St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-03-22
A Sad, Sad Story---Let Young Men
Remember 1t.

III tlIt tdl ICDS- al ' oiiu1 Journey maj
printer came to New York from Suffolk
Va. His name was Thomas &. Wood
ward. lie was an honest, good-naturcd
hard d-working country boy. He obtain
eel a situation on the Tjibunc. and be.
came an expert type-Setter. He was
intelligent and StudiouS. and developed
UNUSUAL capacity for acquiring all man
ncr OF useful information. He became
Il favoritc III the Tibmne office. and
among printers generally. and WAS look
cd upon lis Il young man who was Ger
tain to attain IL high position in life.
He earned from tWcntV-tiv to thirty
dollars 10y working five days in Il week
and devoted Saturday to recreation.
/ At first he made good Use of his leisure
time. but attcra while he began to spend
II i'll fashionable saloons. where he
formed the acquaintance of rich Young
men, with whom his talents and ac-
complishmcntS made him Il favurite.
His association with those Young men
led him to vie with them in dress and
fashionable cNtravagancc, which pressed
him for funds. Having became an cX-
pert billiard player. he sought to turn
his skill t" account by playing for mon
cy. This led to gaming generally. and
also to other vices. He took to drink
''moderatcly" at first. but soon drank
deeply.
Meantime the war had come on. and
bounty jumping was i'll vogue. Young
Woodward went into that, and made
large sums by it. He turned his back
Oh type-setting us something beneath
his dignity, and boaSted that thence
|, la. .I,,,nlI ..li,-. L,
OF course his prosperity was >hort-livcd.
His extravaganza consumed his ll-got-
ten gains. The war came to an end.
and so did bounty jumping. The mis-
guided young mali became poor and
broken i'll health. and WAS glad to return
to his old trade. to earn bread But his
skill WAS gone: his endurance was gone: :
his popularity was gone; his health was
gone. He WAS a stranded wreck. His
case WAS hopeless. Consumption had
seized him. and the shadows of death
were rapidly closing around him. At
last he could no longer earn enough to
pay for the bareSt necessary of life.
He could not pay his board. and was
turned into the street. There. one cold
night recently, he was found. thinly
clad, and coughing and shiveIing. by
an old chum who used to set type with
him on the Tribune. He WAS in the last
stages of conSumption. and constantly
complained of being cold.
''lm SO cold" he said. Il haven't
been warm for month ''Oh. If could
only get warm, Can't YOU take me some
where where | can get warm! I'm SO
cold
The poor fellow WAS taken to- Bellevue
hospital. where he was kindly nursed
and had every comfort. lie wills very
thankful for the Kindness shown him
He used to say. Its real nice here: it 5
50 warm. | haven't been cold since I've
been here" But death had set its seal
on him. He soon died, and WAS buried
10y his brother printers.
such is the story of the life of il Young
printer who came to New York city
fifteen Years ago. with the chance for
a> bright future as ever daWmcd upon
ii poor Young man. His fate is full of
instruction and of warning. because it
admonishcS us of the smooth and slip
perry paths which slide swiftly down to
death. into which Young men who are
not vicinuSlN inclined. lat only easy
going and Welding in their nature. are
always liable To fall
Remember that the glass. taken iu-
differently and through courtesy to II
companion. to-day. becomes Il habit and
necessity tn-mOTroW.