Smyrna times., 1875-12-08
Vice President Wilson's own Account
of his Life.

,
he heard him tell it on one occasion.
There was nothing cold, distant. or re-.
pellant about Mr. Wilson's personal bear.
ing, and as he always sought rather than
avoided the company of the Washinrton
correspondents, and was freouent visitor
OF " Newspaper Row." my personal rela-
lions with him soon became very cordial.
and from that time to this he has honorod
me, as he has other correspondents whom
he found he could trust, with such 4 dorroo
OF his confidence that he always conversed
with me very freely on all subjects of pub.
TIC interest, even at times when our politi-
cal sympathies were widely different
Mr. Wilson, in his conversation. verv
seldom referred to the events of his corI,
hte' although it was not a subject that he
ever avoided. Only a few months ago. he
spoke to me with unusual feeling in regard
10 some cruel newspaper reports affecting
the memory Of his mother. He said that
their publication hurt him more than opv
personal abuse he had ever received durinc
his whole public life The reports were
utterly untrue, for his mother was one Of
the very best women that ever lived. and
to her teaching more than to almost any
other or all other early influences he owed
the formation Of the best traits of his
character. He asked me if it would he
proper Tor him to take public notice of
theSe untrue reports, as he was anxious TO
do everything that would be proper TO do
lend his mothers memery. l heard him
speak OF his father only once. but it is
h"Fuly necessary to deny report | have
sometimes seen in print that his parents
were gypsies; they were respectable but
very poor New-England people.
In a conversation about two wears aoo on
the subject of labor organizations. and the
condition of the laboring classes Of this
country now when compared with what if
was 30 or even 80 years ago. he oova mo q
brief sketch of his boyhood and early man
hood' and although the leading facts which
ne reclted have before been published, the
narrative as he related it will be none the
less interesting, and | transcribe it from
'-'NN0 "AilNh IlldIe AT the time.
was born," he said "in 1879. and ot
the age OF ten years was put out as an an.
prentice to farmer. From the dav Of INV
birth to the day was 2l years old 7 never
had a dollar in money to spend for any,
thing. During the whole Of my apprentice
snip my master never but once cavn mo . |
penny. On that occasion he allowed me =
holiday with permission to attend mustcr
seven miles from home, and gave me tbrao
cents to spend. walked to and from the
muster, and of course spent no more than
that sum.
"On the day was 2l years old re-.
member it very well, one Saturday. tho 18th
oi F"bruary-in the afternoon, nv master
gave me yoke of oxen and six sheep. The
latter sold the same afternoon for so
but not being able to dispose of the oxen
that day, requested my master to keen
them for me until Monday morning. which
ne dId' but charged ne 80 cents for if.
Paid INN this and took the oxen away.
sold them to a man for SIS, and took his
note for the amount. So whom 7 Looo,,o
oi age had for eleven years work q was
sent to school only four weeks each yeor)
So4. had saved 81 cents, which had in
some way obtained, but had paid 30 Of
this to my master for keeping my oxen two
nights then hired myself to farmer,
agreeing to work for 50 month and board.
used to get up long before daylight. feed
the stock, get my breakfast, and lust as the
east was beginning to be streaked with rcd
tart Oft for the woods with my team.
used to place my dinner-pail on the sunny
'ide OF tree, and continue drawing saw.
logs to the mill until after dark at niObt
hen went home, fed the stock, ate NV
supper, and went to bed. Ny father tended
the saw-mill most of the time for mann,
years for so cents a day.
" In the Spring of the same wear. I took !
my pack upon my back and started afoot
ior the town where J now live, Natick. ,
Mass, 100 miles away, and that Journey 8
cost me just Sl.25. worked there at shoe. ,
averaging Is hours day, and the q
last weeks work did at the bench was at {
oottoming shoes for S. a week. Ont of :
THIS paid so cents for pegs and 50 for 1
board, so that | had left just $3.50. have Z
bottomed "a pairs of mems shoes without G
sleeping, and thatfor a little more than q
oO cents. But even at this rate got some t
money ahead, and made up my mind to G
work my way through college. lent nv h
money to q man i'm BOston and ,yo,t - a.
Academy at Concord, N. III. had been d
there only six (three? months when the t
man to whom had intrusted my fortune
failed, and lost it all. was so reduced c
that, although I owed for two or three fl
weeks board, was absolutely unable TO Ii
pay it, or even to take letter from the 81
Post-Ofice without borrowing money to d
pay the postage. But friend invited me n
o remain and board with him, and pay il
iim when was able. So Istayed through n
he term, and in the Winter earned money a