The daily gazette., 1875-11-23
THIRD EDITION
! cath OF the vIce-President.
A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE-How THE SHOE.
MAKER OF NATICK BECAME vICE-PREsI-
DENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

SKETCH OF HIS LIFE-How THE SHOE
MAKER or NATICK BECAME vICE-PREsI-
DENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
Vice President Wilson, as has been
stated died ON Monday morning at 7.30
clock. He rested well the night before
and awoke at A. NJ, and expressed
himself as feeling bright and better. He
sat up in bed to take his medicine, lay
doNn on his left side, and expired in q
few moments, without struggle.
Henry Wilson was born.in Pennington,
New Hampshire, February l6, l8l2.-
His parents were extremely poor; and
this son they were dris en- by their power
ty TO bind out TO q farmer as an appren-
tice, when he was but ten years of age
Though fsiring much as other bound
boys do in regard to the labor Of the fan In,
he had his fair share Of schooling, and by
some appropriation of the hours usually
devoted to sleep, and careful husband
ing of those which he could rightfully
call his own, he had managed, in those
eleven years, TO read eagerly. and trea-
sure, more than a thousand volumes of
history, biography, travel. discovery,
| etc.
| For some reason Henry dropped the
family name. and assumed that Of Will
son. When his apprenticeship ended he
was the owner of yoke of oxen and six
sheep, which he sold for eighty-four
dollars. "a dollar" he once said, would
cover every penny | spent from the time
| was born until | was tventy-one years
Of age"
When Mr.. Wilson was twenty one
years of age, he left New Hampshire
and entered a shoe shop at Natick, Mass.
to learn the art of shoemaking. He la
bored at this trade for three years. and
at the end Of that time, having, as ht
supposed, earned ST Efficient sum to en-
able him to obtain collegiate education
he returned to New Hampshire, and, il
1886, entered Strafford Academy. to com
plete his preparation for college.
IN BUSINESS AS A SHOEMAKER.
3. His opportunity for obtaining a Aighe
: education in academies and colleges wer
destined to be short. The man to whom
he had intrusted the earnings whici
were to pay his way through college be
y came insolvent, ,and the money was who
!. ly lost. He retraced his steps to Mattel
and, after teaching school for time, ell
gagged in the shoe manufacturing bus
ness and prospered. He continued
this pursuit for several years, still en-
u ploying all his leisure in mental cultivi
II ton.
n IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
ii In 1910 he took an active part in pre-
t, noting the election of General Harrison
l. making more than sixty speeches durir
a. the campaign, and proving very effec
~ i've political speaker.
!, In the fall OF 1910 he was elected
lie the House of Rcpresentativ es of Il
k State Legs lature, and re-elected in lSi
~ In 1914 and 1916 he was chosen as Sta
n, Senator from his district. He took 0
+" active part in favor of the admission
Ia. colored children into the public school
ve the protection of colored seamen
81 South Carolina, and in opposition to Il
OF annexation OF Texas.
d" ELECTED UNITED STATES SENATOR.
,is In May, 1854, Edward Everett had r
ly signed his seat in he United States Sc
at ute, on account of failing health. and 4
nc next year the legislature elected NJ
ne Wilson to Till the unexplred term
~ took his seat IN that body on the leth
ic February lojJ, and remained memb
lie through successive elections until his =
W. vation to the Vice Pres idcncy on Mar
-, 4, ls73-a period Of more than eightt
49, years.