Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-11-25
MEXICO, MO, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25 1880
SIMON CAMERON, PRINTER.

SIMON CAMERON. PRINTER.
Interesting Autobiographfcal Sketch of
His Start in Life.
The Philadelphia Proof Sheet prints
the following letter from Gen. Simon
Cameron:
HARRISBURG, April, %, 1890
DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 26th
inst, inclosing the photoelectrotype
of my indentures, came duly to hand,
and l am much obliged to.yon for it.
and for the interest that inspired the
friendly words of your note l very
willingly comply with your request
for some memoranda Of that portion
of my life when 1 worked at my trade.
was bound an apprentice to the
printers trade, as the indentures show,
at the town of Northumberland. Pa a,
on May IA, 1916. One 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..
James Peacock, proprietor and editor
of the Harrisburg Republican, also
public printer, to serve with HIN the
remainder of my apprenticeship, to-
wit: three years. That l 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 robust physique. But, owing to
my ill-health and physical delicacy
of constitution, was almost killed
by this exacting labor. That part of
the business which / could do without
this extreme labor-the type-setting,
etc.--was always pleasant TO me, for
it gave me all the opportunity a lean
purse then permitted to secure the
rudiments of education. Indeed,
this was why chose that trade.
/ After serving the term of my ap-
premiership with Mr.. Peacock, l
worked journey-work with him. Con-
sidering Washington the center and
focus of political effort and informa-
ton. and being at an early age at
tracted to politics, l determined to
i try my chance for work where could
see the leading men and study the
current of politics at the capital.
Going there 1 found employment in
the Office of Gales & Seaton, publish
ers of the National Intelligencer,
Here I worked, as did all other jour
neymen, for $40 per week, laborine
: eleven hours day. l noticed then
, as have since, that the men who
got on best we're those who worked
these long hours and then at "over
work" at 20 cents an hour. Th,
idlers and discontented came to moth
, ing in the end. Here found Till
inghast K. Collins, who gave me th,
benefit of his friendship and aid and
to this day, I look back on the fift,
= or sixty workingmen in that printing
house as, perhaps, the most intelli
. tgent I ever saw in a workshop. Man,
| of them have since filed places O
q honor and trust.
. While working at Washington
heard that the Harrisburg Republi
4 can-on which / served the create
: part Of my apprentlceship--was 70
sale, and l concluded to buy it if
: could arrange to do so. This wa
! accomplished, and l became join
D editor and proprietor with Charlie
4 Mowry. l was shortly aftewar
y elected state printer, and was re
= elected for seven years consecutively
i This was the period of my hardes
r labor. do not think that / sler
n more than Eve hours of the twenty
!. four on an average during that time
y and then, utterly broken in health,
!. retired from the case with what wa
, then comfortable fortune---abou
l. $50, 900.
t After that | engaged in other pun
d suits, aud prospered we'll, and l hav
!. always attributed Whatever l was, an
Il whatever was able to do, to til
n warm and intelligent friends mad
[f in the old days when l was journe,
q man printer and an employer {
: printers. How deep this feeling {
!. respect for my trade was upon n
If appeared in rsther an amusing forl
II when was on my way to Russia,
- 1852 ss the Minister of the Unite
r States to St. Petersburg. Waitir
" tor few days in Lonlon to recov'
i from the effects of sea-sickness {
D, myself and my family, l was invite
to visit the Office Of the Londe
Times. There book is kept
which visitors are requested to regi
9 ter, giving their title, business, etc
J" and when came to sign l instine
;r lively put down my name,
II 'sSIMoN CAMERON, Printer"