Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-11-30
Apprentices

Apprentices
Are invited to read little way-side story,
which is but oue of thousands ike it that
margin the highway Of life all along TO
its close. Ga Friday last, We dropped in
at the station house, to see what items
might be gathered from the criminal dock
ct Of the tel-;ae slate Of the attentive
Chief, and having taken all that was Of in-
teres, TO US, about passing out, we met IN
the door way one of the most loathsome
human beings it has ever been our lot to
encounter. We stepped aside, quite will
ing to give the rag.muftlsd mau-for he
had been man ouce-ihe largest privil-
ege in passing, and was as,onished indeed
presented bis hand, aud called Us By name
We took his trembling hand, though al
fgs; we could discover nothing in bis hag
gard features that at all reminded US Of
any former acquaintance but when he
mentioned his name, and the name Of the
paper on which We learned the beginnings
of the cart preservaiive Of all arts the
veritable "Bil Philips" an old fellow ap-
prentice, stood before Us. We had tOiled
eide by side in newspaper office (tbe
Lycomi"y Ga=eae) bearing the name Of
the county in which it was located, IN the
northern part of Pennsylvania, and we had
known him then as au uncommoDiy bright
boy, natural wit, pet among his fel-
lows, aud withal the quickest and most
cOrrec, compos,or 10 the Office. Leaving
the office and business on account Of III
health before We had completed our pro-
fessiop, We heard little of Bill, except that,
for some trivial cause, he had run away
from his employer, (who was likewise bis
benefac,or) and but once heard of him as
leading a rather dissipated life in the city
of Philadelphia. We sat down on one Of
the station house benches, and be recouu-
ted his adventures from the unlucky day
on which be threw bis "wardrobe" over
his shoulder and turned his back upon
his employer, down to the time Of eur ac-
ciden,al meeting in the sta,ion-house door,
where be had come to procure lodging for
the night, 1t was the old story, aud here
he was, after twenty years Of wandering, a
Door, miserable, friebdless, dissipaied crea-
ture, whom to deprive Of bis glass was to
remove the prop which now served to
sustain life. We took the poor fellow to
better quarters, and, turning homewards,
began ,hough'fully to contrast the career
of the fellow apprentice We had just lett,
with that Of others, who, in the same Of
fee, served out their full apprenticeship,
aud afterwards filled some Of the highest
posi.ions in their native States. There
was Ellis Lewis, until lately Chief JUS
,ice of the Supreme Court Of Penpsyiva-
MIA, who not only served his time there,
but afterwards owned aud edited the Ga
sette, leaving it only to fill still higher and
more responsible positions. Then there
was another, a round faced, smart boy,
With nothing like the mother wit that b!ii
Philips possessed, but he was steady IN
hi. habits, served faithfully, and to-day
William F. Packer, the Governor of Penn
sylvania, recurs to that as the period when
be was, by honestly and steadily serving
out his time, laying the foundation for
that success which has since SO abundant.
ly crowned his efforts. Look at it, boys
There are but two methods Of accomplish
ing the journey OF life among the close
growing years that intervene between the
beginning and the end-the one leads
you through career Of honor and useful /
ness. the other terminaies where poor Bill
Philips will soon lay his weary bones-in I
Potter's Field. Mercury.