New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-23
STUDIES IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
BY CHARLES T. CONGDoN.
WILLIAM HUTTON.

that there are no autobiOgraphes more amusing
and may add instructive, than those Oh Wlat are
usually called self-made men; and especially Oh
those who have risen, through persistence anu
assiduity from penuTy to atluence. me naIralNe
nj his own life. written by Benjamin Franklin.
printer has already charmed several generations OF
readers. and promises to remain fayOrte with
voung and old for many generations to come. The
antobocraphy OF William Hutton, the Brmin CHAM
bookseller. IS not so well known as Franklin's,
but il is almost equally divertng. 1t is frank and
GENIAL and its lack of any sense of proportion Is
almost delicious. Hutton puts down everything
which he can remember, and of what he does not
remember he records that which has been told him.
There is the minuteness of detail in his book which
reminds one of the Dutch painters. lie was born.
he tells us, September so, 1928. which VIII bear
the name of the last day of summer, on Wednesday
at quarter before in the evening, at the bottom
of Fullest. in Derby, upon premises on tho banks OF
the Derwont, now occupied by Mr.. UPTON an at
tOmey." He remembers how in playing with
lighted paper he set fire to his petticoats rock and
bib He was such ugly lad that his mother
q was afraid she should never love him." and to
make matters worse for him, he had 90 pretty
brother" He had three surly aunts" who were
qroeers milliners MERGERS and school isreSseS,P
aud one of them used to get so completely drunk
she could neither walk nor stand" He went to
school b" to Mr. Thomas Meat. of harsh memory,
who often took occasion to jOwl his head against
q wall, holding by the hair, but never could iowl
into it any learning. He hated all books but those
Of pictures"
The parents of Hutton very poor, and 1t was
necessary that he should soon be put to wo:k. and
30 he was at first in a silk mill lie was too short
to reach the engine, for he was only seven years
old A pair of high pattenS was therefore fabri-
Gated and tied fast to his feet He was Obliged TO be
at the mill at five in the morning, and he was often
cruelty caned by the master, beng hoised upon
the back of a giant approaching seven feet, for tn"
purpose of conveniently receiving his chaStlsement
Poor little Hutton endured this daily misery for
seven years. and carried the marks of his many
hagellations to the grave. At the end of his first
apprenticeship he was bound to stocking-maker
for a second seven years. lie was ;aSen by ms
father when only nine years old to see man and
woman hung for poisoning the mans wife, his
parent moralizing upon the melancholy subject
His mother died, and when he burst into tears the
nurse comfored him by saying: Don't cry, you
will 90 yourself" His childhood was com
pletely wretched. His father was always hoozing
at the ale.house. He was nearly without clothes
At one time he tasted from breakfast one day till
noon the next, and even then dined only upon
-four and water boiled into hasty-puddng. He was
really little job for he adds, an cted with
boils" He gives the following rather curious pho
tograph of his surviving parent: "ThOugh my
father neither young, being forty-two; nor
handsome having lost an eye; nor very sober, for
he spent all he could get very clean from the
oily trade of a wool-comber; nor without shackles,
having in the whole five children, vet the women
of various descriptions cOurted his smiles and were
much inclined TO pull caps for him."
Hutton went to stOcking-weaving at Nottingham
l.. .ti..H hi
uncle. He stayed here for four years, making
small figure ia dress and being taken notice OF by
the girls" But he quarreiled with his uncle stole
two shillings and abscOnded HIS wanderings re-
mind one of the memorable journey Of David Cop
perfeld in search of his aunt. HuttonS bag, con
tanning all his property was stolen, but he managed
TO reach Birmingham, where being evidently
runaway apprentice. he could get no work Ulu-
mately he went back like the Prodigal Son to his
father. His unhappy ramble, he says, danped his
rising spirit; it also ruined him in point of dress
for he not able to resume his former appearance
for five years He went back to weave stockings
for his uncle. In 1916 his " inclination for books
began to expand" His first purchase was three
volumes of The GentlemR's HIgrsiae' As he
could not pay for binding. he " fastened them to-
gether in the most cobbed style" The shabby
books which he picked at the stalls, he pasted.
patched and vanished, and erecting shelves, he
arranged them in the best way he was able. He
saws that the first book winch he really bound was
Shakespeare's "Venus and AdOns." A little
further along he makes the following droll entry:
Ii had been the pride of my life, ever since pride
commenced to wear a watch. | bought silver
one for thirtv-fve shillings. 1t went i'll. kept it
four years then gave that and guinea for another,
which went as ILL afterward exchanged this for
q brass one which going better sold 1t for five
shillings and to close the watch farce. the five
shillings away and went without thirty years"
Stocking weaving becoming unremuncratlve,
Hutton undertook boOk-binding; walked up to
London to buy tools and materials, and then
walked back to Nottingham, round distance OF
POS miles. He opened lis small shop in BTmng-
ham in 1850 dissenting minister sold him the
refuse of his library; the books were about two
hundred weight, and Hutton gave note to the
seller for E IS. to be paid when he able 1t
is note worthy that the year in which Hutton fixed
his future life at Birmingham was the same in
which Baskerville first attempted printing in that
town.
In 1852 Hutton had what he calls quantity, " a
smiling trade" He hired out books and says, the
far sex did not neglect his shop" and he silly
adds Some of them so obliging as 10 show
an inclination 10 share with the troubles Of the
world" Placed at ease. he addressed The Musts'
which is llutton's large way Of saying that he
began to write verse. He certainly ought to have
married for he laments that his housekcepar dur
ing his absence sold the books left the shop. and
got completely drunk with the money. An instant
separation was needful" His next hOusckecpcr |
was recommended by a clergyman who assured him |
that she would not cheat him. for she feared the |
Lord. lie might he right. says Hutton, 4" but |
she cheated my dumpngs by setting them to boil |
one Sunday morning without water. When we re-.
turned from meeting they burned to "A cindcr" |
In 1855 Hutton. naturally tired of hOusckcepcrs, |
married AMI found in his wife more than he ever
expected in woman"
Hutton at this time became the intimate friend |
of Robert Bage, a paper maker and a novelist |