The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-12-13
Horace Greeley's First En-
trance into New YORK.


trance into New YORK.
In his last chapter in the Ledger Mr..
Greeley describes his first entrance into
New York. This part of the chapter we
quote:
"It was if 1 recolIect right, the 7th
of August 1881. l was 20 years old
the preceding February; tall, slender,
pale and plain, with ten dollars in smy
pocket. summer clothing worth perhaps
as much more, nearly all on my back,
and decent knowledge of so much of
the Art of Printing as boy will usu-
ally learn in the office of country
newspaper. But | knew no human be-
ing within two hundred miles, and my
Enthusiastically rustic manner and adj
dress did not favor thatimmediate COM
mand of remunerating employment
which was my most urgent need. How
ever, the world was all before me; my
personal estate, tied up in a pocket
handkerchief did not at all cucumber
me. and | stepped lightly off the boat
and away from the sound of the detes-
ted hiss of escaping steam, walking in
to and up Broad Street in ques. Of a
boarding house. l found and entered
one at or near the corner of Wall st. Z; but
the price of board given me was S6 per
week; so L did not need the giyer's
candidly kind suggestion that ! would
probably prefer one where the charge
was more moderate. Wandering
thence, | cannot saT how, to the North
River side, | halted next at 16S West
street, where the sign of Boarding"
on an humble ediGce fixed my attention.
| entered and was offered shelter and
subsistence at $3.50 per week, which
seemed more rational and / closed the
bargain.
"My host was Mr.. Edward McGol-
rick; bis place quite as much grogshop
as boarding house, but it was quietly,
neatly, kept while stayed in it aud he
and his family were kind and friendly.
I regret to add that liquor proved his
ruin not many years afterwards. My
first day in New York was a Friday,
and, the family being Roman Catholic,
no meat was eaten or provided, which
l understood; but when Sunday eve
ming was celebrated by unlimited card
playing in that same house, my tradi-
tions were decidedly Jared. ! do not
imply that my observances were better
or worse than my hosts, but that !hey
were different.
Having breakfasted, | began to ram
sack the city for work, and, in my to-
tai ignorance, trayersed many streets
where none could possibly be found,
In the course of that day and the next,
however, must have visited two-thirds
of the printing offices on Manhattan Is
land without a gleam of success. 1t
was midsummer, when business is hah-
itHally dulli and my youth and .un=
questionable air Of country greenness
must have told against me. When l
called at the Journal of Commerce, its
editor, Mr.. David Hale, bluntly told me
| was runaway apprentice from some
country office, which was avery natural,
though mistaken, presumption. re-
turned to my lodging on Saturday eve
ming, thoroughly weary, disheartened
aud disguised with New York, and re-
solved to shake its dust from my feet the
next morning, while could still leave
with money in my pocket, aud be-
fore its a lms-hOuse could foreclose upon
me.
''But that was not to be. On Sun
day afternoon aud evening, several
young Irishmen called at Mr.. McGol-
rick's, in their holiday saunterings about
town; and, being told that | was a
young printer in quest Of work, inter
ested themselves in my effort, with the
spontaneous kindness of their race.
One among them happened to know
place where printers were wanted, and
gave the requisite direction, so that, on
visiting the designated spot next MORN
ing | readily found employment; and
thus, when barely three days resident,
| had anchored in New York.