The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1865-05-10
ANDREW JOHNSON, THE NEW
PRESIDENT.
sketch of his Life, rublic and Private.

From the American Encyclopedia
Andrew johnson was born in lialoigh,
y. T., December 20, 1908. When Lo was
four years OF age ho lost his father, who
died from tho effects OF cNcriinns to savo u
lriond from drowning. At tho ago nl ten,
he was appronticcd to tailor in his native
city, with whom lac served seven years
His mother was unable 10 afford him any
educational advantages, aud ho never ut.
tended school a day ia his | f.. While
learning his trade, however, hc rcsolvcd To
mako an effort to educate himself His
anxiety to be allie TO read was particularly
excited by all incident which is worthy OF
mention.
4 gentleman of Raleigh was in tho habit
Of going into tho tailors shop and reading
whilI the apprentices and journcymcn were
ut work. lie was an exec llout reader, aud
his favorito book was volume of speech
cs, principally of British statesmen. John
son became Interested, and his first auhi-
ton was to equal him as a reader and ho.
come familiar with those speeches. lie
took up the alphabet without an instruc or;
but 10y applying 10 the journeymon with
whom he worked no obtained little assist.
ancc. Having acquired n knowledge of
the letters, he aplliol for the loan OF the
book which he had 30 often heard read
Tho owner mado him present OF II, and
gave him some instruction on the use OF
letters in tho formation Of words. Thus
his first exercises in spelling were in that
book. BY perseverance, he soon l"arucd to
read, and tho hours w..'ccaa he devoted to
his education wcro at night after he was
through his daily labor upon the shop
board. lio now applied himself to books
from two to three hours every night, after
working from ten to twelve hours at his
trade. Having completed bis apprentice
ship in the autumn of 1924, he went To
Iaurcns Court House, S. G., where he work
cd as a journoyman for nearly two Year,.
While there he became engaged to DO
married, but the match was broken off 10y
the violent opposition Of the Ghrs mother
and friends, tho ground of objection being
Mr.. Juhnsons youth and want of pccuniary
means. la May, 1926, he returned to Raj
eigh, where he procured journey work, and
remained until September. lie thcu sot
out 10 seek his fortune in the West carry
ing with him his mother, who was depend
ent upon him for suppOr'. lie stopped at
Grecnvillc, Tenn, and comncrced as u
iourncyman. lie romaiuod there about II
months, married, and soon aiterward went
still fun tlcr wrstward; but ia ling 10 find a
suitable place 10 5uttl", he returned To
Grcenviie and commenced business. UP
t. this time his education was Limited to
reading, as he had never had an oppOrtu
nifty OF learning to write or cipher; but un-
der the instructions of his wife hc learned
these and other branches. Tho only time
however, hc could devote to them was in
the dead Of night Tho first Office he even
held was that Of alderman ol the village, tC
which iIu waS elected III 1898. lie wat
reelected to the same position in iS29, and
again i'll 1880. IN that year he Was chosot
mayor, which position ho held tpr three
years. In 1885 he was elected to the l'Bis
laturc. In tho session OF that year hC
took decided ground against scheme q
internal improvements, which he cont end
cd would not only prove failure, but cn
tail upon the state q burdcnsomo debt The
measure was popular, however, and at tho
next election 1897 he was defeated. II,
| became candidate again in 1889. liy thlt
| time many of the evils he had prcdicte,
from the internal Improvement policy
which he had opposed four years previous
were fully demonstrated, and lie was elect
cd by large maiurity In 1910 hc seryo,
az presidential clcctor for the state at larg,
on the De nocraiic ticket. lie cauya'scd q
large portion Of tGo state, meeting upon th'
stump several Of the lradiug Wing uratars
In 1912 he was elected tu The Stale Sen t.
In 1913 he was elected to Congress, where
by successive elections, he sriVud anti
1888. During tbs period of seryipo he wa
conspicuous aud arliye IN advocating, re
spectiVely, tho hill Tor reiqnding the fin,
imposed upon Gen, jackson at New OI lcaul
in 1913, the annexation of Texas, the tarii
of l846, the wAr mcasnres Of Mr.. Folk
administration, and homestead bill. il
1888 he was elected Governor of Tennessee
after an exciting canvass, ia which he wa
opposed by GBstavns 4. Henry. llo wa
reelected in 1889, after another active cor
test, his competitor being Meredith |
Gentry. At the expiration OF his secOn'
period as Governor, IN 1857, he was electe
United States Senator for u full ternI, end
ing March 3, 1868.