The Arizona sentinel., 1873-11-15
The Danbury News Man as a Boy.

ING generation, the truth must be
told. that when young he was
rather wild, and could always be
found with "them nasty boys"
At an early age he essayed ped
ding apples, but not getting rich,
he, at his mothers urging, went
to school. When about fifteen
wears of age James attempted the
law. but a linen coat thWarted his
purpose, and prevented his shin
ing at the bar. 1t seems the other
Office boy was much smarter at
throwing ink, and more dexter
GUS in avoiding it. The damaged
condition in which James bro't
that coat home one night to his
sorrowing mother so depressed
her that She withdrew him sfrom
the bar.
He next turned his attention to
the grocery business, but q sweet
tooth rivaiing his assiduity, he
clerked "at ito only long enough
to tell the lunp-sugar barrel in
the dark. The grocer at parting
kindly gave his estimate of James
true value to him, but thought
he would prove a "1ead" to any
one who would boil him up or
down. He even went out of his
way to inform James stepfather
that this parting with him was
very much like parting with the
best part of his stock.
Turning from "trade and bar
ter" he plunged into literary pur-
suits, and wrote novel! Anoth-
er boy, similarly inclined to
plunge, surreptitiously obtained
type from the Roman Citizen, and
cheerfully contracted to publish
the work. They reached the Sc
cond chapter, and owing to the
thrilling nature of the story, were
warming up to. their work, when
that Roman Citizen in l0TOpiG per-
soma made a descent on the pub
fishing house Of Bailey & Co., and
carried off the entire effects, in
Guiding the cherished manu-
scripts, in his pocket handker-
chief. Thus again was the yearn-
ing of the aspiring soul diverted
from its course, and his: future
made a bowling wilderness. The
novel was Of a domestic charac-
ter, Astounding in everyday oc.
currences, such as we'll performed
assassinations and cleverly eXecU-
ted poisonings, all centering
around the most enduring love
for that "Wisest, noblest, best of
Gods gifts to man-WOman." The
novel was entitled "The Aven-
ger-r-r," and was calculated to
make trouble in the literary
world.
About 1859 young Bailey re-
turned to Albany, and lived with
his grandparents. He again tried
his luck in the grocery business.
His employer proved to be a more
pleasant chap than the Roman,
and became so attached that he
took him along while going
through bankruptcy three months
later. Having struck in a soft
place, his employer shortly after
went into the grain business, and
engage young Bailey as clerk.
Admonished by the late expert
ence, his employer became fear
fully economical, and after pur-
chasing a boat-load of oats that
had been under water, he VIC
Iently exercised this new triat in
setting James to turning a new
tanning mill in the top.loft Of a
four-story building. Having
raised the wind considerably, and
cleaned out the oats, he went
home to die, but eventually re.
covered, and in the fall of 1860 re.
moved to Danbury, Connecticut.
While in Albany, in August
1850, young Bailey first appeared
in print. The Gossipers' Club of
the New York Mercury gave him
this opportunity, and he cOntin-
ued contributor to the Club for
year and a half after going to
Danbury. In this, and indeed up
to 1870, although writing with a
free will, there was little or no
attempt at hunor. He worked
in Danbury with his stepfather,
at carpentering, and in the sum-
mer of 1862, when work was
scarce, he engaged with a farms
to bind oats at the eXasperating
late of Is cents day. One day
suficed to fill his soul with the
freedom and independence of ag
riculture but the voluminOus
pain in the small of his back on
F'the evening Of the first day." he
said would have made a dead
man dissatisfied. Here, no doubt,
he cleaned that aggressive know
ledge of agriculture which SO
often gives body and weight to
the elCs.-Alba3y Etenj5ag Jour
sedL.