The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1851-09-25
A "Reminiscences.

Northern Spectator" weekly news
paper, in the village of East Poultney, Vt.
l was early one morning busily engaged in
my garden, when there came to me strip
ling Of about fourteen years of age, and
inquired If l was the man that carried on
the printing Office ! answered that |
was. He asked me if | wanted to take a
boy as an apprentice' [ It'd him I had
thought Of it, and asked him if he wished
to become printer? He said he had
notion of learning the printing business
lie had come some ten miles on foot that
morning from an humble home in the
vicinity Of Westhaven, to make the appli-
cation. had not, at first, paid much at
tention to his addrcss-and now turning to
the young stranger, / saw standing before
me a light, slender from, dressed in the
plain farmers cloth of the day, and with
negh9e not in accordance with the fastidious
taste Of Beau Nash or Bommcl. His hair
of light hue shading upon the orange,
lay thinly upon his broad forehead, and
over head rocking on shoulders appa-
rently too slender to support the weight of
a member so disproportioned to his general
outline. On entering into conversation,
and partial examination of the qualifca-
tons Of my new applicant, it required but
little time to discover that he possessed
a mind Of no common order, and an ac-
quircd intelligence far beyond his years.
He had had but little opportunity at the
common school, but he said I" he had read
some"--and what he had read he well
understood and remembered
In addition to the ripe intelligence man
Tested in one so young, and whose in
struction had been SO limited, there was a
sing le-mindedness, truthfulnoss and COM
mon sense in what he said, that at once
commanded my regard. After convcrs-
ing with him awhile, | told him to 90 to
the office and talk will the foreman He
did SO, and soon returned with line from
the foreman, saying he thought we had
better try the lad. He soon entered the
office, after having bound himself as an ap-
prentice for four years.
On his first entering the Office, there
was quite sensation among the older ap-
prcntices and journeymcn. They thought
they had caught "green un', and re-
solved on treat of fun. But the new
conner paid no attention to what was pass
ing. He took his copy and composing
stick from the foreman and stood up to
the desk Of ems, " intent on thought, and
all the world blank" lie had not stood
there many days before his Office COM
panions appeared to doubt, and the more
tame ones began to sniff little of the
young lion. But they could not entirely
forcgo the anticipated pleasure of initiating
their new friend, so, as his hair was of a
lighter hue than they thought became the
trade of ink and types, they applied the
black balls" until they thought the i'm
preston would come off intellgibly. This
was done while he stood at the desk of
types; but none of these things moved
him, nor did he lose single en- by the
operation.
About this time the late Rev. Z. j.
Reynolds, sound, well-read theologian,
and a practical printer, was employed to
edit and conduct the paper. This opened
q desirable school for intellectual culture
to our young debutam. Debates ensued-
historical, political and religious questions
were discussed, and often while all hands
were engaged at the font of types and
here the purpose for which our young
friend " had read some," was made mani
fest. Such was the correctness Of his
memory in what he had read, in both
biblical and profano history, that the Rev.
Mr.. Il. was often put at fault by his
corrections. lie always quoted chapter
and verse to prove point in dispute.
On one occasion, the Rev. Mr.. Rey-
nolds said that money was the root of
all evil, when he was corrected by the
"deyil," who said that he believed it read
in the bible that the love of money was
the root Of all evil.
A small town library gave him access to
books by which, together with the reading
the exchange papers of the office, he
improved all his leisure hours He be-
came a frequent talkcr in our village
lyceum, and often wrote dissertations.
In the organization Of our village tenn
pcrance society, the question arose as to