The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-04
The FarIy Lille OF Senator Wilson.

Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes in the
Boston Wdtchman and Reflector an interesting
sketch of Senator Wilson, of Massachusetts,. She
says of his early life:-
Henry Wilson, our present United States
Senator was born at FarmmgtOn, N. H., Febru-
ary II, 1918, OF very poor parents. AT the age
of ten he was bound to farmer till he was
twenty-one. Here he had the usual lot Of a
arm-boy-plain, abundant food, coarse clothing,
incessant work, and u few weeks schooling at
the district school in winter.
I'm these ten years Of toll, the boy by twilight
, freight, and on Sundays, had read over one
thousand volumes of history, geography, bio
graphy, and general literature, borrowed from
the school libraries and from those of generous
individuals.
sat twenty-one he was his own master-to
begin the world, ana in looking over his inven-,
tory for starting in life. found sound and
healthful body, and mind trained to reflection
by solitary thought. He went TO Natick, Mass.
to learn the trade OF a shoemaker, at which,
working two years, he saved enough money to
attend the academy at Concord and Woltsbo-
rough, n. r. But the man with whom he had
deposited his hard earnings became lnsolvent;
the money he had toiled so long for vanished;
and he was obliged to leave his studies, go back
to Natick, and make more. Undiscouraged, he
resolved still to pursue his object, uniting it
with his daily toll. He formed debating society
among the Young mechanics OF the place; inves-
tigated subjects read wrote and spoke on all
the subjects of the day, rs the spirit within him
chanics some others were enkindled by his in
| luence, and are now holding high places in the
| literary aud diplomatic world.
'In 1910 young Wilson came forward as pub
| lio speaker. He engaged IN the Harrison elec-
| 6on campaign, and made sixty speeches in about
| tour months, and was well repaid by his share
! in the triumph OF the party, He was then
elected to the Massachusetts, Legislature as repre-
| sentative from Ratck.
| "Haying entered life on the workineman's
| side, and known by his own experience the
| workingman's trials, temptations, iand hard
| struggles, he felt the sacredness OF poor mans
labor, and entered public life with a heart to
take the part OF the toiling and the oppressed
| "0t course he was quick to feel that the great
| question OF or time was the question Of labor
| and its rights and rewalds. He was quick to
| feel the 'irrepressible conflict which Seward so
| happily designated between the two modes Of
society existing in America. and to know that
they must fight and struggle till one of them
throttled and killed the other: and prompt to
feel this he made his early election to live or die
on the side of the laboring poor whose more
oppressed type was the African slave.
ain the Legislature ne introduced motion
against the extension OF slave territory; and in
lS45 went with Whittier to Washington, with
the remonstranCe Of Massachusetts, against the
admission OF Texas a. a slave State.
'When the Wing party became inefficient in
the cause of liberty. through too much defer
ence to the slaye-pOEer, Henry Wilson left it.
| and became one Of the most energetic and eff
cient ofaaniZers in forming the tree-soil party o
Massachusetts,. In rs interests ne bought
daily paper in Boston, which Tor some time hC
edited with great ability.
Meanwhile he rose 20 one step of honor aite
another in his adopted State; nc became, Presi
dent OF the Massachusetts Senate; and at length
after a well-contested election, was sent to taxi
the place Of the accomplished Everett IN th'
United States Senate