Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-03-01
HIS FIRST AUTOBIOGRAPHY, WRITTEN AT
AGE OF TrIRTY-POUR.

HIS FIRST AUTOBIOGRAPHY, WRITTEN AT THE
AGE OF TnIRTY-POUR.
The New York Ledger for March contains
Horace Greeley's first autobiography, written
in 1916, and never before published. The
Ledger says that this sketch of the first thirty
the request of one of his oldest friends and adj
mirers, without a view to publication. A few
Characteristic passages from this interesting
literary fragment are given below:
GREELEY AB A SPRLLER.
l was first sent to school when Just
three years old; and If you should ever happen
to pass through 1.-THE High Range" of London
derry, near an old weather-beaten schoOl-house
which was red thirty years ago, you can easily
pick up some mOnstrOus exaggerations of my
infantile achievements as a scholar. Spelling
was my forte, as is natural for q child of tena-
cious memory and no Judgment; and 1 recollect
that 1t used to be the custom that the head Of
the first class and the next should choose sides
for "speling match once week or so.
Now, could spell well enough to be '.head''
among thirty or forty numbskulls, whose in
capability of learning to spell is even now a
puzzle to me; but i had not wit enough to
choose little children, my playmates, who
could not spell at all. After patience and
counsel had both been exhausted, 1t was found
necessary to break the old rule, and let the two
matches were held in the evening, and it was
difficult to keep such baby as awake. When
the word came to me had to be walked up to
spell it; and have lately found a story quite
asleep as awake!
LINDLEY MURRAY SAN INTENSE BLoCKHEAD.''
But grammar came hard to me. /
little schooling, wasted the best part of what /
had for several years before discovered that
our standard authors on that subject knew
nothing about it--Lindley Murray especially,
the intense blockhead, whose gross blunders
ought to have detected at seven years of age,
but did not till ten or eleven. That Obtuseness
of perception put me back sadly. and had to
learn what ! know Of grammar after had de-
quired in all. Ten weeks with the books we
now have, are worth ten months with such as
learned from.
"DAvY HALE" MISTAKEN.
L spent a part of the year ('3o- 81
at my fathers, but worked at my trade when l
could find work in jamestown, Chautauqua
county, n. Y; Lodi, Cattaraugus county, N.
Y; and, last and longest, at Erie, Erie county
Pa. Here stayed i've months, and, beginning
at a very low estimate, was finally offered a
partnership by the editor and printer for whom
to do against another mans play, and de-
clined it-rather unwisely, suspect. Late in
July, 1881, finding no more work in thai quar-
ter, started for this city, reaching here a few
months under age, with $40 in my pocket, and
not an acquaintance within two hundred miles
My clothes were scanty and seedy, my appear.
ance green and unprepossessing; and had a
hard struggle to find work, and Keep 1t. {Davy
Hale, Of the journal Of Commerce, insisted
that Twas runaway apprentice, but he was in
error.)
A TRIBUTE TO THOMAS N'ELRArH.
In 1sl0, matters gradually Frightened with
me, IN good part owing TO my establishment OF
the Log Cabin, Harrison campaign paper
which acquired an immense circulation-eighty
thousand. 1t was very cheap, and was OBJ.
iigec TO publish 1t very wastofully, so that the
actual gain from 1t was very small; but ii sap
Piled me at the outset With food Of ready mo-
ney, enabled me to turn myself, and pay off m
old debts, so that my credit was better ever
after. In 1871, april 10,) / issued the firs
number of the Daily Tribune, which should
not have done had not issued prospectus be-
fore General Harrison's death. This enterpris
OF course required ready money for time, and
great deal of 1t. and was again straitened
but early in the fall q kind Providence i'm
PEELED Mr.. Thomas MeEifrath, formerly a bool
seller, then lawyer and master in chaneery
to call on me and suggest the idea OF q
partnership. gladly closed with him ON an,
terms. and from that day 10 this not another
hair has been worn OF my head By the aching
puzzle Of studying out the means OF payins
to-mofrowss note. i have embarrassed mvsel
greatly by endorsing and trying to help others
but the finances Of the concern have never eos
me an hours sleep. have been, as alway
wished 10 be, an editor and aPaStner In . pub
hsning business, but no burdens but those d
editor have fallen on me. Our business is now
prosperous. and. has been measurably so eve,
since Mr. McEiTath came into the concern. II