The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-23
A Learned JourneyInan Printer.

Mr.. JoHN PATERSON is native of New Jersey
having been born at Morristown, ON the / lth o
January, 1893; he Is, therefore, in his fifty fret
year. AT the age of four years he removed, with
his parents, to Canada. His father was a shoema.
ker by trade, and died poor; his mother Is still
living, and resides in Canada, near the city OF
Hamilton Mr. p. was apprcntioed 10 an uncle tc
learn the house carpenters business At this EN-
ployment he continued about three years, when
ms uncle met with a reverse OF fortune. which com
PEELED his nephew TO pursue some other calling or
| a livelihood.
His next attempt to be useful was office boy
| TO country physician, with whom Mr.. II. re-
manned till he was nearly az well read in medicine
AS his employer. II is doubtless TO "the Doctors
Library" that Mr.. Patterson is mainly indebted
Tor the literary tastes by which his after life has
been 50 singularly distinguished.
Quitting the doctor, shortly after find him in
Buffalo, where he acted clerk in drug store for
about three months, when the offers and we'll filled
shelves ofSalisbury astatoner OF that city, induced
him "tO throw physc to the dogs," and take po-
| sition under the tree that brought blushes and
aprons into the world-the tree of knowledge. In
Connexion with their book store Mcssrs. Salisbury
published paper, called the Bu lo Ga azetfe which
paper having contained a libel, the proprietors
were sued and judgment rendered against them
for $4,000. They at once proceeded 10 sinuggle
their stock into Niagara, Canada, and scnt John
there FOR the purpose of disposing Of il. Hc OBJ
| tained part of building occupied by printer,
and then disposed Of the stock of books IN about
| light months.
agreed TO set type for hlr Ferguson, publisher OF
the Niagara Spectator. At this time, the ccc-
! brated Robert Gouriy contributed 60 its columns
and, being radical retormer, he hbelled the Co
vcrnmcnt. For this species OF enjoyment, blr
Ferguson was imprisoned his paper ceased its ex
istence, while Paterson was again compelled e
seek his fortune elsewhere. Ii was his intention
then To 60 to Montrcal bot, finding Il impossible
| 20 raiee the necessary means 20 carry him there
he compelled TO foot it' 10 Black Rock, and
not having means sufficient to pay HE ferriagc, re.
turned 20 Buffalo. At this latter city he remained
three years, during which time he learned bis
trade, (that Of prnter,D in the ofico Of ID. NJ Day
publisher of the Buffalo Journal. After having
visited and worked in number Of places be took
op his residence in this city in the year 1922 res
idencc that he has continued to this day His first
work in Albany, he found at +. w skinner's.
The degree Of A. NJ was conferred on Mr.. p. in
the year 1896, by Union College.
As VIC mentioned last week Mr. Paterson is a
scholar in every sense of the term. lie s not only
thoroughly vcrsed in every branch Of matbcma tics,
but can read and write Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and
Arabic. with as much and fuency . be can
English. In the different living languages lac il
equally well posted up, and is probably the only
man on earth who can converse in every language
spoken in Europc His great work, entitled the
" Calculus of Operations has issued from the
press and is IN the opiniono scientific men, one Of
the most profound productions that the mathemsti
cal world has yet given to society
From what we have written above the reader
will perceive that Mr. Paterson is not only a self
made but a most persevering man With no aid
but industry, and no higher salary than that which
is bestowed on Journeyrnan printsr, MIR Paterson
has become not only thoroughly acquainted with
every department Of human know ledge, but ha.
acquired handsome little property, and owns on,
of the best selected Libraries in the city. The lat
ter contains some three thousand volumes, while its
estimated worth Is put down at $1,000.
A week ago wc stated that John Patersou, Of AL.
bany, was the most extraordinary man in Amcri-
ca. The above facts, we think, prove Il. la our
opinion, Nature will produce half dozen Shak-
speares before she produces another man whose ac-
quirements will compare with those belonging 10
this modest, unpretending printer. To our young
men, the history Of this unaided genius should act
stimulus 10 cxerton; having the same means
of progression, they should cndeavor to emulate his
| success.
Before we conclude this rather hasty sketch, we
may as well render il little more complete by
stating that Mr. Paterson married in 1928 Miss
Orilla Bosworth, by whom he has had five ohil-