The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-03-15
GREELEY's FIRST AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
A Document Written by the Philosopher atlthe
Ago Of Thirty -four. -

GREELEY'S FIRST AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
A Document Written by the Philosopher atlth
i Ago of Thirty-four. "a
The Nes York Ledger for March contain
Horace Greeley's first autobiography writer
in 1915, and never published The Ledge
says that this sketch of the first thirty.fou
years of Mr. Grceley's life was written at th,
request of one of his Oldest friends and ad
mirers, without view of publication. !,
few characteristic passages from this inter
csting literary fragment are given below:
- | was first sent to school when Just
three years old; and if you should ever hap
pen to pass through "the High Range" o.
Londonderry, near an old weather.boardeC
school house, that was red 80 years ago, you car
make up some monstrous exaggerations of my
versatile achievements rs a scholar .Spelitnl
was my forte, rs is natural for child of te.
nacious memory and no judgment; and |
recollect that it used to be the custom thai
the head of the first class and the nert should
choose sides for "a spelling match" once a
week or so. Now, l could spell well enough
to be "hcad" among thirty or forty numb.
skulls, whose incapability oflearning to spell
| is even now puzzle to me; but l had
not wit enough to choose good spoilers. On
the contrary, | would chO0se little children,
my playmates, who could not spell at all.
| Alter patience and counsel had both been ex.
hausted, it was found necessary TO break the
old rule and let the t,oO merit choose sides.
Some of these spelling matches were held in
the evening, and it was difficult to keep such
a baby as l awake When the word came to
me had to be walked up to spell it; and
have lately found story quite current that
could and did spell just as well asleep as
awake
Rut o.,,,,,1. cop,o hard 70 mo T
commenced at six years of age, and having
but little schooling, wasted the best part of
what had for several years before l dscov-
cred that our standard authors on that sub
iect 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
grammer after had devoted more time to it
than it should have required in all Ten
weeks with the books we now have, are
worth ten months with such as l learned
from.
- spent part of the year C30-'3I at
my fathers, but worked at my trade when
could find work, in jamestown, Chautauqua
county, New York Lodi, Cattaraugus coun-
ty, New York, and last and longest, at Erie
Erie county, IeftHSS Naulu IlcIc Stdytu
five months, and beginning at "A low estimate,
was finally offered a partnership by the edi-
tor and proprietor for whom | worked. The
concern was very good one, but it looked
as though l should have to do work against
another mans play, and declined it, rather
| suspect. Late in July, 1881, find |
ing no more work in that quarter, | started
for this city, reaching here a few months un-
der age, with $40 in my pocket and not an
acquaintance within two hundred miles My
clothes were scanty and seedy, my appearance
green and unprepOssessing, and l had hard
struggle to find work, and keep it. Davy |
Hale, Of The Journal Of Commerce, insisted
that was runaway apprentice, but he was
in error)
In 1910, matters gradually frightened with
me- in good part owing to my establishment
of The Log Cabin, Harrison campaign pa
per, which acquired an immense circulation,
eighty thousand. 1t was very cheap, and l
was obliged to publish it very watchfully, so
hat the actual gain from it was very small /;
out it supplied me at the outset with flood
If ready money, enabled me to turn myself and
,etter than ever after. In 1S41 april 10) /
ssued tn first number of The Daily Tribune,
which should not have done had not issued
prospectus before Gen. HarrisOn's death.
This enterprise Of course required ready mo-
ley for time, and great deal of it, and l
vas again Strengthened; but early in the fall
kind Providence impelled Mr. Thomas Nc
Ilrath, formerly bookseller, then lawyer !
nd master in chancery, to call on me and
uggest the idea Of a partnership. | gladly /
losed with him on any terms, and from that {
ay to this not another hair has been worn I
fl my head by the aching puzzle of studying 8
ut the means OF paying tomorrow's note. l s
ave embarrassed myself greatly by endors-
ng and trying to help Others, but the finances c
the concern have never cost me an hours I
eep. l have been, as always wished to be, 4
n editor and partner in publishing bust '
ess, but no burdens but those of editor have a
allen on me. Our business is now prosper .
us, and has been measurably so ever since r
[r. McElrath came into the concern. In =
eptember, 1841, we discontinued The Neto .
yorker, and commenced The Weekly Tribune,
hich has done well, and now enjoys large I
regulation. Id
There, you have my story. I did :
Of mean to write such yarn, but l never
fought of writing on the subject before and I
lis has run off my fingers unconsciously. {
lght to have said that was offered an edu- 3
alton at Exeter academy, in 1919, 0ust be-
IRE our New Hampshire downfall) by the
linister of Bedford and one or two friends. r
Iy parents declined it-partly from pride,
mother said she was not willing G
part with me then, nine years of age OIL
purse what have learned has been picked n
p by the way. suppose ought to be sorry, 5
ut am not much Yours truly, +
HORACE GREELEY.