Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-12-21
SIMON CAMERON, PRINTER.
INTERESTING AUTOBIO GRArHICALs SKETCH
OF HIS START IN LIFE.

| The Philadelphia Proof Shcctprints
the following letter from Gen. Simon
Cameron:
| HARRISBURG, April 26, 1885,
DEAR SIX: Your letter OF the Goth
inst, inclosing the pboto-elcctrotype
of my indcnturcs came duly to hand,
and | am much obliged to you fol- it
and for the 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 ut my trade.
| | was bound an apprentice to the
printers trade, as the intlentures
show, ut the town of Northumber-
land, Pa, on May "a, 1916. Ono
year after this my master, Andrew
Kennedy, gave up his 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-sct-
ting, etc,-was always pleasant to
me, for it gave me all the opportuni-
ty q lean purse then permitted to Sc
cure the rudiments of education. In.
decd this was why ] chose that trade.
After serving the term of my ap-
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, | determined to
try my chance forwork where | could
see the leading men and study the
current of politics at the capital. Co
ing there, | found employment in the
Office of Gales g. Seaton, publishers
of the National Intelligencer. Here |
worked, as did all other journcymen,
for so per week, laboring eleven
hours day. | noticed then, as |
have since, that the men who got on
best we're those who worked these
long hours, and then at "oyerwork"
at 70 cents an hour. The idlers and
disconnected 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, l look back on the fifty and sixty
workingmen i'll that printing house
as, perhaps, the most intelligent I
ever saw in Il workshop. Many Of
them bave since filled places of honor
and trust,
| While working at Washington |
heard that the Harrisburg Republi-
Canon which 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 howry.
! | was shortly atterward elected State
Printer, and was reelected for seven
years consecuGye]y.
! This was the period OF my hardest
labor. do not think that | slept
more than five hours OF the twenty
four OIL an average during that time
and then, utterly broken in health, |
retired from the case with what was
then u comfortable Fortune about
! $4,000.