Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-02-13
HORACE GREELEY,

Freedom and the cause OF man.
HORACE GREELEY.
The following interesting facts concerning
great man, are extracted from a work by Mr.. Par
ton. We think they will be read with interest -
Horace GrceIey's Childhood.
Horace Greeley was born in Amherst, Hills
borough County, New Hampshire, on the third
day of February, 1911, and is, consequently,
nearly forty-four years of age. The maiden
name of his mother, who is spoken OF rs in ma
nvrespccts remarkable woman, was Mary Wood
burn. Ills fathers Christian name was FAC
chcus.
lie carly unaffected signs of extraordinary in
tclligcncc. and took mst:nctivev and irrepressi-
bly, to learning. For his first instructor he had
mother, and better one he could not then have
had. lie learned to read at home, and cannot
remember the time when he could not read, nor
how he acquired the art. All the friends and
.eighbors Of his early childhood agree in assert.
ing that at the age of four years he could not
ly read any book whatever, but could read with
his book in any position: right side up, up side
down, or side-wisc
Here We have glimpse Of
Greeley at School.
On one of the first benches Of the Londonderry
school-houSe, near the fire, we may imagine the
little white-he fellow, whom every body liked,
to be seated during the winter of lSl4-l5. He
was eager to 20 to school. When the snow Law
on the ground in drifts too deep for him to wade
through, one of his aunts, who still lives to tell
the story, would take him up on her shoulders
and carry him to the door, lie was the possess
or that winter of three books, the 'Coiumbian
Orator." Morse's Geography" and spelling
book. From the s. Columbian Orator" he learn
ed many pieces by heart, and among others, that
very celebrated Grafton which, probably the ma
jority of this nation have at some period of their
lives been able to repeat, beginning,
To speak in public on the stase.''
One Of his schoolfcllows has vivid remem-
brance of IIoraccs reciting this piece before the
whole school in Londonderry, before he was old
enough to utter the words plainly. He had
lisping, whining little voice, says my informant,
but spoke with the utmost confidence, and greatly
to the amusement of the school.
'Spelling schools " were popular in those days,
and Horace exceedingly fond of attending
them. Spelling appears to have been perfect
passion with him. He is well remembered by his
companions in photography. Thoy delight still
to tell of the little fellow, in the long evenings,
falling asleep in his place, and when it came his
turn, his neghbors gave him an anxious nudge,
and he would wake instantly, spell off his word,
and drop asleep again in a moment.
He was also great proficient in A-;.hnetio,
and noted tor h ior Helping his Comrades to solve
sieir & sums" AS may be easily conceived, he
soon knew too much for his teachers, and was
obliged to continue his education at his fathers
FIRE side, where he was accustomed to read and
study, during the long winter evenings, by the
light Of a blazing pine knot
While Horace was yet quite young, his father
met with pecuniary misfortune which deprived
him of all his property, and soon after removed
to Westhaven, VT. Here, for time, they seem
to have had hard but nobly sustained struggle
duced to the family as they arc taking their sup
per of
A ive-quart milk pan filled with bean porridge
An hereditary dish among the Scotch Irish
MAS placed upon the floor, the children clustering
spoon, and dipped into the porridgc, the spoon
going directly from the common dish to the par
ticular mouth, without an intermediate landing
upon plate. the meal consisting of porridge,
and porridge only. The parents sat at table,
and enjoyed the dignity of a separate dish. This
was homely way of dining but adds my kind
informant, "they seemed SO happy over their
meal, that many time, as l looked upon the
group, wished our mother would let as eat in
that way-t seemed so much better than sitting
ut n table and using knives and forks, and
plates"
At Westhavcn, Horace worked, read, and stud
led rs industriously rs before, and was consider
ed a prodigy by everybody who knew him. lie
dcvourcd books of all kinds with q never stated
appetite, and remembered all he read. In per-
son he was rather tall for his age. and in the cos
tune described below must hive s. cut a figure"
not less picturesque than striking.
Youn; Grecley's COSTUME.
More than three garments at the same time,
Horace seldom wore in the summer, and these
were a straw hat, generally in state of diap-
idation, a tow-shirt, never buttoned, pair Of
trowsers made of the family material, and hay-
ing the popularity of being very short in both
legs, but shorter in one than the other. In the
winter he added pair of shoes and a Jacket
During the five years of his life Mt Westhaybn.
probably his clothes did not cost three dollars a
year; and, believe, that during the whole period
of his childhood, up to the time he came of age
not fifty dollars in all were expended upon his
dress. He never manifested, on any occasion. in
any company, nor ut any part of his early life,
the slightest interest in his attire, nor the least
care for its effect upon others.
lie was sometimes very absent minded, and on
several occasions was
Taken for an Idiot
Once, when he entered a store, in one of the
brownest OF his brown studies, and stranger in
quired, "What darn fool is that 2" and n second
time in manner following. He was accustomed
to call his father Sir, both in speaking to, and
speaking of him. One day, while Horace was
chorping wood by the side of the road, a man
came up on horseback and inquired the way to a
distant town. Horace could not tell him, and.
without looking up said, {" Ask Sir,'' meaning.
ask father; The stranger, puzzled at this reply,
acPeated his question, and Horace again said.
:, WAn sur g. 81 am asking" shouted the man.
wei, ask SIR said Horace, once more. ".iinf
! asking, you-foo!." screamed the man. eBut
! want you to ask Sr,'' said Horace. II w,s of
no avail, the man rode away in disgust, and in.
CURED at the next tavern 81 who thai tow. bsadna
fool was down the roads,
At a very early age he made up his mind to bs
printer: The way he got a place as apprentices.
IN the ofhce of the Northern Spectator. Fast
foultney, w., is thus happily described:
Horace Becomes nm Apprentice.
IL was fine spring morning in the vs,- 1908
about ten O'Clock, when Mr.. Amos Bliss, the man,
ager, and one OF the proprietors, of the Northern
Spectator, .'might have been seem, in the garden
behind his house planting potatoes. Hs hsard
the gate open behind him, and, without turn;nc
or looking round, became dimly conscious of the
presence of boy. But the boys of country VIII
lagos go into whosoever's garden their wandering
fancy lmpels them, and supposing this boy to be
one OF his own neighbors, Mr.. Bliss continued Lis
work and quickly forgot that he was not alone