The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-12-08
the LATE ylCEfREsIDENT.

and something that deserves admi-
ration. There 10 no better lesson for
a Southern youth to learn than the
story icf his struggles with poverty,
and his triumph over them. He did
not disdain work and that is the Sc
cret of his career. Here is part Of
the story As told by himself;
II was born" he said in 1919 and
at the age Of ten years was put out
as an apprentice to farmer. From
the day Of my birth 10 the day l was
q years old I never had dollar In
money to spead for anything. Dur
ing the whole Of my apprenticeship
my master never but once gave me .
penny. On that occasion he allowed
me a holiday with permission to At
tend muster seven miles from home
and gave me three cents to spend. !
walked to and from the muster, and
Of course spent no more than that
sum.
"On the day I was q years old
remember it very we'll, one Saturday
the 10th Of February-in the alter
noon, my master gave me . yoke OF
oxen and six sheep. The latter !
sold the same afternoon for 50, but
not being able to dispose Of the oxen
that day, / requested my master to
keep them for me until Monday NOR
ming, which he did, but charged me
80 cents for it. Ipaid him this and
took the oxen away. I sold them to
. man for SIS, and took his note for
the amount. So when I became Of
ago I had for eleven years work Il
was sent school only four weeks each
year $S4. I had saved 81 cents, that
/ hadlin some way obtained, but !
had paid 80 Of this to my master for
keeping my oxen two nights. Then
hired myself to farmer, agreeing to
work for IS q month and board. I
used to get up long before daylight,
feed the stock, get my breakfast, and
just as the east WAS beginning to be
streaked with red start OF for the
woods with my team. / used to
place my dinner pail on the sunny
side of 3 tree, and continue drawing
saw-lcgs to the mill until after dark
at night. Then I went home fed the
stock, ate my supper, and went to
bed. Ny father tended the saw-mill
most of the time for many years for
SO cents q day.
I'm the spring Of the same year, I
took my pack upon my back and
started afoot for the town where ]
now live, Natick, Mass, 100 miles
away, and that journey cost me just
$l.25. worked there At shoemaking
averaging Is hours day, and the
last weeks work / did ct the bench
was at bottoming shoes for S week.
Out Of this paid so cents for pegs
and - for board, SO that had left
just $3.50. l have bottomed 81 pairs
of mems shoes without sleeping, and
that for little more than 50 cents.
But even at this rate Igot some mon
Ecy ahead, and made up my mind to
work my way through college. ]
lent my money to . man in Boston,
and went to the Academy at Concord
New Hampshire. l had been there
only six months when the man to
whom / had Entrusted my fortune
failed, and I lost It all. I was 90 re.
duced that, although lowed for two
or three weeks board, / was abso'
lutely unable to pay it, or even tt
take . letter from the Post Office
without borrowing money to pay thu
postage. But . friend invited me Il
remain and board with him, and pay
him when I was Able. So I stayel
through the term, and in the Winter
earned money enough to pay him b
teaching school. Now the men Wit
are working at shoe-making 10 hours
a day, and earning from So to S pc
day, complain"
| TUST RECEIvED-RICH AM
q ELEGANT JEWELRY 1t FERGU
SON 4 SCHNACK.
l OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
/ -THE new Congress, with ito ne,
Speaker md all new officers, WAS n
doubt fully organised on Monda
and is now in full working trim, an
it will yet be fully forty-eight hour
before any OF Us here will know any
thing about it. long before now
is known the world over, except thi
our benighted section, and for til
lack Of the new ingredients Of civil
cation and modern progress. "
i