Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-07-26
Publisher and Proprietor.
Mr. weed-How He Used to work

at. B. t." wriang on labor in a
morning paper, relates the following
/ met Mr.. Thurlow Weed day or two
since in the office of one of our leading
papers, and / alluded to Mr.. James Har-
per, and mentioned his views as to the
way for working man to acquire indie
pendence Mr.. Weed reflected mo-
ment, and replied 1t was most en-
phatically the rule of James Harper S
whole life to study, not how little he
could work, but how much. Mr.. Harper
and / learned our trade more than fifty
years ago, of Mr.. Seymour, then the
leading printer of the city, He was our
master, and was one of the best men
God ever made. He resided at No. 40
John street, and lived directly opposite
his place of business. James and | were
partners. The advantage of having a
good partner, where you worked month
after month together at the same press,
must be apparent. Often, after we had
done good days work, James Harper
would say, Thurlow, let's break the
back of another token--just break its
back. !" would generally reluctantly
consent just to break the back of the
token, but James would beguile me, or
laugh at my complaints, and never let me
off until the token was completed
1t was custom with us in summer to
do fair half day S work before the other
boys and men got their breakfast. James
and would meet by appointment, in the
gray of the morning, and go down to
John street. We got the key of the office
by tapping on the window, and Mr.. Sey-
mour would take it from under his pillow
and hand it to one of us through an open
ing in the blind. A pressman," con-
tinued Mr.. Weed, who could do twenty
or even ten per cent. more work than
usual was always sure of situation.
James Harper, Tom Kennedy (long since
dead) and | made the largest bills in the
city. We often earned as much as $l4
per week--liberal wages when you re-
member that good board could be OBJ
tanned for $40 per month.
As Mr.. Weed uttered these words his
eyes lit up with the fires that illumined
them in his youth, and there was that
expression moment about his face that
showed he was for an instant living over
again what were probably the pleasantest
days of his varied and successful life
In alluding to these " giants among
u.s. let us ask: Does the modern sys-
TEN of labor, under the supposed ameli-
grafton of eight-hour law, trades unions,
and constant strikes, promise to bring
up any representatives from the ranks
Of the toiling millions, like the legitimate
fruits of the old industries, as repre-
sented by Thurlow Weed, James Harper
and their co-equals and associates, self
made men2" Contrast the bitter spirit
of antagonism that pow prevails between
the employer and the employed with
Thurlow Weeds utterance, with deep
emotion in his voice, speaking of his
master, who has been dead scores of
years, as one of the best men God
ever made"
II is something for the youth of the
country, thrown upon the world with
no resources but their hands and brains,
to figure co themselves James Harper
and Thurlow Weed, TALL athletic, six
feet high, splendid young men, Of the
best American type, shaking off sleep
ere dawn, and hurrying to their busi-