The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-01-07

From ilArPc, w-cky
Senator Douglas Is u young man-one Of
the y0unges, members o the Senate. lie
was born III Vermont in the town Of Bran.
don, Rutland couatyl On the I'D OF April,
1918. aud is therefore but ior,y.fcur years Of
age.
His father who was doctor In good
practice, died when Inc was two months old
Ills mother went to live on farm which
she and her brother--A bachelor -- bad in
herited from their parents. The farm was
fertile the brother and sister saved money /;
it was understood between them that they
were 10 give 10 young Stephen and his ais
ter the hest .ducllior ihe State Afforded
Unhappily, the brother met at fair, u
young lady whose good looks overturned his
bachelor resolutions he married and when
young Stephen reached the age at which he
was 10 have becu sent TO College, his uncle
informed him thai he could not afford the
expense. With characteristic energy the
boy resolved to shin for himself Ilc be-
came m apprentice 10 the cabinet making
business at Mldd, bury nnd subsequently at
Brandon.
II sets one n thinking TO realize that had
Stephen A. Douglas health been good. be
would, in nll probability. have been at the
present time. successful maker Of bedsteajs
and soiits IN Vermont with the additional
glory, perhaps. Of serving that State IN the
Legislature when h.s cabinet business allowed
him the luxury.
As good luck would have il, his health
could not stand ineessan. labor "A, the lathe;
and his mother and sister shortly aiierward
marrying n father aud son by the name OF
Granger he went to live with them in the
State OF New York. attended the Canan.
dagus Academy aud At tn. same time
studied law
When he was tweuty he received 10 s~k
hls fortune in the West, aud removed 10
Cleveland, Ohio. where he had the good for
tune To make An arrangement with n head.
ing lawyer which was 10 eyentnntp IN II
partnership between them. Here nj the
outset, II seemed that fortune smiled upon
him his dreams were realized already .-.-
A las for the uncertainty oi human hopes
That scourge Of the West. fcvcr Hnd ague
with ia accompaniment, billions fever seized
young DougIns and prostIaiel him He
lost, trst. his prospeets Of future advance
incnt next. bis present livelihood
Away, then, with but little prospect or
definite aim, 10 the further West--to ri.
Louis, Cincinnati, and Louisville and other
places, IN search oi livelihood With small
success he WAS stranded at last al Jackson.
vile, Illinois, with thirty seven and half
cents IN his pocket II Glanced that the
morning after his arrival the goods Uf
recently deceased merchant were TO bc
sold at auction, aud, at the moment he
made bis appearance in the marketplace
tho auction was at a standstill for want Of
a clerk No one was present who could
write; or perhaps, those who po~ss osed the
accomplishment were unwilling to serve ~
clerk. The moment the stranger appeared,
a dozen voices accosted him
4" Can you wri,e?7
"A little" nid the modest youth.
VIII you be clerk TO the auction a, two
dollars a day
life has he Tel; 80 independent, he says. a. on
the third LAY OF the auction when s1 dol
afs were handed him - his share ol the
polls
Al the close Of the sale bis writing being
~ome'biDg very superior To W" hrtlcle Ia
which III. IsOpie oi Jacksonville had been
accustomed, be WAS asked whether hp would
becomc a scbo0lmaster. H. agreed. provi-
ded the enormous saiary oi five hundred
year were secured 10 him The .jacks1n.
vile community agreed 10 the condition,
and he entered upon bis dates "A. school
master. The evening bee devoted To the
study oi law and such wns bis reputation,
Or his god fortsne. that, having b.sn ed.
mitpsi Ia practiee OF. hi. aitaining his ma
Jgsiy tb 1884, be was elected by the Ipgis-
la,urr IA states Attorney, over Col. John
j. Hardin, within q year from that time.
He had Away. taken q lively interest 10
politics. and had wrought maDipIly 10 bis
DoynOot tor jackson ~ his contest with
Adams. lie wa nov ds~.iDod TO become
an active sfarer In political contests. WheD
the ebstI0D Of lSJG came round, John j.
Hardin was at the head of the Wing ticket
His iriends. not abDaturally annoyed at
young douglass triumph over Hardin b..
tore III legislature. cbaisnged him TO meet /
their champion before the people and one
" the Democratic candidates resigDing IN (
favor II Douglas, be ran on The regular
ticket, and Was dniy elected. !, is pleasan, I
~ rem'mi'tr that the contest. tb0ngh unit
sally acrimonious. was not attended, by any I
Interruption Of pleasant inbrcoar,c tstwen
tne 1sass To the day oi poor IiardIn's
dga'A ." aecoanted sbpbeu A Dosgias obe !
Il nls t<st friesst.
H. the following year, (is37,j be ran fm
CDngr-~. Hs opposnt. Mr. stuart well. .
known Wing. staDped ,hs State with him.
they u-sd TIE sAme conveyance. AMI some
,irnss, ., 10 ssid. .lep, 10 the same bel. 'Ibev
were ~ better frieDis j, 10 Iiibn4 though .
they sbused each other frightfuIly ., the .
f,ssfinUz which t0<.h r,lnre sxexx excsl,nn