New-York tribune., 1873-03-01
NEW YORK. Anril u. 1915.


me some days since, but remember its purport snd
have snached tho earliest moment to give YOU at
request an outline Of my unromantic life.
was born Feb g. 1911, In the town OF Amherst ~ H.
FIVE miles north east o. the village PLAIN" in the
last house before you pass into Bedford on the old road
TO Bedford village and Manchester am the Oldest liv
ing OF five children but brother and sister preceded
and died, at three and two years Of age year or
two before came into the world. My father (zac0heus
Greeley, I think, and my mother Originally Mary
WOODBURY., know claim Londonderry for their birth
place. MY paterna grandfather Haccheus G) still lives
with his John in Londonderry, aged over 90 having
survived by many years his wife and three OF his 10
chdrenperhaps more, they are scattered over tho
face OF the earth. believe our only notable ancestor
was Can't Lovewell" OF the Paugus fight, both whose
names" Zaceheus and LOvewe"-haye been per
petuated in the family Christian names. And yet
may be mistaken his being ancestor. Either OF
the Nashua Greeeys cousins OF my father doubtless
know more Of the family than do.
Ny maternal grandfather. David Woodburn, was de-
scended from the original settlers Of Londonderry
and his John still lives the land which aot-
ted 10 5cotchIrsh progentor in 172l At the house
OF this grandfather guest and pet ia my early
childhood here was fret sent TO school when just
three years old and you should ever happen 70 pass
through the High Range" OF Londonderry. Old
weatherbeaten schoohouse, which red thirty years
ago you can easily pick up monstrous exaggera-
tiOns Of my nfante achievements scholar. Spell
ing was my forte IL natural for child OF tenacious
memory and no Judgment: and recOllect that 1t used
10 be the custom thar the head OF the first class and the
next should choose sides for "spelng match"
week Now could spell well enough TO be head"
among thirty forty numbskus whose incapabilty of
learning TO spell puzzle to me bat mad
wit enough choose good speers On the contrary
would choose little children, my plsymates, who could
not spell at ALL After patience and counsel had both
been exhausted it found necessary TO break the old
LAT fhaf f--o Gopna ~ fbaua
spelling matches were held iu the evening and it
difficult keep such baby as awake. When the word
had 10 be walked up to spell il; and have
lately found story quite current that could aud did
spell Just as well asleep as awake
Reading was the only other branch in which made
any such unreasonable proficiency. could read very
uenfy at four years OF age and quite passaby with the
book upside down-an absurd practice, which L was
stimulated TO persist in by those who should nave known
better. This. too, is the theme OF modern fables
No higher branch Of learning has come so easy 20 me
except Arithmetic which seemed bur play cannot re-
member when dd not know the Multiplication Table.
though must have learned Of course. After learning
what figures mean, and what relations they bear
each other all beyond seemed to flow naturally from the
axiom that two and two are four But Grammar came
hard TO me commenced at six years of age aud hav
ing but little schooling wasted the best part Of what
had for several years before discovered that our
-Lindey Murray especially. the intense RloekAead,
whose gross plumbers ought to haye deeuted al seven
?8r q @ out aS ~ 9% 55sf s.7 n ~ Sa p'fass y esr1
what Know OF Grammar after nad devoted more time
10 II than IL should have required IN all Ten weeks
win the hooks have. worth ten months with
such as learned from
topography I never studied much at ALL for want Of
books. or rather maps, Il learned my Old horses
Abrdgement nearly by heart, but my brother tore the
map ont soon after got it, and have to this day
most imperfect idea Of the relative position Of places,
though toeraDy acquainted with so much OF geogaphy
medium OF letter-Dress.
Ny last summer schooling az years OF age. and
then my time abstraced 10 ride horse 10 pow"
that often reached the sehoOhOuse after 10, and some
times as late as o'clock Our house in Amherst was
we generally attended ore in Bedford about mile OF.
BUT 1877 my father moved five miles into Bedford
one 10 q needy brother We lived in Bedford years,
and here school was over mile distant and poor at
that, being kept but six weeks IN Winter ana perhaps
three months in SUMNER the scholars Dehg le" hh the
parents mainly poor We moved oaek 20 our own pace
IN April, 1872 and remained Jhere tll the ohoWlng Jam
uary when my father. having become bankrupt LOST az
his property, and been sold OUT by the shern, vas
glad 0f chance TO run away To WesthAVen; vermont
with wife, four children OF 10 To years Od, about 10
in money and what household stuff he could carry with
Us in a hired sleigh with two horses.
ny father and mother both verv working peo-
pie but bad managers or rather ne was begnnng "t
nothing dnd meeting VITA successive hsIuItune5, nY M
had proud spirit and always wished 70 entertain all
friends and relatives well "a they could hm, no mat
ter what their circumstances lie DOugnt lttle iaim
OF 30 acres IN wartime etc, Tor over s3O, anu was
compelled sell n at last for $500 He had always much
sickness IN the family lost one entire year Dy nnse
lost heavily for hm) by lndorsng to save DrotGer
frOmail and shamefully defrauded by those whose
farm ne took IN Bedford. Iheg We're tne lhlneulase
cause OF his pecuniary ruin. But he always was 100
mother have always used ardent spirits and tobacco
yeIy moderately they think but greatly to their injury
know. But 81 cast out from New Hampshire.
In Vermont We all took hold again and worked hard.
We cleared by the JOB so acres Of old pine swamp grown
up ash. adcrs, &c. and anything but an easy under
taking On this father and his two sous worked pretty
faithfully two years then he took sawmill ior year.
and We boys worked little farm, which turned out
badly The land was hard clay, utterly exhausted,
and svergrown with most lnynei6le Canada thlstles.
The intensely dry the corn and potatoes
died out, while the thlstles grew ana nOurhed ranAy
soil where you must strike three spitefu blows to
split on piece of clay big az hens egg. Fathers
and we ali had the fever ana ague severely either that
Ia Or next
Old ghbOrhOOd. and FOR two years worked large
worn out farm on shares aud cleared 20 acres more up
land losing labor the destruction Of crop
by Hessian y. These Hast years did not go 20 school
much in winters as bad done before; in summers of
course could not In the Fan Of the last us25 Il
visited Hampshire, on foot and alone; and next
Spring beng Is years OF age went 10 East Poutney w.
"a an Apprentices 10 the printing business the Office OF
The Northern Spectator. had tried three years before
To commend myself to a similar place in Whitehall.
r. Y-eight miles from where lived-but rejected
as young and feeble. narrowly escaped ike fate
IN Poutney, but one was much wanted, 50 was trieu
aud made myself acceptable
Father went West soon after IN search OF place 20
settle and in september returned and took his family 60
Enc County Penn, where he has ever since resided
The parting trial to me, and was almost per.
sad but said goodbye and Vent back to
my cold strange home with dry face put sore heart
Next FAN went out to see the folks in their new home
over 800 miles by my route-making the journey ana
back s2, including g that ran ia deDt; l Gouid
again. paid them another visit IA the spring
OF 1929. aud IN June, 1880, bid adeu 10 foahey anu
went West TO live he paper stopping at tns. sg az nv
fathers worked OF my trade when could nnd WORK
rangus County n. Y, aud, last and longest, at Erie
Erie County, Penn. Here staid five mouths and, be-
ginning at very low estimate, finally offered .
partnership by the editor and printer for whom l
worked The concern was very good one ont u ooSea
as though should the work 10 do against another
mans play. and declined it-rather unIlsey sus-
peci. Late in July. 1884, finding no more work IN hat
Quarter started for this city, reaching here rev
months under age, with 30 IN my pocket, and not an
acquaintance within 400 miles NY clothes were seanty
and seedy my appearance green aud unprepossessing
aud had a hard struggle ind work and Keep II.
Davy Hale OF The Journal Of Commerce insisted that
was a runaway apprentice, but he was III err0rl
Iobtalned work pretty but IL was such ~ older
hands would not do aud had 20 work IA hours day 70
make about IS per week This lasted eight or nine