The Portland daily press., 1869-03-11
Elihu ~. Washburne i'm she Kennebec
Journal Office.

Elihu ID. Washbnrne i'm she Kennebec
Journal Office.
A correspondent of the Kennebec Journal
furnishes that paper with an account Vt 4. b.
Washburne's career as an apprentice in the
Journal Office. After speaking of the different
members of the Washburne family in their
youth, the correspondent says:
At the period alluded to, one of the boys
then about fifteen or sixteen years old, being,
as were all the family, fond of newspapers, had
adesire to go into printing office where he
cations, and acquire the art Of printing. This
was Elihu. 1t happened at that time, that the
writer, resident then as now in Augusta, had
the editorial charge of weekly newspaper,
published by. the late Hon. p. Sheldon, in
Gardiner; and the youth just mentioned, So
licited my agency in procuring situation for
him in the Office of its publication. His pa
rents consenting to the design, he was received
into our office and entered 1t az an apprentice
He was good hey and an apt learner; but the
paper was sectarian one, and his "ruling
passion" running more in political direction,
he desired to leave Gardiner and come to Au-
gusta and finish his trade in the political ofice
of the Journal office of the Kennebec Journal,
under the instruction of Messrs. Severance b
Eaton. He never attempted what he did not
accomplish; and in this he succeeded. For
two or three years he stood at the cease" with
the composing stick" in hand, by the side of
his master, who set up his own editorials, with
types, out of his clear head, without commit.
ting a word or a line to paper. But constant
and almost m0tionless standing at the case, SO
impaired his health, that he was Obliged to
give up the business before he had completed
his full course of apprenticeship.
he then went. to Hallowell as clerk in the
post Office under DR.. Nourse (Hon. Amos
Nourse, now Of Bath), in which situation he
supported himself whilst he pursued course
OF legal studies under the Hon. John Otis, a
lawyer in Hallowell, and Representative in
Congress from this (Ksnnebsc) district. His
health improved by this change of employ
ment, and he "read law" with greediness and
avidity. After finishing his studies in the
Cambridge Law School, and being admitted to
practice at the bar, he looked abroad for q field
in which to display his young ambition. He
saw little to encourage settlement hsreabouts,
and pushed into the Great West for some
promising location. In the northwest part OF
illinois, which, with the southern section of
| Wisconsin, abounds in mines of galena, he
found little settlement upon the hillside of
| mighty gulch or ravine, where the cellar OF
| one shanty looked down into the chimney Of
its front neghbor; and as this gave promise OF
being something of place in due time, here
he concluded to stick out his shingle," and
engage in the practice of the law. Appropri-
atey this little ravine, in the heart of the lead
| region, was named GALENA Ofcourss young
Washburn was successful, II say of course, be.
| cause he was bound to succeed in whatever he
| undertook, health of body permitting. He
had not been in Galeaa long before he was
of sitting by the side of his brother Israel
Washburn, from Maine, and his brother Cad
wallader 9. Washburn, from Wisconsin, max
ing whole row Of brothers in one Congress,
from three dlfsrent States,-a fact that stand )
alone in the history of our national legislation.
Eight times successfully has he been elected to
Congress by the people of his district, giving
him service of sixteen years in that body