The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-05-07
II H E N E w Err A F.
THE ADVENTURES OF A JOURNEY
MAN PRINTER

MI VIM. A. Welles, journeyman, gave the
| following sketch of his life. He said
- Mr. President lit often has been remarked
that the fortunes Of the members of the typo
graphical profession have been more diversified
and Precarous than that of any other class If men
The changes constantly taking place in their
| circumstances render them an easy prey to all
the vcissitudes of life
ne printer is an intellectual being. No
class OF men, in any age of the world, have Given
evidence of so great versatility of talent uniyer
sal Knowledge and variety of reading, as the BODY
Typographical The biography ofmany printers
would be both amusing and instructive. By wav
OF illustrating this declaration, offer the follow
ing crude, rambling recollections of a somewba,
adventurous journey thus far through life no,
that would In SO doing, claim any notore,y for
my many hair breadth 'scapes.' but FROM an in.
clination to let my fellow craftsmen read a PAGE
OF my story; and If any good should result from
my experience, to bequeath the record of the in
cioents OF my times, for the amusements ,r
others. -
" served nearly seven years apprenticeship
IN the office OF the late Alderman Seymour. 40
John street. New York. In this office associated
as fellow workmen were the late Commissarv
General of this State, A. Chandler; Mamr Har.
per, N. York; Gen. George P. Morris late editor
and publisher of the New York Mirror John
WIND Elliott, the Foreman, Gone ofthe notorious
MiIandi Expedrton,) and your humble servant
= About this time pulled the frs, number Of
the New York American then edited NV
Charler King, James II. Hamilton and Julian G;
Serplanck. The first edition of Sa)mapundi'
was also printed In this Office, about this time.
rom me Mo; OF Washington Irving in the com
position OF which | assisted In Van Wiock,e,s
office afterwards. set up the three first numbers
oi The Sketch Book by the same gifted anibor
r, In Boston worked upon The Columbian
Sentinel, for Old Ben RUSSELL who DISCHARGED
me rom his Office for drumming Yankee Double
as beat the last sheet of the inside of his n,ne,
one morning, after having ,porked eIepen tokens
,,mperal within the preceding ten hours, From
Boston went TO Flagg and Gould's office. Andn.
Ver' Mass, and was employed in setting ND from
his MS, Gibbs Hebrew Lexicon which con.
tanned nineteen different labDuaqes ;oclrd;n,
those usually styled dead At this period of
my history, procured mdshipman's warrant.
ana went to sea IN the frigate Brandvwine. Com
modore Morris I'm
f" he ship sailed from Hampton Roads in
September 1925, having on board as passenger
lhat lllustrious statesman and patriot. Gibert
mortier, Marquis de Lafayette, During yoyaoe
VI 70 days | saw much of this great good man
ne GENERAL conferred particular favor upon
me oy entrustlng to my care rattle snake, an
opossum, grey squirrel. cock robin, and noodle
dog-the last present from lady in PbiladeI.
phia was on board the BrandywiDe On tho
night OF the memorable 26th of September. 1909
uP"n whlch occasion was thrown overheard more
man nifty thousand dollars worth of propertv to
tighten The vessel, while in the head of The Raw
of Bscay. '
when IN Portsmouth, England had the
"onor OF being guest on board the BraDdywine.
at dinner given To His Royal Highpess. the
Duke OF Clarence, then Lord HIGH Admiral of
Byron. her little daughter Ada, Admiral Lord
boiing6roke, and several other dignitaries of The
British realm '"'
from England we proceeded to Gibra)ter =
we sailed up the Mediterranean on the European
shore, touching at such ports as Cadiz Par,
Mahon, Pisa, Naples. Palermo the coast Of Gala.
oFa, &C. then crossing to the Asiatic and African
side OF the Mediterranean; then running down TO
Gibraltar. From the Rock we took tho trade
WINDS and made the Cape de Verd Islands, ADD
the cape OF Good Hope. From thence tn Az
censiOn and Elba Islands After cruising rnno
The coast for six weeks we ran over to Staten
Land, off the pitch of Cape Horn.
\" have visited the cities of ST. Pauos. the
Island OF St. Catbarlne, Santos Rio de yaoeito
Buenos Ayres, Montevideo and Mouldinado On
the river La Plata st. Salvador, at the head of
the bay of All Saints, Glinds and pernambnco
MaTanham and Para on the Amazon. have
aIso oecu III all the ports OF the United States
except New Orleans and Charleston.
" In my land cruises have wrought az printer
10 Portland, Me; Concord. N H. Boston. Mass.
Hartford, Ci than 20 years ago, in the Office
OF my old friend P. Garfield. now present. New
Haven. Co.; New York; Newark, n. J. and
Philadelphia. In this city, assisted in ssffing
up fron his MS, Prince Luciea Bona p,r,e;s
work American OrnithoIogy. was also employ.
ed by Matthew Carey, one Of the Oldest printers
and publishers in the United States. in ,be es,
tablisbment Of Poulson, Mrs. l.. H. BsiIy. John
BoreD, Duane. Billy Fry,' &c.
'One dark, gloomy night, in 1918. Eouod
myself IN the inow) city Of Bufalo, in bar room
With but single York shilling in my pocket
abost half sick, and completely tired of the world
and printing. While was DISCUSSING the iIE oe
life, and the Inconvenience If being 400 miles
from home, IN the wilderness, listening to the
suTges OF Lake Erie and The cravings Of an efoptv
stomach, gentleman tapped me on the shoulde,
IN good Datured manner and asked me is were
printer answered in the affirmative. he
wished to know whether would 90 to Genava
aD5 take situation in his Office I accented h;s
oSer-he slipped $40 biz into nv 6noers-and
| accompanied him to Geneva, and was in his
employment until my wages amounted To st5O
when renewed my adventures.
" ] have been confined in the same Apnoeoo ~
The Cacel OF Buenos Ayres, with Don Msnnal
Pc . sho Lar IL 4