever I learn of any hobby club meetings I forward a set of my shakers to the hostess. In this way a group can see, discuss and learn personally about these sets. Many orders come to me after such meetings.

ONE WARM summer morning I sat on the porch reminiscing over the way my project had blossomed and was bearing fruit. I had a wonderful sense of reaching out over the hills that surround our little valley town of Colrain, Massachusetts, to my correspondents and customers in far away places. It was gratifying and encouraging to know that my four original designs were proving to be favorites with many repeat orders. The "domino," the "tombstone," the "spindle" and the "hot water bottle" were my very own. I had almost as much pride in them as I had in my children. Gradually I was overcoming the shock of my illness and my health was much improved. Instead of dreading the approach of another day, I was eagerly looking forward to each new morning and the mail that it was sure to bring, and the "'busy-ness" that would follow.

My train of thought was broken by the loud cackle of a mother hen across the country road from my home. I had heard that same sound hundreds of times before, but this time it seemed to keep on ringing in my ears and an idea sprang into my head. Why not make a shaker set out of egg shells? Immediately a flock of objections crowded my thoughts: too fragile, too difficult, too expensive, and on and on. As I sat thinking, my eyes rested on the old hen scratching about across the road. Her "cut-cut-cadah-cut" seemed to say "why don't-you-try-it?"

Well, it wouldn't hurt to try it. Going through to the kitchen I got out a half dozen eggs, a couple of bowls, and went to work. The first three or four were rather a mess, until I learned where and how to hit the shells and how to get the contents out without disintegrating the shell. In the end I had two successful ones. Then I had to find out how to clean them and bore holes in them. Here disaster overtook me and I found that I needed more eggs. However, I knew by now that it could be done and I felt sure that the resulting shaker sets would be both unique and attractive.

Going up to my workshop I took a cookbook with me. There I settled down to design a small wooden base that would hold the shell upright. Then I began looking up recipes that called for the use of eggs. It was obvious that I was going to need a lot of egg shells and I couldn't afford them unless I could feed the contents to my family. It took a little time for them to notice what was happening but by the time they did begin to groan when I set before them another concoction based on eggs, I had my technique pretty well in hand and assured them with confidence that, "Eggs are good for better health and longer life." I don't think that I have entirely convinced them of this, but at least we have avoided any open rebellion.

TO RETURN to the eggshell shaker sets, I found that a quick rap on the small end of the egg with the handle of a silver knife would make a slight indentation. With the point of a paring knife I would then remove the pieces of broken shell. Holding the egg nearly straight up with the hole at the bottom allowed the white to run out into a bowl. Then, holding the egg over a second bowl I gave it a quick jerk, which broke the yoke and let it run into the bowl. I now had a empty shell with only a relatively small hole in the end, and I had saved the contents of the egg.

The next step was to cleanse the shells thoroughly. To do this I made a solution of one tablespoon of salt and one of soda to two quarts of water. Into this I put the shells and allowed them to stand for forty-five minutes. At the end of that time I took the shells out and hung them to dry on mating boards. These are simply some scrap lumber cut into three-by-five-inch pieces with two large nails driven into them, like small posts. The shells are allowed to dry naturally at room temperature. This process greatly increases the hardness of the shells so that they can be worked and handled with small danger of breakage.

When the shells are dry they are removed from the nails and placed on the table for mating. A good eye is a help here as the size and color and texture of the shells vary considerable. This may sound strange to you but one of the things that I learned about shells was the fact that a properly fed bird will produce a good sound shell, whereas an improperly fed one will lay eggs with thin or irregular shells. After gaining this knowledge I arranged to purchase my eggs at a standard chicken farm where the owner made it his business to know the proper care and feeding of his chickens. This paid off in labor saved and reduced crushed shells to a minimum.

Boring the holes is perhaps, the most delicate job in the whole process. A large stiff needle is apt to break the shell. A smaller needle will not make a hole large enough to dispense the contents of the shaker. I finally found that a small darning needle was the most practical. Inserting the needle into a stiletto handle makes it much easier to hold for long periods of boring.

The small round wooden bases measure 1¾ inches in diameter and ¾ inch high. The pattern of these can be varied somewhat and they can be turned out in quantity by a wood-turning shop. The top must be hollowed out, so as to receive the end of the egg shell. A hole is then bored from the hollowed part through the bottom for filling. The hole is reamed or countersunk at the bottom to allow room for finger tips to remove the cork.

The joining of the two is made with glue and I have found that, as in most things, it is a good policy to use only the best materials. Get a good grade fish glue, as this has more permanent adhesive qualities. It may be necessary to experiment some with the glue crystals in order to get the right consistency. Too little water added will result in lumps of glue remaining undissolved, resulting in a poor join. Too much water will make a liquid that is too thin, with the result that it also makes a poor joining. Mix only a small amount at a time, using a few crystals and a few drops of water to get the desired result. A few cents' worth of this glue will be sufficient for a large number of sets. The secret is in using a warm smooth glue that spreads evenly and thickly enough to do a good Job. Place the can of glue into a larger container with a little water in it. Place this over a slow fire; this will keep the glue at a thin running consistency, easily applied and with excellent adhesive qualities.

THE SHELLS and bases are now ready for painting. It is better to paint separately. The bases can then be given a light sandpapering before receiving the second coat. If the shells and the bases are to be the same color, they can be joined before giving them the second coat and the paint will strengthen the join. In making the join, apply the glue to the base with a swab made of a bit of cloth tied to a small stick or skewer. A little glue just around the edge of a hole in the shell helps to make a stronger join. Hold the shell firmly in a straight upright position on the base for a few seconds to allow the glue to begin to set.

Decorating the shells presents an interesting variety of opportunities. Small gummed seals of birds, butterflies and flowers give a bright gay touch. Decals can also be used with effective results. My first attempt at stippling was done with a small piece of sponge tied to a stick. I dipped a brush into paint and then drew it across the surface of an old plate. After dipping the sponge swab in the paint on the plate I touched it to the shell in a hit or miss fashion. The effect was novel, easy to apply and pleasing to look at. Individuality is given to each shaker as one can seldom obtain the same marking a second time. Two or more colors may be used in this same way.

After giving the sponge method a thorough tryout, I tried the crushed newspaper method of stippling. This was done by crumpling a small bit of paper and using the same technique as with the sponge swab. By using the same touch from plate to shell and by carefully holding the paper at the same angle I did manage to achieve a repeat in design. This is a slow and painstaking process and it is necessary to use a hand pressure that does not vary from one shell to the other.

A frosted effect may be obtained by using corn meal. Place a small amount of yellow corn meal in each of three dishes and sprinkle a bit of red cake coloring in one dish, green coloring in the next and leave the third in its natural color. Mix the meal and coloring in each dish with the finger tips, working it well into the meal. Hold the shaker firmly by the base in the left hand and apply a generous coat of a good grade varnish to the shell. Sprinkle the meal liberally onto the surface of the shell, taking care to cover it all as evenly as possible. Shake off all excess meal before the varnish begins to set. It is necessary to work fairly quickly, at this stage.

IN CONNECTION with the sales of my shakers, I have gradually adopted an exchange or swap method, accepting any article of interest to a hobbyist. This has resulted in my receiving many times, articles of greater value. These in turn are sold while at the same time further contacts are often made through these transactions.

I sell my egg shell shakers at 75 cents a set and I estimate that they cost me about 35 cents a set, including the bases, labels, advertising, paints, brushes and seals. I tried sending them in mailing tubes, thinking that this would be a saving in packing and mailing. However, they did not prove to be satisfactory and I have decided that plenty of newspaper wrapping in generous sized boxes is the best method.

Frequently I have had orders for just the bases of my egg shell sets from people who wish and enjoy doing their own decorating.

In the comparatively short time that I have been making my shakers, I have been able to build up my own collection to the point where it is worth considerable more than $2,000. This has been done in two ways. Some of my shakers have been exchanged for other designs. Others have been purchased with the profits derived from the sets which I sold for cash.

There are four lessons that my experience seems to teach. First, it is not necessary to have a large capital to run a hobby, if one has an idea and is willing to put some effort into it. Second, it is important to advertise in the right circles so that people will know what you have to offer. Third, a hobby is an excellent way to make friends. My sets have gone to many foreign countries as well as all parts of the United States and I have had some most interesting correspondence with fellow collectors. Fourth, having a real interest in life has helped me over a difficult period in my personal situation and I believe that it has greatly helped my recovery.