Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-11-13
SIMON CAMERON. PRINTER.
An Interesting AutObiOyraDhica,
Sketch of His Sfart IN lie.

The Philadelphia PROOF Sheet prints the fol-
lowing letter from Gen. Simon Cameron:
HARRISBURG, April IS, 1SS0.-Dad!. Sir.
Your letter or the Goth inst, 1nclosing TIE
photo electr0sype OF my lndentjireS, came iuIy
10 hand, and am much obliged to you for If.
ana Ior tne interest that inspired the friendly
words OF your note. | very willingly comply
with your request for some memoranda OF that
portion OF my life when worked at my trade
i was pound an apprentice to the printers
trade. as the indentures show at the town of
northumberland, Penn, on May IA, 1916 One
year after this my master, Andrew Kennedy.
gave up Ills business, and was forced to look
OUT Ior another place. Coming to Harrisburg
IN search OF employment, | engaged with MI
James Peacock. proprietor and editor OF the
HARRISBURG Republican, and also public print ar
10 serve Win MIN the remainder OF my appren-
tlceshlp, 10 Wit: three years. That did. To
fully learn the business, it was then considered
essential TO master the working OF the press
Oid printers Will understand better than those
OF this age or steam the severity CT this part Of
the trade, even To young men OF q robust
physique. But, owing 10 my ill-health and
physical delicacy OF constitution, was almost
business which 1 could do without tli5 extreme
labOr-the type setting, &c..-waS always pleas
ant to me, for 1t gave me all the opportunity
lean purse then permitted to secure the rufi-
ments OF education. Indeed, this was why |
chose that trade.
After serving the term Of my apprenticeship
WITH MI. feacock, worked journey work with
him. Considering Washington the center aud
focus OF political effort and Information, and
being at an early age attracted to politics, de-
termined 10 try my chance for work where l
could see the leading men and study the current
OF politics ct the capital. Going there, / found
employment In the Office OF Gales 4 Seaton.
publishers OF the National In,elIiJeRcer There
/ worked, as did all other journeynen, for $40
per week. laooring Il hours a day. i noticed
then, as have since, that the men Who got on
pest were those who Worked these long hours.
and then at ''overwork' az 20 cents an hour.
The idlers and disconnected came to nothing In
the end. Here found TillinghaSt X. Collins, who
gave NE the benefit Of his friendship and aid:
and, TO this day, look back on the so or GO
working men In that pTinttDg-house as, perhaps.
the most Intelligent | ever saw in a workshop.
Many OF them have since filed places OF honor
and trust.
While working at Washington heard that
the Harrisburg republication which served
the greater part OF my apprentce5hip-Was for
sale, and concluded to buy!it If could arrange
to do So This was accomplished, and / became
joint editor and proprietor with Charles Mowry.
| was shortly afterward elected stare printer,
and was reelected for seven years conSecu.
lively. This was the period of my hardest
labor. i do not think that slept more than 5
hours out OF the "A on a average during that
tlme ana then. utterly broken In health, re-
tired from the case with what was then com.
PORTABLE fOTtune-about S20, 900.
AFTER mat engaged In other pursuits, and
pIoSpered Well and l have always attributed
Whatever l was, and whatever 1 was able to do
10 the warm and intelligent friends made i'm
the OLD days when was journeyman printer
ana an employer OF printers. How deep this
Ieefng OF respect for my trade was upon me
appeared In rather an amusing form when
was on my way TO Russia, In 1882, as the Minis
Ter OF the United States to st. Petersburg.
waiting for few days in London to recover
from the effects of sea-sickness on myseIf and
my family, l was invited to visit the Office of
the London Times. There book is kent in
winch visitors are requested to register giving
their titles, business, &C., and when came 70
sign lnStlncuVely put down my name
''SINON CAMERON Priptar