Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-01-09
of Public M sn
BY COL. JOHN W. FoRNEY.
.,.,,,,, uorn,ny Cbrouicle.

From the sunday Morning Chronicle.
Joseph Harrison, Jr., of Phlladed-
phia, probably the richest man in tha-
city to-day, was apprenticed in ma
chine shop when he Was fifteen. ne
was foreman in the same establish
maat when he was twenty, and al
twenty-seven partner in one oil theI
earliest locomotive manufactures III
this country. Every life, however
humble, is lesSon-sometimes al ex-
ample, and sometimes warniDg; but
a lesson always. Joseph Harrison's
experience is an example. Born in
1910. and now in mis- si1ty-third year,
it is interesting to follow his career land
TO trace the effect of foreign travel,
careful study, and business ambition
upon mind which had few or 40 ad-
vaatages of early education. He Was
a workerIiR iron, and proud OF his
trade. Perhaps the words he used at d
public dinner TO Henry .. Carey, in
1879, may be cited as tee ideal OF his
mission: ''rhat glorious metal, IRON,
must ever be the great agent for pro-
noting Gne mechanic arts. Iron Is the
true precious. metal, a metal SO inter-
woven with the wants OF life and with
our very enjoyments, that to do with
out it would be To relapse into barbar-
ism. Take away gold and silver, and
the whole range of baser metals, leav-
ing US iron, and we would hardly miss
them. Take away IRON, and we lose
what is next to life, and that which
sustains life, the greatest boon the Al
mighty has conferred upon man"
These WORDS were spoken in 1853, and
they are more correct picture of the
utilities and adaptations vi iron In lS12.
Covering most OF the necessities OF life,
iron has become one OF the essentials
OF art ia its highest aspirations; enter
ing into the luxurie5 of our homes;
into the triumphs of our progress; in
fact, into most OF the realms of science
and Imagination. And Yet all the OBJ
jects to which it may be applied are
unknown. The iron production and
development is in its infancy.
Mr.. Harrison spent twelve years in
Russia building iron roads, locomotives
and bridges for the Emperor Nicholas,
receiving, with his partners, the cost
liest presents for the fidelity and eff
cheney of their work. In such society
the mind of the young mechanic rap.
idly expanded. He SAW a new cigili-
z.tion and entered upon broader field
Intercourse with men of science gave
him deeper insight into the secrets o.
his own trade, and opened before him
d future of boundless interest. He
studied, not alone the practical, but the
aesthetic side of the subject. He saw
the finest specimens OF art in the gal
leries of Europe, read the best books
and gathered information from hi;
conversations with learned men, ano
when he came back to his native city
he had grown in experience and il
knowledge. But he had not forgotten
that he was a worker in iron. He haC
not forgotten his humble origin, anc
if you could visit his magnificent man
sion in Eighteenth street, near Walnut
in Philadelphia, you would see in on'
Of the panels in his gallery, anon:
some of the finest .triumphs of art,
picture called the "Iron Worker ant
King Solomon" painted in 1865 70
Mr.. Harrison by the celebrated Chris
tian SchuSsele. The OBJECT is to shoy
that iron is the chief agent in all til
mechanic arts, and Hebrew legend
quoted setting forth that When Solo
mons Temple was about to be opene'
the blacksmith, finding himself omit
ted from the list of invited guest-
boldly marched into the. Temple, fres
from the forge, and taking the King
own seat, insisted that without hir
the splendid fame mad never been COL
struc;ed. King Solomon heard th
appeal, and the blacksmith sat by hi
side at the royal feast. And in beat
tifui volume Of Mr.. Harrison's VIZ
tings, printed for private circulation
We find the picture described in yer
excellent poem, from his own pen, det
icated to his ''dear children and gran,
children" to impress uFon their minc
the value Of what is too frequentl
thought to be very humble labor. Fo
lowing the eother pages we find this ide
elaborately presented by other hand
including addresses by Mr.. Harriso
on art and science before our great il
stitutions, and proposition for tt
erection of a gallery of art in Fai
mount Park, which is to be adorne
by several of the best pictures in h
gallery, presented to the Park Cor
missioners. There Is also a series
careful essays on his steam boiler, g
invention to prevent destructive G.
plosions, even when carefessly used.
The variety OF the subjects discusse
and the style of writing, the noble al
apparent throughout, show that JOSEF
Harrison's life has been useful e
pericence to himself, and lesson al
example to others.
-------<.s-e .a.s-
ENJOYING LIFE.-It is singular
Whist an extent people Believe hapT
ness depends on not being Obliged