Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-12-23
The Late yice-President Wilson'S
Fairly Life.

A WRITER In the New York T,fbuae
says Mr.. Wilson, In his conversation,
very seldom referred 10 events Of his early
life, although IL was not subject that he
ever avoided. In conversation about
two years ago on the subject of labor or.
CARNATIONS, aud the condition OF the Ia
boring classes of this country now when
compared with what 10 was fifty or even
thirty years ago, he gave me u brief sketch
Of his boyhood and early manhood, and
although the leading facts which be re.
cited have before been published, tho
narrative AS he related IL will be none the
less interesting, and transcribe Ii from
notes which ] made al the time:
- was born" he said, "in 1879, and
at the age OF ten years was put out as m
apprentice 10 a farmer From the day of
my birth To the day | was twenty one
years old never had dollar in money
to spend for anything. During the whole
OF my apprenticeship my master never
but once gave me penny. en- that oc.
casiop he allowed me u holiday, with the
permission 10 attend a muster seven miles
from home, and gave me three cents to
spend. / walked 10 and from the mu ster,
and Of course spent no more than that
sum.
ION the day was twenty.one years old
II remember II very we'll, one Saturday,
the 10th Of February--in the afternoon,
my master gave me yoke Of oxen and
ak sheep. The latter I sold the same
afternoon for nine dollars, but. not being
able 10 dispose Of the oxen that day, re.
oucsted my master 10 keep them for me
until Monday morning, which he did, but
charged me Nifty cents for II. paid him
this and took the oxen away i sold them
10 man for seventy live dollars, and took
his note for the amount 30 when / be.
came Of age had for eleven years work
q was sent 81 school only four weeks
each year. eighty-four dollars had
saved nifty seven cents, which / had In
some way obtained. but had paid fifty
Of this Ia my master for keeping my oxen
two nights.
~ then hired myself To farmer,
agreeing To work for six dollars month
and board. | used 10 get up long beioie
daylight, feed the stock, get my breakfast,
and, lust AZ the east was beginning 10 be-
streaked with red, start OF for the woods
with my team. | used Ia place Lay
dinner. pail ON the sunny side of trve,
and continue drawing saw.logs 10 the
thlh ubtil hitti hHih W hikut AbtH Il
went home, fed the stock. ate my supper
and went 10 bed. My father tended the
saw mill most of the time for many
years for fii,y cents day In the spring
In the same year, took my pack upon
my back and started for the town where
] now live, Natick, Mass, 100 miles
away, and that journey cost me just vi %.
l worked there nj shoemaking averaging
fifteen hours day, and the last weeks
work Ibid atthc bench was for five dollars
week. Out Of this paid fifty cents for
pegs and two dollars fos board, SO that
had len j,lst xa.50. have bottomed fifty.
four pairs of mems shoes without sleep
ing, and that for little more than fifty
cents. But even At this rate got some
money ahead and made up my mind 10
work my way through college.
lent my money TO man In Boston,
and went 10 the academy ut Concord, N.
H. had been there only six (threcy)
months when the man TO whom hau In.
trusted my fortune failed, and lost II all.
was SO reduced that, although l owed
for two or three weeks board, l Was abso-