The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-11-19
SIMON CAMERON, PRINTER.
Interesting Autebiographleal ske'

Interesting Aufobiographical Skei, n of
His Start in Life.
The Philadelphia Proof Sheet prints
the following letter from General Simon
Cameron:
HARRIsDuRG, April 1S, 1S80.-DEA /:
SIR: Your letter of the 26-'l inst, in
closing the photo lectrotype Of my in
dentures, came duly to hand, and am
much obliged TO you for it, and for the
interest that inspired the friendly words
of your note. 1 ye.y willingly comply
with your request for some memoreu da
of that portion Ct my life when worked
at my trade.
was bound as apprentice to the
show, at the town of Northumber-
1916. One year after this
my master, Andrew Kennedy,
gave up his business, and ! WAS forced
to look fol another place. Coming to
Harrisburg in search of employment, l
engaged with Mr.. James Peacock, pro-
prietor and editor of the Harrisburg Re
publican, also public printer, to serve
W th him the remainder of my appren-
ticeship, to-wit: three years. That did.
To fully learn the business, it was then
considered essential to master the work
derstand better than those of this age of
steam the severity of this part of the
trade, even to young men of robust
| physique. But, owing to my i'll health
and physical delicacy of constitution, l
was almost killed by this exacting la
Dor. That part of the business which I
could do without Tits extreme labor-
the type setting, ETC., was always pleas
ant to me, for it gave me all the oppor-
tunity lean purse then permitted to So
cure the rudiments of education. In
deed, this was why chose that trade.
Alter serving the term of my appren-
ticeship with Mr.. Peacock, worked
| journey-work with him. Cousiderins
Washington the center and focus of po-
litical ehort and information, and being
at an early age attracted to politics, d"
! termined to try my chance tor wos
where l could see the leading men q
study the current of politics at the car !,
tai. Geing there, found employme 1
in the office of Gates & Seaton, publish
ers OF the National Intelligencer. Hero
I VIC ked, as did all other jorrneymen,
/ for 10 per wee (, laboring eleven hours
a day. noticed then, as / have since,
| that the men who got on the best were
those who worked these long hours, and
| .hen at "oye work" at 20 cents an hor-.
The idlers and discontinued came x
no.hin- in the end. Here / found q;
| linghast K. Collins, who gave me g.
benefit of his friendship anu aid; a.
| to this day, look back on the fifty OF
! sixty working men in that printing hou C
as, perhaps, the most intelligent l ever
saw in workshop. Many of them have
since fill d places of honor and trust.
While working at Washington heard
that the Harrisburg Republication
which served the greater part of my
apprenticeship-was for sale, and &C
cluded to buy it if could arranOe to i
| so. This was accomplished, anu l be
cIme joint editor and propri or with
Charles Mowry. / was shortly afterw. q
elected state printer, and was re-elecsel
for seven wears consecutively. This was
the period of my hardest labor. l dc
| not think that l slept more than five
hours of the twenty-four on an aver o.
during that time; and then, utterly b., K
en- in health, I retired from the casl
with what was then a comfortable for.
tune-about $4,000.
! s ter that engaged in other pursuits
and prospered well, and have always at
tributed 1iffatev r. stsas, end whatever
was able to do, to the warm and intelli
gent friends made IN the old days when
l was journey nan printer and pc ar
employer Of printers How deep this
feeling of respect for my trade was upon
me appeared in rather an amusing form
when l was on my way to Russia. in
1862, as the minister of the United
States in st. Petersburg. Waiting for ;
few days at London to cover from Il
effects of sea sicEness on myself a1C
family, / was invited "a visit the offica
of the London Times. There q book J
kept in which visitors are requested t,
register, giving their title, business, etc
and when came to Sight 7hstfhctively
| put doWn my name,
SIMON CAMERON, Pcint-r.''