Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-12-25
SIMON CAMERON, PRINTER.
INTERESTING AUTOBIoGRAPHICAL SKETCH
., OF HIS START IN LIFE. a.sl

., OF HIS START IN LIFE. G..l
The Philadelphia Proof Sheetprints
the following letter from Gen. Simon
Cameron: 'a. - II. . ....' ,.#
HARRISBURG, April &c, 1885,
DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 26th
inst, inclosing the photo electrotype
of my indentures came duly to hand,
and | am much obliged to you for it
and for tile 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.
| was bound an apprentice to the
printers trade, as the indentures
show, at the town of NOrthumber-
land. Pa, Oh May u, 1916. One
year after this my master, Andrew
Kennedy, gave up bis business, and
| was forced to look out for another
place. Coming to Harrisburg in
search of employment, engaged with
Mr.. Peacock, proprietor and editor
of the Harrisburg Republican, also
public printer to serve with him the
remainder of my apprenticeship, to-
wit: three years. That | did. To
fully learn the business, it was then
considered essential to master the
working of the press. Old printers
will understand better than those of
this age of steam the severity of this
part of the trade, even to young men
of a robust physique. But owing to
my ill-health and physical delicacy
OF constitution, | was almost killed
by this exacted labor. That part of
the business which | could do with
out this extreme labor-the type-set-
ting, etc,-was always pleasant to
me, for it gave me all the opportuni-
ty lean purse then permitted to Sc
cure the rudiments of education. In
deed this was why | chose that trade.
After serving the term of my APP
premiership with Mr.. Peacock,
worked journey work with him.
Considering Washington, the center
and focus of political effort and infor-
nation, and being at an early age at
tracted to politics, I determined to
try my chance for work where I could
see the leading men and study the
current of politics at the capital. Co
ing there, | found employment in the
Office of Gales & Seaton, publishers
of the National lntelligencer. Here |
worked, as did all other journeymen,
for $40 per week, laboring eleven
hours a day. | noticed then, as |
have since, that the men who got on
best We're those who worked these
long hours, and then at "overwork"
at 20 cents an hour. The oilers and
discontented came to nothing in the
end. Here | found Tillinghast X.
Collins, who gave me the benefit of
his friendship and aid; and. to this
day, | look back on the fifty and sixty |
workingmen IN that printing house
as, perhaps, the most intelligent
ever saw in workshop. Many of
them have since filled places of honor |
and trust.
While working at Washington | |
heard that the Harrisburg Republic
can-on which I served the greater
part of my apprenticeship-was for
sale, and | concluded to buy it. if |
could arrange to do SO. This was ac-
complished, and became joint editor
and proprietor with Charles Mowry.
was shortly afterward elected State
Printer, and was reelected for seven
years consecutively.
This was the period Of my hardest
abOr. do not think that | slept
more than five hours of the twenty
'our on an average during that time;
md then, utterly broken in health, |
'etired from the case with what was
hen a comfortable fortune-about
s2O,ODO. %