Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-09-26
RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 81, 1867.
Horace GreeIey's Early Residence
in Rutland County.

Horace Greeley is publishing in the
columns Of the New York Ledger Sc
ries OF papers entitled ''Recollections OF
Busy Life" They are full Of interest
and instruction, and worthy the perusal
of al, especially the young, as they
afford an eminent example OF what self
reliance and industry can accomplish.
Number seven OF the series is entitled
my Apprenticeship" and relates to his
residence in Rutland County, giving
some incidents Of political affairs, which
cannot fail to be Of interest to our read.
ers.
Having loved and devoureG 1 1--we.
pspers--indeed, every form OF perioo ~'-o
from childhood, l early resolved to b.
q printer If / could. When but eleven
wears old, hearing that an apprentice
was wanted in the newspaper Office At |
Whitehall, accompanied my father to |
that office, and tried hard TO find favor
in the printers eyes; but he promptly
rejected me as too young and would not
reient; so / went home downcast and
sorrowful. No new opportunity was
nresented till the spring Of 1926, when
an apprentice was advertised for by the
publishers Of the Northern Spectator, at
East Poultney, Vt. That paper had
inst been purchased by an association Of
The leading citizens Of the place from its
founders, Messrs. Smith and Shute, who
had started it as the Poultney Gazette,
three or four years before. The village,
Though larger and more active then than
now, was not adequate TO the support OF
a newspaper; but the citizens thought
otherwise, and resolved to maintain one,
under the management Of committee.
So they hired from New York an editor
Mr.. E. G Stone, brother OF the more dis
tinguished editor Of the Commercial
Advertiser-paid handsomely for the
PRINTING! and good will, and went
ahead. Much of the old force leaving
with the retiring publishers, there was
room for anew apprentice, and L wanted
the place. My father was about leaving
for the wide West in quest OF future
home; so, not needing my services, he
readily acceded to my wishes. walked
over to Poultney, saw the publishers,
had an understanding with them, and
returned, few days Acknowledged
18th, 1S26-my father took me down
and verbally agreed with them for my
services. was to remain till twenty
years of age, be allowed my board Only
for six months, and thereafter forty dol
lars per annnm for my clothing. So |
stopped and went to work, while he re-
turned to Westhaven, and soon left in
Of inuifin0 rpOiNp He
made his way to the township Of Wayne,
Erie county, Pennsylvania, on the State
line opposite Clymer, Chautaqua county,
N. Y, spot where his brothers Benja-
min and Leonard had, three or four
years earlier, made holes in the tall,
dense forest, which then covered nearly
all that region for twenty to fifty miles
in every direction. He bought out first
one, then another pioneer, until at
length he had two or three hundred acres
of good land, but covered with heavy
growth of beach, maple, elm, hemlOCk,
&c. Having made his first purchase
which included log hut, and four acres
of clearing--he returned for his family,
andI walked over from Poultney to
spend Sabbath with and bid them fare
veil.
It was sad parting. We had seen
hard times together, and were very fond
" attached to each other. / was urged
by some of my kindred to give up Poult
ney-where there were some things il
the office not exactly to my mind-anc
accompany them to their new home
whence, they urged, I could easily find
in this vicinity another and oettel
chance to learn my chosen trade. was
strongly tempted to comply; but i
would have been bad faith to do so, anC
/ turned my face toward Poultney witt
dry eyes but heavy heart. A wore
from my mother, at the critical moment
might have overcome my resolution
but she did not speak it, and went m,
way leaving them soon to travel mucl
farther, and in an opposite direction
After the parting was over, and well Of
my way, was strongly tempted to re
return; and my walk back to Poultne.
ne miles) was one o. the slowest ant
saddest Of my life.
have since been thankful that I di
not yield to the temptation Of the hour
Poultney was capital place to serve a
apprenticeship. Essentially rura
community, her people are at once In
telligent and moral; and there are feE
villages wherein the indictments to dis
sipation and vice are fewer or less OF
trusive The organization and manage
ment of our establishment were vicious
for an apprentice should have but on
master, and had succession of then
and often two or three at once. First, on
editors left us; next the company brok
up or broke down, as any one Nigh
have known it would aud mercantil
firm in the village became owners an
managers Of the concern; and so we ha
succession Of editors and Of printers
These changes enabled me to deman
and receive mere liberal allowance fo
the later years Of my apprenticeship
but the office was too laxly ruled for th
most part, and, as to instruction, ever
one had perfect liberty to learn what b
could. In fact, as but two or at mos
three persons were employed in tn
printing department, it would h ave pui
zled an apprentice to avoid a practics