Abstract:

A mysterious blind vagrant wanders the streets. Injured Civil War veterans struggle to survive. Radical tramps seize the railroad junction as Enoch Moyer awakes to the first day as an apprentice at a Lewistown, Pennsylvania dry goods store.
Removed from school, the fatherless fourteen year old is indentured to work and live for four years in the competitive world of this diverse industrial town. Between a harsh master and a jealous senior apprentice, Enoch’s spirit is nearly broken until he discovers the secret to gain his master’s respect and disarm his rival.
After enrolling in the community apprentice association, Enoch uncovers a plot to harm his master’s family. Partnering with his fellow apprentices, they foil the crime, save his master’s family, and arrest the transgressors – and when the case comes to trial, Enoch faces the challenge of persuading the judicial system to punish the real criminals.