The Shasta courier., 1872-05-04
THE CONTEST OF A LIFE.

In recent speech to the working men of
his native town in New Hampshire, after
eulogising Grant as working man who had
arose to a mighty station, Senator Wilson,
(once shoemaker) made The following re-
ference to his own early life and experiences:
feel that | have the right to speak for
toiling men and to toiling men. | was born
here in your county of Stafford. l was born
in poverty want sat by my cradle. | know
what it is to ask mother for bread when
she had none to give. | left my home at ten
years of age and served an apprenticeship of
eleven years. receiving months schooling
each year, and at the end of eleven years of
hard work, had yoke of oxen and six
sheep, which brought me eighty four dollars.
A dollar would cover every penny | spent
from the time | was born until was twenty
one years Of age. l know what it is to trav.
ell weary miles and ask my fellow-men to give
me leave to toll. | remember that in Sep
tember, 1889 walked into your village from
my native town, and went through your
mills, seeking employment. If anybody had
offered me IS or 50 month, should have
accepted it gladly. went down to Salmon
Falls. l went to Dover, | went to Newmarket
and tried to get work, without success, and
| returned home weary but not discouraged,
and | put my pack on my back and walked
to the town where l now live and learned
mechanics trade. know the hard lot that
toiling men have to endure in this world, and
every pulsation of my heart, every conviction
OF my judgment, puts me on the side of the
toiling men of my country-aye, Of all coun-
tries.
| am glad that the workingmen of Europe
are getting discontented and want better
wages. | thank God that man in the
United States to-day can earn from three to
four dollars, in ten hours work, easier than
he could forty years ago earn one dollar,
working from twelve to fifteen hours The
first month | worked after [ was twenty-one
years of age, l went into the woods, drove
team, cut mill logs, wood, rose in the MORN
ing before daylight and worked hard until
after dark at night, and | received for it the
magnificent sum of six dollars And when
got the money, those dollars looked as
large to me as the moon looks tonight. On
the farm on which | served an apprentice
ship, have seen the best men who ever put
scythe in grass, working for from fifty cents
to four shillings day in the longest days of
summer.
Yesterday visited that farm asked the
men who were there what they paid men hay
ing time last summer, and they said from 50 to
81 so day. This was paid on the same
ground where men worked forty years ago
for from fifty cents to four shillings, and took
their pay in farm products, not money |
have seen some of the brightest women go
into the farm houses and work for from forty
cents to four shillings week, milking the
cows, making butter and cheese, washing,
spinning and weaving, doing all kinds of hard
work. | was told yesterday that many
young women were earning, in the shops, 81
a day, and that those who worked in houses
were getting from 81 so a week TO S. so.
To-day the laboring men and women of
onr country are earning from three to four
times as much in day as they could earn
forty years ago, and days work is shorter
now than it was then. After l had learned
a trade in the place where | live | worked
fourteen and fifteen hours a day, month after
month, TO earn about $40 month. There
are hundreds of men there now who, in ten
hours, can earn a hundred dollars more easi
ly than coulp earn forty in fifteen hours.
am grateful to God that this is so. | do not
care anything about few men or corpora
tions piling up great amount of money. |
believe God meant this world to grow good
men and women, and not to pile ap money.
That is my belief, and want to see the men
and women who bear the burdens and do the
work have full share of all they earn, and
that n.honest days work shall always have
a fair days pay.