The Placer herald., 1872-03-02
NUMBER 2S.
Written for the UERnD.1
MY EARLY SCHOOL DAYS, AND 50.
CALLED SELF-MADE MEN.

well remember, some 81 years ago,
when was a small, curly headed boy, my.
mother frequently dandled me on her knee,
so did my father, too, and he used to cali.
me his lttle cnry-headed boy; but often
noticed whenever my young mother (tor
young she was, only seventeen years my
senior) took me on her lap, she would stroke
my fine curly hair and weep copiously. Tho
main cause of her weeping, never could
and never did, ascertain. Probably she
could read my destiny in accordance with
as the sequel will show, proved (as far as
my educational training is concerned) very
uuiucky one. | also remember the day
when she called me to her side and said
"lhomas, my darling, tomorrow you must
so to school up to Aunt Betty Sens; have
made arrangements for your teaching at a
penny a week. OF course ! had no alter
native, but at once set about making pre-
parations for my new sphere in life. Oh!'
no" longed for the dawn Of tomorrow.
In the morning was up bright and early,
and played with my little sister until
time to so to school; so, with my dinner in,
my bag and my new book of Reading
Made Easy under my arm, | kissed my
mother and trotted towards the school.
arrived some time before the hour of admit
tance, and met with some dozen or fifteen,
juveniles, both boys and girls, besides an
other new conner, a great lout Of a boy q
head and shoulders taller than the balance,
and who appeered not by any means sharp.
At last The long looked for hour arrived, and
we were called into this novel school, with.
one spacious room containing parlor, sitting
room and bedroom, and school-marm far.
advanced in years. With good morning
maam each one took his allotted seat.
The side of the bed formed seat for about
half dozen So, with a long, pointed
stick, called pointer, the old dame conn.,.
menced teaching us our letters. But what
never shall forget was the evening, when the
old lady began to catechise her pupils. Tho
question was put, "Who made you ?'
"God," answered several. The question
was again repeated to the new conner, who.
didn't exactly understand it the first time.
At last he said, 81 don't know who made
me, but the other day father brought me
home a little sister from market" This was.
more than the senior scholars could reason.
ably stand, and in second the whole school
was in roar Of laughter. The old lady
looked askance, but said not a word. This
was my first and my last school. Owing to
the rapidly increasing number in our family,
and not yet eight years old, | had, TO my
neXl rossible modification, TO take up the
shovel and the hoe and do my own digging,
and from that time down to the presen ii has
been nothing but dig, dig away. Thus has
it been from the beginning, is now, and |
suppose ever will be. Since | came to the
years Of maturity have been studying the.
rise and fall OF man, and the many vicss-.
tudcs to be met with in every station of life.
| have seen young men, endowed with every
attribute essential to make them men of
wealth, who have been for years using every
available means to climb the mystical ladder
of fame, but could never attain the desired
point; and they are to this day obliged
to grope their way through the misty clouds
of adversely. There are other men, more
fortunate, but with less learning and abilities,
having gone into business, and, through
influence and public patronage, have sue.
ceeded in the course OF a few years in ac-
cumulaie Immense fortunes, and earned for
themselves the opprobrious name of being
selfmade men, torsooth! am at loss to
conceive from what source such a word as
self-made emanated. | find that neither
johnson or Worcester deals in such ware.
Perhaps Webster might, ! dnot know But
the name is fallacious, emanatng from a
bundle of sophisticated ignorance, for any
man that possesses spark Of wit'must GER
tanly know that the thing is impossible for
"a man to make himself, or Of being self made
even in a financial point of view. The
fountain from W hence springeth the resources
of wealth are, popularity the fulcrum, and
public patronage The lever Upon this plat:
form stands the destiny of the man who is
aspiring after Office, position, honor and
RICHES The great statesman, William l..
Marcy, when lie once visited Boston was
the guest Of the then Governor of the old
Bay State. Among the distinguished men
who were invited to meet him was General
Salem TowIc. When the Governor saw
Marcy and Towne greet each other as friends
he very naturally expressed a pleasurab,e
surprise that they knew each other so well.
"Why," said Marcy, "thdt Is the man MGl
see quite a number of friends in his traves
to whom he can say in the memorable le wore 9
of Marcy, "Those are the men who made
me-" If, sir, had the enchanting power to
make myself Il have not influence enough to
get self-made), my daily vocation should be
better than mud -bedabbled miner. But
am put together after some fashion, and all
can say is, in the words of the poet:
"By Gods help and pas endeavQr
l AN made, and SO much as ever"
CAPT JACK