Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-12-17

| SaW-tOgS to the mill -antll after dark
at night. Then l went home, fed
the stock, ate my supper, aid went
to bed. My father tended the saw
mill most of the time for many years
for SO cents day.
eIn the spring of the same year,
Itook 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
Sl.25. l worked there at shoemak-
ing, averaging fifteen hours a day,
and the last weeks work l did at
the bench was at bottoming shoes
for IS a week. Out of this | paid
SO cents for pegs and 50 for board,
so that had left just $3.50. have
bottomed ffty-four pairs of mems
shoes without sleeping, and that for
little more than SO cents. But
even at this rate got some money
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 Con-
cord, N. II. / had been there only
six (three? months when the man to
whom i had intrnsted my fortune
failed, and taaa
ILoST IT ALL.
was so reduced that, although /
owed for two or three weeks board,
was absolutely unable to pay it, or
even to take letter from the Post
Office without borrowing money to
pay the postage. But a friend in
vited me to remain and board with
him, and pay him when was able.
So / stayed through the term, and
in-the winter earned money enough
to pay him by teaching school. Now
the men who are working at shoe
making ten hours a day, and earn
ing from So to So day, complain"
Mr.. Wilson in his speeches some
times referred to the events of his
early life, and Aon one memorable
occasion he did so most eloquently.
In 1858, in reply to the famous
mudsill" speech of Gov. Hammond
of South Carolina, he said
"Sir, l am the son of a hireling
manual .laborer, who, with the frosts
of seventy winters on his brow, ,'lives
by daily labor l too have lived
by daily labor l too have been
A 'HIRELING MANUAL LABoRER.'
Poverty cast its dark and chilling
shadow over the home of my child
hood, and want was sometimes there
AN unbidden guest. At the age
of 10 years-to aid him who gave
me being in keeping the gaunt
spectre from the hearth of the
mother who bore mel left the
home of my boyhood and went forth
to earn my bread by daily labor" ,
When Mr.. Wilson was student
at Concord, John r. French, now
Sergeant-at Arms of the United
States Senate, was one of his most
intimate classmates, and the friend
ship. then formed continued un-
broken to the hour of the Vice
death. During his last
sickness Mr.. French has been un-
firing in his care and attention, and
has left nothing undone for his COM
fort and relief. When Mr.. Wilson
as student in the Concord Acade-
my, first learned of his financial
loss, he was greatly depressed and
discouraged. He invited Mr.. French
to walk with him, and when they
reached a piece of woods he entirely
broke down, and, with tears in his
eyes, disclosed the news. 1t was
not for the loss of the money he
cared but he believed that his pros
poets for success in life had been
completely hlighted. 1t was while
Mr.. Wilson was t Concord that he
made
HIS FIRST ANTI-shAvEY SPEECH.
The Southern question was at
that time beginning to interest a
class of the people of
New England, and many of the
young men at the Academy had al
ready become enthusiastic Aboli-
tionists. Mr.. Wilson was not one
Of them, his ambition being to win
an honorable position in the great
Wing party, and while his sympa-
thies were naturally aroused for the
colored race he hesitated
about Identifying himself with a
which at that time was
far from popular. At length an
Anti-Slavery Convention was call
I'd to meet at Concord, to which the
students at the Academy were in
Vited TO send delegates At the
Meeting held for the choice of these
Mr.. Wilson was not present, but
Mr.. French, who was one of the
most active Abolitionists in the
school, without consulting him,
his friend, and he was
,hosen. After much persuasion Ms.
Wilson was induced to go tot he Con-
'ention with Mr.. French, who took
lin into one Of the front seats of
he church in which it was held.
The most important question dis
ussed was resolution of censure
f j ohm Quincy Adams, then q Re
in Congress from Mass
husetts. Though he was opposed
o the legislation asked for by the
Abolitionists (the destruction of
laTery in the District of Columbia
nd the TerFitories), Mr.. Adams
Fas the champion of the right OF
ietition, which Congress, in order
o keep the troublesome subject out
f the public debates, had under
AIKEN to abridge. Mr., Wilson, who
7as an ardent admirer of Mr.. Adams,
id not think that he deserved the
ensure proposed, and became SO
luch interestedin in the debate that
e finally sprang TO his feet and took
he floor in opposition to the resolu-
ion. His speech was
AN ABLE, STIRRING APPEAL
'hich surprised everybody who beard |
!. While the question was under
onsideration, the sts ge from Boston
rrived, and a tail young man of
,riking personal presence, wearing |
surtout covered with dust, climb