The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-09-06
THE LUCK OF ODD CHANGE.

4 correspondent of the st. Paul CMinnO
Pioneer Press gives an interesting incident
In the life of a self-made man of that
State. The son Of the subject of this
sketch, Hon. n. II. Vah Worries, has been
a member of Congress from the Fifteenth
(nOw Thirteenth Ohio district, and was
dominated few days ago by the Reuubli-
cans for n third term. The writer Savs
At Saltwater, ia this State. lives Abraham,
Van Worries, the most striking example of a
seif-made man in Minnesota. He is a native
of Washington county, Pennsylvania where
he was born in 1898, and is now eighty-five
years old. He never went 10 srlonl INIT
eighteen months in his life At fifteen
years of age he had n OF mustered Dillworih's
spelling book aud 81 unbled badly amoitq
words OF two syllables and upward About
that period he sold several l0ads of wheat
for his father and received his pay, $50. .621<.
of . store-keeper, all at oneTiine Thf. eve,
dollars he took in currency. and agreed n,
Jake the odd change in trade. lie looiytst
through the store, amd-his ewes 81 ls.rcrtf,
lighted on some book hr-ldred volumes
Or more. lie never saw So many books Ip.-
foro and did not know there were SO many
in the world. He concluded. At the sugzt.s-
tlOu OF the merchant. TO take a bool- l,uf
not knowing one from another asked tbt,
merchant to select one for him The ons
selected was ''Murkmau's Elements of
Geography, with some simple philosophical
problems in the rear-an inferior loulzjfy
little volume, published in Philaslelpbi9
just seventy years ago. In the evening II
the day which be took the book b,,In,-
his father asked MIN what the hook v-as
about. and the son could not tell. His ftfb-
er told him TO read SOME of il. and when he
read the first sentence, which stated that
the earth was round, and turned OF its axis
jn every twenty four hours, the father was
disguised and told him 10 burn the foolish
book. The son kept the book Che h,ss IL
now); studied II until he bad curuplett.lv
mastered its contents, aud declares that
whatever he is or has been he OWES To that
little volume. 1t was the pivot on which
his life history turned. l. led him to rur-
chase more huoks-iarge philosophical and
other scientific works-aitC 10 master Them
and made him, in short. "a scholar lshiio-
sophers and an inventor. People have gone
seventy-five o. n hundred miles tu get his
views on some philosophical question or
some geological specimen.
While living in Ohio, fifty years ago. he
hought blacksmith shop ard tools, inteud-
ing 10 put skilled workman in ia lint
falling 10 secure one, legan 10 mend chains,
| plOws, ETC., himself, and soon found be
could do anything usually done Ia such a
shop. Now he can repair almost anythine.
/ from n small clock TO n large engine FIe
makes fine article of siereoscope. and the
| gyroScOpe, and has Invented a sun ,sI.l
adapted TO any latitude His hr2'n "a
| eighty-five. is ia good working or,lor
In 1881 Mr.. Van N0rhes started the Hs.rlr
| ing Valley 90 GU1ctte, edited IL several
years, and was succeeded by his r.,,, ,,o,,- !,
| member of Congress frUm Ohio In leso a..
| was member of the lower bous. ~ -
| Ohio Legislature, and a little later az 49,.
Senate, coming 70 saltwater in lssS A.
| serve, under appointment of PreSid,,,.- g.,
| Tor, As Register of the Land Ofi-.a 49,,
nearly eighty years OF age he Wa serri,,e-
a. surveyor OF Washington eoss-,.,- gs
writes his name wifh = clear. Bold hand
mont glasses ana his spiriEesli q el att =
/ equally a. goua. He is .. .,ass,,, l...,. - -,
Freshyt terian Church. aad f,F fortv or an,
; ears has leeu 4h,e gu .'r--a itt. 49,. -. =
q mansions IT, lie skies,'