, 1873-03-27
His First Autobiography, Writ
ten at the Age of Thirty-one.

=
.raphy, written in 1915. and never be-
ore published. The Ledger says. that
ais sketch of the first thlrty-four years
f Mr.. Greeley's life was written at the
request Of one Of his Oldest friends and
admirers, without view to publica-
ton. 4 few Characteristic passages from
this interesting literary fragments are
given below:
l was first sent to school
when just three years old1 and if you
should ever happen to pass through the
.High Range" of Londonderry, near
an old weatber-beaten school-house,
which was red thirty years ago, you can
easily pick up some monstrous exag-
gerations of infantile achievements as a
scholar. Spelling was my forte. as IS
natural for child of tenacious memory
and no Judgment, and recollect that it
used to be the custom that the head OF
the first class and the next shonld choose
sides for spelling mattel" once week
OF so. Now, l could spell well enough
to be ''head'' among thirty or forty
numbskulls, whose incapabili'y of learn
ing to spell is even now puzzle to ME;
but 1 had not wit enough to choose
good spoilers. On the contrary, I would
choose little children, my playmates,
who could not spell at all. After pa
tience and counsel had both been ex-
hausted, it was found necessary to break
the old rule, and let the two next choos
sides. Some of these spelling matches
were held in the evening, and it was diff
fcult to keep such baby as I awake.
When the word came to me l had to be
walked up to spell it; and I have lately
found a story quite current that I could
and did spell just rs well asleep as
awaket
But grammar came bard to
me. I commenced at six years of age.
and having but little schooling, wasted
the best part of what l had for several
wears before discovered that our stand
ard authors on that subject knew moth
ing about it-Lindley Murray especial
ly. the intense blockhead, whose gross
blunders l ought to have detected at Z
years of age, hut did not till ten or
eleven. The obtuseness of PERCEPTION
put me back sadly, and had to learn
what I know of giammar after had de-
voted more time to it than it should
have required in all. Ten weeks with
the books we have now, are worth ten
months such as learned.
1spent part of the year
| ('31-'32) at my fathers, but worked at
my trade when l could find work
jamestown, Chautauqua county, New
York; Lodi, Cattaragus county, New
York, and last, and longest, Erie, Erie
county, Penn. Here I stayed five months,
and, beginning at very low estimate,
was finally offered partnership by the
editor and printer for whom I worked.
The concern was a very good one, but
it looked as though l should have the
work to do against another mans play,
and 1 declined it-.ather unwisely, l
suspect. Later in July, 1881, finding
no more work in that quarter. started
for this city, reaching here few months
under age, with $40 in my pocket and
not an acquaintance within two hun
dred miles. My clothes were scanty and
seedy, my appearance green and unpre-
possessing; and I had hard struggle
to find work, and keep it. Dave Hale,
of the Journal of Commerce, insisted
that I was runaway apprentice, but he
was in error.)
There, you have my story
1 did not mean to write such n yarn, but
l never thought Of writing on tie sub
ject before, and this has run off my
fingers unconsciously. I ought 70 have
said that was offered an education at
Exeter Academy. in 1919, just before our
New Hampshire downfall, by the Minis
ter of Bedford and one or two friends.
NY parents declined it-partly from
pride, I believe-nly mother said she
was not willing to part with me then,
nine Years of age. Of course what l
have learned has been picked mp by the
way. suppose ought to be sorry,
but am not much. Yours truly,
HORACE GREELEY.