Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-01-29
THE EARLY LIFE OF BISHOP HUGHES
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

THE EARLY LIFE OF BISHOP HUGHES
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
A Washington correspondent, of the New
Y ork Sun writes as follows Of the eminent
divine whose name heads this article:
"Circumstances have recently brought to
my knowledge facts connected with the
former times of Archbishop Hughes, which
going strongly to illustrate the force Of his
character, can hardly fail to interest the
New York City reader A distinguished
gentleman, now Of this city, recollecls when
this celebrated, learned and powerful Divine
supported no, only himself, but an aged
parent, by soddIng, planting and trimming
gardens, in Chambersburg, Pa. He has Of
ten seen him wheeling his barrow, with rake
and spade, from dwelling to dwelling, when
engaged in this work, for which he was
usually paid fifty cents per diem. John
Hughes was one of the very best Latin and
Greek lnguis,s in America, having received
a scholastic education from his early youth
until coming to America, when ust on en-
,ering upon manhood. Subsequently, he
made his way to Emmetsburgh, Nd, and en-
tered into the service of the celebrated Jesu-
its College there as a grower of cabbages !!
The Institution, according to the custom
with Roman Catholic Colleges in this coun-
try, has a highly cultivated small farm al
,ached to it, and Hughes being employ ed as
Iaborer upon il, was placed in charge OF
the cabbage beds. On one occasion, see
ing one of the lads Of the Institution puz-
cling over his task in Cicero, Hughes re-
oues,ed him to let him look at the book,
and asking him TO explain the meaning Of
a paragraph, to the establishment OF the
youth, corrected his reading. lie also dis
closed to the boy in the same way the TACT
that he was proficient in Greek. Shortly
afterwards, the boy getting stumped on
lesson in Homer, repaired to the gardener
and procured translation, which when
produced as his own, satisfied his tutor
by the elegance and perfect correctness with
which it was rendered into English, that it
was not the work Of the boy. The latter
was then questioned as to who had helped
him on the lesson, and surprised all by de-
clarng tina, it was "only Johnny, the Gar
diner lad" Hughes was Instantly summon
eQ OeipIe VIC idCuiIy, WI" WIZ ''e'~""
lous as to the truth Of the pupils story.
A Project undertook TO examine him, when
it turned out that he was by far The best
Greek and Latin scholar in the Institution.
With the capital judgment which dIstln-
guishes those who manage the affairs Of The
Jesuils everywhere, John Hughes was in
stan,y made to exchange his cabbages for
the humaniies, and at once became tutor
10 the Institution. This was the commence
men, of the superstructure of his fortune and
fame, the foundation being his native intel
lee, and his energy, industry and probI'y,
from his earliest infancy. lie soon became
the leading spiri, Of the Institution, where
he remained, until his fame spreading
Throughout, the country, his church au'hofI-
ties called him to labor in The wider and
more important field Of the world There
are lessons in these excerpts from the hlsto-
ry of ] ohm Hughes, which youth every where
may treasure in memory to Its great future
advantage"