The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-01-27
From Appletons' Journal. January 15.l
What was He Made For?

GFrom Appletons' journal. January 15.l
1What was He Made For?
Such was the question which every
right-hearted inhabitant of New Ro III.
ester had asked himself about Sam
Minney many times during the TWEEN.
ty odd ears which had elapsed since
New Rochester was first settled. In
Rochester proper, from which the col.
enists of the new town had labored
through several hundred miles of viii.
derMess, it had been the common i'm.
preston that Sam was made to be
either preacher, lawyer, or mem.
Der of Congress. Both his parents
were intellectual, and their only child
had inherited their talents so COM
pletely that when he was four years
of age he occasionally stood upon q
table in the minister's parlor and read
aloud Paradise Lost" with evident
feeling and appreciation, although
greatly to the disgust Of many larger
boys, who had. been dragged away
from their favorite sports to behold
this model for Rochester youth. AS
he grew in years and intelligence, and
his parents were too poor to complete
his education, some wealthy persons
supplied the money which enabled
Sam to graduate, at nineteen, from an
Eastern college.
After he graduated, however, Sam
did not at once begin to give practical
evidences of the ability which he was
supposed to possess. In fact, he de-
veloped no special ability at all, except
as connoisseur in smoking obacco.
The ministers all liked him, for he en-
abled them to recall their own college
days; but the other citizens began to
remaIk K to each ether that Sam Minnev
wasn't doing much. AT last, after re-
ceiving several hints on the subject OF
unused talents, Sam became clerk i'm a
store. All his customers liked him
exceedingly perhaps because he was
TOO good.natured 10 stand ont against
an ordinarily vigorous beating down.
His peculiar sort of ability gained for
Sam an early release from the thrall-
dom Of the counter, but no lawyer
stood ready to seize him as a student
and prospective partner; not even a
Rochester editor seemed anxious to
secure Sam as ali assistant.
"He ought to go West" was the final
decision of Rochester. He needed
something TO stir him up, and in the
West he could get it. Sam himself
had much the same idea he had read
a great many novels, so he was fully
convinced that he was not appreciated.
and that it needed only great occa-
sion to enable him TO display his ex-
ceptiOnal powers. So Sam joined
party of colonists who were about to
leave Rochester for the far West, i. e.,
Indiana. As every other man was
obliged to designate his occupation,
Sam called himself a land-surveyor,
and actually traded away great many
books for secondhand theodelite
Experience proved that he had rea.
soned rightly, for his services were
not required more than an hour each
week during the first year of the colo
ny, while the schoolmaster, who was
employed by the people in the follow
ing year, proved as capable surveyor
as Sam, and great deal more trust
worthy i'll point of time.
What Sam did after that it is doubt
full whether he himself could tell. He
seemed TO get sudden start in the
world when a new and well-to-do
storekeeper employed him as private
tutor to his half-doZen large children
We say advisedly that his employment
gave him a sudden start, for it enabled
him to obtain a much-needed suit OF
clothes on credit an achievement
which would shortly before have been
impossible. The merchants children
made considerable progress, but hard
ly in the direction contemplated by
their parents; the boys learned more
college songs than mathematics, while
the oldest daughter found Sam so
agreeable that she exhibited SYMPTOMS
of falling in love with him.
For long time after Sans dis
charge by the merchant, his only busi-
ness efforts consisted in running in
debt for his board. AS a dollar per
week was the price of board at New
Rochester in those days, his transac-
tions in this line were not large, but
he could conscientiously say that in
this respect, at least, he did his best.
But, after receiving notices to quit
from evory one atINew Rochester who
ever took boarders, Sam conceived a
desire to visit the sunny South, in
which land he understood existence
might be maintained without labor.
He embarked for New Orleans on
fatboat, or rather, became one of the
crew of such boat, and for five weeks
told jokes in the little cabin, and
grumbled when he was cal ed on duty.
After he parted from his mates at
New Orleans, the citizens of New
Rochester heard nothing more of him
for year, when suddenly he reap
pearsd just after an upward-bound
steamer had left New Rochester. His
clothing was net over-neat, aud the
shoulders of his coat were rubbed
through in the manner peculiar to the
''roustabOut" (deck-hand). He brought
no baggage ashore with him,and made