Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1883-07-05
SELF HELP.
BY JAMES PARTON.
Horace Greeley as a Journalist


| have seldom been more interested
than in hearing Horace Greeley tell the
story of his going to New York in 1881,
and gradually working his way into
business there. He was living, at the
age of twenty years, with his parents
in q small log cabin in new clearing
of Western Pennsylvania, about twenty
miles from Eric. His father, n Yankee
by birth, had recently moved to that
region and was trying to raise sheep
there, as he had been accustomed to do
in Vermont. The wolves were toe
many for him. 1t was part of the
business of Horace and his brother TO
watch the flock of sheep, and some
times they camped out all night, sleep
ing with their feet to the fire, Indian
fashion. He told me that occasionally
pack of wolves would come so near
that he could see their eycballs glare
in the darkness and hear them pant.
Even as he lay in the loft of his fathers
cabin he could hear them bowling in
the fields. In spite of all their care,
the wolves killed in one season hun
dred of his fathers sheep, and then he
gave up thcattempt. The family were
so poor that it was matter of doubt
sometimes whether they could get food
enough to live through the long win
ter.
And so Horace, who had learned the
printers trade in Vermont, started out
on foot in search of work in village
printing-oilice. lie walked from vii
lago to village and from town to town
until ut last he went to Erie, the larr-
est place in tho vicinity. There he was
taken for Il runaway apprentice, and
certainly his appearance Justified Sus-
picion. Tall and gawky us ho was in
person, with tow. colorcd hair, and u
scanty suit of shaObiest homcspun, his
appearance excited aStonshmcnt or
ridiculc wherever he went. lie had
never worn good suit of clothes in his
life. He had Il singular!y fair, white
complexion, piping, whining voice,
and these pcculiarities gave the effect
of his being wanting in intellect. 1t
was not until people conversed with
him that they discovered his worth and
intelligence. He had been IN ardent
reader from childhood up, and had
taken of late years tho most intense
interest in politics and held very
positive opinions, which he defended in
conversation with greatcarncstness and
ability.
A second application at Eric pro-
cured him employment for few
months in the Office of the Erie Gazette,
and he won his way not only to tho re-
spect but to the affection of his COM
panions and employer. Tho employer
was judged. N. Storrett, and from him
lheard many curious particulars of Hor-
acc Greeley's residence in Erie. As he
was only working in the Office as sub
stitute, the return of the absentee de-
privcd him of his place, and he was
obliged 10 seek work elsewhere. His
employer said to him one day: "Now,
Horace, you have good deal ofmoney
coming to you; don't 60 about the
town any longer in that outlandish
rig. Let mo give you an order on tho
store. Dress up n little, Horace" The
young man looked down at his clothes
as though he had never seen them be.
fore, and then said, by way of apology:
"You see, Mr.. Sterrott, my father is on
q new place, and l want to help him
all can" In fact, upon the Settle
ment of his account at tho end of his
seven months labor he had drawn for
his personal expenses six dollars only.
OF the rest of his wages, he retained
fifteen dollars for himself, and gave all
the rest, amounting to aboet ono hun
dred and twenty dollars, TO his father,
who, | am afraid, did not make the
very best use of all of 1t.
With the great sum of fifteen dollars
in his pocket Horace now resolved upon
bold movement. After spending a
few days at home he tied up his spare
clothes in bundle, not very large, and
took the shortest road through the
woods that led to the Erie canal. He
was going to New York, and he was
going cheap! A walk of sixty miles or
SO, much of it through the primeval
forest, brought him to Buffalo, where
he took passage on tho Erie canal, and,
after various detentions, ho reached
Albany on Thursday morning Just in
time to see the regular steamboat of
the day move out into the stream. At
ten O'Clock on the same morning he
embarked ON board of tow.boat,
which required nearly twenty-four
hours TO descend the river, and thus
afforded him ample time to enjoy tho
beauty of its shores.
On the 18th of August, 1881, about sun
rise, he set foot ir the city of New York,
then containing about two hundred
thousand inhabitants, one-sixth of its
presentpopulation. He had managed his
affairs with such strict economy that
his journey of six hundred miles had
cost him little more than five dollars,
and he had ten left with which to begin
life in the metropolis. This sum Of