The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-07-23
THE DAILY GAZETTE.
WHAT WORKING MEN HAVE DONE.

The DAILY GAZEI"IE.
WHAT woRKING MEN HAVE DONE.
But some may say, "Why give
working people special time to thinks
What good use can they make Of i'll"
Let US see what they haze done
Take general literature. Look at
Daniel Defoe, the author Of ssRobin-
son Crusee," one Of the greatest au-
thors of prose fiction that ever lived;
he began life as hosier, and was al
most wholly self-tanght. William
Cobbett, the great master ofracy Sax
pm English, wasin early life farmers
boy, and afterwards common soldier.
Isaac Walton, the pleasing biographer
and complete angler" was a linen
draper. Then in science: Thomas
Simpson, the distinguished mathema-
tician, wrought, for the greater part
bf. his life, assia a weaver. Captain
Cook, one Of the most scientific Of
English sailors, and very pleasing
writer, was wholly self-taught. His
father, a poor peasant, learned to read
when turned of seventy, in order that
he might be able to pursue his sons
voyages. a Arkwright, snbsequ quentiy !,
Sir Richard, the inventor ofthe cotton
spinning machine, was q poor man,
and commenced life as a barber. ~
James Brindley, the author Of canal
navigation in England, the first who :
tunneled great hills, and brought ships
across navigable rivers on bridges,
was miliwright. Herschell, suhse.
Iquently Sir William, originally q
musician in a Hanoverian regiment, Il
became a skillfal optician and q grcata :
astronomer. ohm Campbell Tefefs =
in the well-known line, IS sa3at,sfs4
s.Gave e they're of heaven another stx.ns"aI Al,
| Then for the fine arts. Chantrey
was milk and butter boy, and his
first modelings were in softer material
than marble. Sir Thomas Lawrence
was the son Of an inn Keeper and
wholly seff.taught.. John Opie was
found BY Dr.. WaIcot working ina saw
pit. William Hogarth, the greatest
master Of character that ever develop.
ed his ideas by means Of the pencil,
served his apprenticeship to an oer,la'i
craving silversmith, and commenced
his professional career by engraving
coats ofarms and shop bills. Thenin
poetry "a Clifford, the FIRST editor of
the ..lsnarterly, /" began life as . poor !
sailor boy, and afterwards served an
apprenticeship to a shoemaker
Bloomfeld-pardon me for calling
him the English Burns wrote his,
best poem, 1.-THE Farmers Boy
while he, too, worked in garret asa
shoemaker. 'S@' e''e''. s''is 10
'.sBen Johnson = says Fuller, in his
@English Worthless, " worked 2" for
some time as a bricklayer and mason
He helped in building the new struc-9
ture Of Lincoln's Inn, when, having
trowel III his hand he had book in
his pocket Shakespeare, your own I
Will Shakespeare was poor mans :
son; his father could not write his =
name. and his cross ormark still exists
in the record of Stratford-on-Ayon to
attest the fact. The poets own educa-
ton seemsto havebeen very limited and
trrdition describes him rs having lived
for a time by very humble employ d
rnents. Then turn we to theology,
the highest range Of all. The two
Millers, DIR. Isaac, Dean of Carlisle,
and his brother Joseph, author ofthe .
well known History Of the Church,
began life as weavers. DR.. Prideanx,
author Of the Connection and
Bishop Of W Worcester, got bis education
by entering Oxford as a kitchen-boy.
John Bunyan, the greasestmaster ofal-
legory, and author Of the second best
book in all the world, was self taught
tinker. These be some ofEngland's best
working men who have thought, and
thought to some purpose. These be
some Of your hosiers, and linenidra- 9
pers, and millwrights, and masons, as
and sawyers, and shoenakers, and !.
weavers, and BARRIERS, and tinkess. h
England proud of thema Well che
may be. a Does she want more Of
them! She needs them all. Then I
let England give her working men
time to think; for the mans sake, for y
the masters sake, for England's sake
for Gods sake.-London Lectures. 7