Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1855-02-01


books he had read he could give : cOrrec
and%conlplete analysis. In Mr.. Bliss
own account Of the interview, he says
ON entering into conversation. and
partial examination Of the qualification
nf my new applicant. it required but lii
lie time 10 discover that he possessed
min of no common order. anA an &C
quired intelligence far beyond his years
lie hal had but little opportunity al ia
common school, but he said he had rca
some, aud what he had read he well un
derstood and remem bered In addition
IL the ripe intelligence manifested in ont
so Young, and instruction had been s.
limited there was a single mindedness
,ruthfulnesS and common sense IN Wha
lie said. that demanded my regard.
After half an hours conversation with
tho boy. Mr.. Bliss int;matsd that ht
thought he would do. ans told him to g
into The printing office ana talk to tn
foreman. Horace went to the printing
Office, enl there his appearance produce,
al effect OF he tender minds OF the three
apprentices who were az work therein
which can be much better imagined than
described, and which is most wildly re
mem ered By the two who survive It
the foreman Horace Greeley addressed
himself. regardless certainly, oblIrious
prohd bly, of the stare ana remarks Of the
bows. The foreman. at first, was inclin-
Ell to wonder that Mr.. Bliss should. fol
one moment. think il possible that boy
got up in that style could perform the
most ordinary duties of a printers ap.
prentice. Ten minutes talk with him,
however, eff cted partial revolution IN
his mind in the boys favor, and as he
was greatly in want Of another aPPren-
tice, he1was not inclined u be over par
ticul1r. lie tore off slip of proof pa
per, wrote few words upon it hastily
with.a pencil, and told the boy to take it
to MIR. Bliss. That piece OF paper was
his fate. The words were: Guess we'd
better try him Away went Horace TO
the garden. and presented his paper. Mr..
Bliss. whose curiosity had been excited
to high pitch BY the extraordinary con-
trast between the appearance of the boy
and his real quality. now entered into a
long conversation with him. questioned
him respecting his history. his past ern-
Ploymenls. his parents, their circunlstan
ces, his own intentions and wishes; and
the longer he talked, the more his admi-
ration grew. The result was. that he a
greed 20 accept Horace as an a?prenti ce,
provide his father would agree to the u
81 ~
and light heart. the happy boy took tlIs
dusty road that led 10 his hcmc in West
haven.
You're not going to hirt that iow-head,
NJ. Bliss, are you!' asked one of the ap.
preu,ices at the close OF the day. Il am,
was the reply. and il you boss are ex
prcting To get any fun out Of him, you'd
better get i. quick, OF you'll be 100 late.
There's something in thu, tow head. as
you'll find out before you're a week
older
A day or two after Hor5ce packed up
his wardrobe in a small cotton handker-
chief. Small as il was. il would have
held more; for its proprietor never had
more than two shirts. and one change Of
outer clothing. at the sam time, ill he
was OF age. Father and son walked, side
by side to PouI,ney, the boy carrying his
possessions upon stick over his shout
..er.
\; poultney. an unexpected difficulty
arose, which for time made Horace
tremble in his highlow shoes. The
terms proposed by Mr.. Bliss were. thai
the 5oy should be bound for five wears
and receive his board and twenty dollar:
year. Now, Mr. Greeley had ideas o!
his own on the subject OF apprenticeship
and he objected TO this proposal. and &c
every particular Of it. In the first place,
he had determined that no child of his
should ever be bound at all. In the Sc
cond place he thought five years an un-
reasonable time: thirdly, he consl dered
that twenty dollars year aud board was
compensation ridicu!ously dispropor
tiOnate 10 the services which Horace
would be reGuirsi TO render; and finail.
on each and all Of these points. he c!uns
to his opinion with the tenacity Of q
Greeley. Mr.. Bliss appealed 10 the es
tablished custom Of the country; five
years wss the usual period, the compen-
sation offered was the regular thing; the
binding was d point essential 10 the EN-.
ployer's interest. At every pause In the
conversation. the appealing voice OF Hor-
ace was heard: Father. | guess you'd
better make bargain with Mr.. Bliss OF
Father. guess it won't make much diff
ference or. Don't you think you better
du it. father 2 At one moment the boy
was reduced 20 dispair. Mr.. Bliss had
given IL as his ultimatum that the pro-
posed binding was absolutely indispens-
able; he could DO business In no other
way Well. then Horace said the ia
Their. let US go home The father turn
ed to go; but Horace fingered; he could
not give it up: and SO the father turned
again the negotiation was reopened. after
a prolonged discussion, compromise
was effected. What the terms were. tina
were finally agreed TO. ] cannot positive
ly state. for The three memories which
have consulted upon the subject gave
three different replies. Probably. how
ever, they were-no binding. and no
money for six months; then the boy could
If he chose. blnd himself for the remain
der of the five years. at forty dollars a
year. the apprentice 10 be boarded from