Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-05-07
HORACE GREELEY.

cation, while highly, If not especially
moral, was not broad But about the
boy there seemed to be an innate desire
to acquire knowledge which induced
him when qrite young to borrow books
from all his acquaintances who had
them. The books were not very numer-
GUS which he could obtain even under
these circumstances in radius Of seven
miles from his fathers house, and were
more of ponderous style than light
literature. 1t may have been that this
gave a direction to his thoughts which
has won for him the merited soubriquet
Of philosopher, or that the patient
manner in which he had to read
those few books, (by the light
of pine knots)-for indeed they
were comparatively few, notwithstand-
ing the radius of seven miles from
which they were obtsined-developed
analytical capacity which he has shown
in an eminent degree, never more notice
ably than within the last few years. In
assisting his father on the farm, and
subsequently in the same capacity at
WesthaVen, Vermont, to which place the
family removed in 1921, he acquired the
rudiments of agriculture. But it was
not destined that he should remain alto.
gether farmer in after life. He had
acquired taste for printing. to crafty
which he was apprenticed in the North
jiern Spectator office at East Poultney,
Vermont. administered to his intellect
ual improvement, and he not only be,
came an expert workman, but rendered
/ important assistance in editing the pa
per-" He accumulated knowledge Of
| political movements, and adapted part
of his studies so as to become an au-
thority on the subject among those he
associated with. The printing Office in
which he had learned his trade now
failed, and as his parents had removed
to Erie county, in Pennsylvania, he
visited them, working afterward as
4 journeyman printer in Erie. Pennsy-
vania, and in jamestown and Lodi New
York. Like the Roman poet, Horace,
he too gravitated into the greatest metro
politan center of his country and be-
came distinguished there Horace
Greeley reached the city of New York
in 1881, now twenty-one years OF age,
with ten dollars in his possession and a
/ I"wardrobe which was not by any
means too cumbersome for him to carry
around with the greatest facility. It's
said that he went to board in an estab.
lishment where there were number OF
l other printers, and that at the end OF
the week when he was asked for his
board he manifested astonishment as
this was the first time he had not been
trusted longer for his domestic accom-
modations. He acquired a reputation
as a reliable composition, and hence'ob-
| tained steady employment until 1888,
when he and Francis Story entered into
partnership and business for themselves
as printers. They printed the first
penny daily paper ever issued, known
as DR.. Sheppard Morning Post. The
paper had only brief existence. In
six months after the partnership com
menced Mr.. Story died. Mr. Greeley
now went into partnership with Jonas
Winchester and u. Sibbitt. The busi-
ness was conducted under the name OF
Greeley 4 Co They published the New
Yorker in 1884 with Mr.. Greeley as edi-
tor-in,chief, a weekly political, literary
and family newspaper. The adaptable
ity of the editor-in- chiefs mind to grasp
ing the current politics made it a lively
journal in this respect, and cited by par
ticularly professional politicians on the
other side of the Atlantic, as well as on
this. The paper existed for seven years.
simultaneously with editing the New
Yorker, he did other literary works
which gained him increased reputation.
In 1910 he established the Log Cabin,
published to influence the election to the
Presidency of William Henry Harrison.
The publication of the Daily Tribune
commenced in lS4l. The Weekly Tri-
bune, first issued the following autumn,
swallowed up the New Yorker and Log
Cabin. Mr.. Greeley has been identified
with this establishment ever since
lie was started. The satires about
Mr.. Greeley's white coat and hat
and mauy of lhe idiosyncracies with
which he lis unjustly credited, were for
the most part originated by the New
York Herald, when Mr. Frederick Hud-
son was the managing editor of that
paper. In l848 Mr.. Greeley was chosen
TO fill vacancy in the Thirtieth Con-
eress. and served through the short time
preceding President Taylor's inaugura-
ton. He opposed the milage system 8
abuses. "As an editor and a lecturer he
has labored zealously to promote the
j welfare of the laboring classes is the
record of his career in this respect IN
the American Cyclopedia. In 1851 he
visited Europe, and was chosen chair
man of one of the juries at the World s
Fair. He gave an account of his travels
in the Tribune, which were afterwards
collected into volume, entitled Chances
at Europe" His numerous later publi-
cations on the late war, agriculture, etc,
are familiar to the public. He has been
an extensive traveller in this country
and generally we'll received. His latest
most interesting visit was to Texas,
where he delivered an address, by invi-
tation, before an agricultural society,
and on his return to New York, he was
1 talked of as a candidate for the Presi-
dency. II was scid that his visit South
was sv invitation, with Interior political
motives. 11NH SUP
Of the many thousands who visit New
York, not few, as a matter of course,
desire to see Mr.. Greeley and talk with
him. Hence he would be overrun with
visitors if he did not adopt defensive
measures He does not visit the general
editorial rooms of the Tribune oftener
than be can help, but leaves it to Mr..
Wbitelaw Reid, formerly an editor and
the Washington correspondent lAgste)
Of the Cincinnati Gazette, to do the
agreeable to anxious inquirers after Mr..
Greeley's health, whIle Mr.. Greeley him
self occupies an isolated room that can
be reached only through the counting
room.
Alta recent election in New York city,
! n nraalev rvaa nominatad for Congress