Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-12-01
ALPENA WEEK. ARGUS.
Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1878.
Death OF vicc-Prcsidcnt Will

dent OF the united States, WHO'S
sudden and unexpected death a
Washington at 7:30 a. m. Monday
announced by a Courier extra an
shocked the entire community, wa
one of the self-made men of on
times, having risen by his own in
individual efforts from a cobbler'
bench, to the honored position c
United States Senator, and subse
quently vice-president.
Mr.. Wilson was born at Farming
ton in the State of New Hamp
shire, on Feb. 16, 1912, and wa
consequently in his 9th year a
the time of his death. His parents
were extremely poor, and at thu
early age of ten, Henry was ap
prenticed to farmer in his native
town, where he remained clever
years, during which period he wa:
sent to school at irregular intervals
amounting in all to not over twelve
months. At an early age he man.
ifested a desire to read and inform
himself, and in the course Of his
apprenticeship had read on Sum-
days, and by freight and moon
light, nearly 900 volumns from a
private library in the neighbor-
hood in which he lived.
When he was twenty-one years
old, he packed all his earthly pos
sessions on his back and footed IL
to Natick, Mass, where he hired
out TO a shoemaker, at which he
worked two years, until he had
learned his trade, and having accu-
inflated little money he returned
to New Hampshire and studied for
some time at the academies at
Stafford, scarborough and Con-
cord. His plans of education were
suddenly put to fight by the insol-
vency of the person to whom he
had intrusted his savings, and was
compelled to return to the cobbler's
bench at Natick, where he resum-
ed work in 1888.
Mr.. Wilson commenced his
Political career in 1910, in the
presidential canvass of that year,
making upward Of sixty speeches
In favor of Gen. Harrison, the whig
candidate. During the five years
following he was three times elect
ed a representative from Natick to
the State Legislature, and twice a
State Senator from Middlesex
county. He early took a decided
stand upon the slavery question,
and was one of its most jealous
In 1916, in conjunc-
tion with Whittier, the famous
American poet, Mr.. Wilson was
delegated to carry to Washington,
the anti-slavery petition of Massa-
chusetts, protesting against the an
nexation of Texas, and in the same
year he introduced into the legis-
lature Of his State a resolution de-
claring the unalterable hostility of
Massachusetts to the further extern
sion and longer continuance of
slavery in the United States, and
her fixed determination to. use all
legal and constitutional means for
its extension. The resolution was
supported by speech, which was
pronounced by the anti-slavery
journals of that time, as the fullest
and most comprehensive document
on the question that had ever been
made in any legislative body Of the
His resolution was adopt
ed in the house by SO majority.
Mr.. Wilson was delegate to the
national whig convention in 1913,
and on the rejection of anti-slavery
by that body, he with
1rew from it in disgust, and was
,ne Of the most active workers in
be formation Of what was known
IS the. free soil party. At that
lme he purchased and edited the
Boston Daily Republican. From
$40 to 1852 he was chairman of
he free soil state committee Of
Massachusetts,. In 1850 and 1851
@ was State Senator, and during
9th terms was president Of the
eaate. In 1852 he was elected
resident Of the free coil national
onvention at Pittsburg, and was
rale chairman of the national free
oil committee. In the same year I
le was the candidate for Congress- ,
q the EIGHTH Masaaob,.ott. d;s
riot and was defeated by only 90
otes, the average majority against