The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-07-19
Horace Greeley.
WHAT lie TOLD JAMES PARTON ABOUT
HIS EARLY LIFE,

writes: Ho was living, Mt the age of
twenty years, with his parents in a
small log cabin i'll new clearing of |
Western Pennsylvania, about twenty |
miles from Eric. His father, II Yankee
by birth, had recently moved to that
region and was trying to raise sheep !
there, as he had been accustomed to do
III Vermont. The wolves were too many
for him. 1t was part of the business
Of Horace and his brother to watch the
flock of sheep, and sometimes they |
campcd out all night, sleeping with
their feet to the fire, Indian fashion. He
told mo that occasionally pack of
wolves would come so near that he could |
sec their cyc-hallH glare in the darkness,
and hear them pant. Len as nc lay in |
tho loft of his fathers cabin he could !
hear them howling in tho fields. In |
spite of all their caro-, the wolves killed
III one season huudrrd of his fathers
sheep, and then he gave up the attempt.
The family were SO poor that it was q
matter of doubt sometimes whether
they could get food enough to live
through the long winter; and so Horace,
who had learned the printers trade in
Vermont, started out on foot in search
of work in a village printing Office. He
walked from villaGc to village and from
Erie, the largest place in tho vicinity.
There he was taken for runaway ap-
prentice, and certainly his appearance
justified suspicion. Tall and gawky rs
he WAS in person, with tOw-col0rcd hair
and a scmty suit of ShabliCst home
spun, his appearance excited astonish-
mCnt or ridicuIc wherever he went He
had never worn good suit of clothes iu
his life.
He had Singulnlly fair, white com.
plcXiOn, n piping, whining voice, end
these pcculinritics gave the effect of his
being wanting i'll intellect. 1t was not
until people convoracd with him thnt
they discovered his worth and intclli-
Ecncc. lie had been an ardent reader
from his childhood up, and had taken
of late years the most intense interest
in politics and held very positive opin-
ions, which, he defended III conversation
with great "NrncstnCss and ability. A
second application at Eric procured him
employment for n few months in tho
Office of the Erie Gd.Cttc, and he won
his way not only to the respect hut to
the affection of his companions and his
employer. That employer was Judge
j. NJ Stcrrett, and from him I heard
many curious particulars of Horace
Grccley's residence in Erie. AS lie was
only working in the Office as q suhsti-
tutc, the return Of tho absentee deprived
him of his place, and he WAS li%rl to
seek work elsewhere. His EMPLOYER
said to him one day:
"Now, Horace, you have good dead
Of money coming to you; don't go about
the town any longer in that outlanliSh
rig. Let me give you an order on the
store. Dress up little Horace"
The YOuup man looked down of hi
clothes as though he had never seen
them before, and then suid, by way of
apology:
you sec, Mr.. Stcrrctt, my father is
on new place, and l want to help him
all [ can"
In fact, upon the settlement of his ac-
count ut the end of lis sevcn months
labor, he had drawn for his personal cx-
penses IS only. OF the rest of lis
wages he retained $15 for himself and
gave all the rest, amounting to about
$120, to his father who, l am afraid
did not make the best use Of all Of il.
With the great sum of fifteen dollars in
his pocket, Horace now resolved upon
bold movement. After spending fow
days at home, he tied up his spare
clothes ina bundle, not very large, and
took the shortest road through the
woods that led to the Erie Canal. Hc
was going to New York, and he was
going cheap! a walk Of sixty miles or
so much of it through the primcyal for
est, brought him to Buffalo. where he
took passage on the Eric Canal, and
after various detcntions, he reached AL.
bany on q Thursday morning lust in
time to see the regular steamboat of The
day move out into tho stream. At lC
n'cNock on the Same morning, he en-.
barkCd on board of q tOwDOat, which re-
quircd nearly twenty-four hours to de-
6cend the river, and thus afforded him
ample time to enjoy the beauty of its
6hOrCs.
On the 18th Of August, 1881, about
blmrisc, he set foot in the City of New
York, then containing about 200. 900 in
habtantS, onC-SiXth of its present popu.
lation. He had managed his affairs with
such strict economy that his Journey of
600 miles had cost him little moro than
SIS, and he had ten left with which tobe
gln life Ill the metropolis. This sum of
money and the knowledge Of the print
er's trade made up his capital. There
was not a person i'll all New York, 80 far
as he knew, who had ever seen him be-
'O1.' -" dIPCdiuHce 100, was much
against him, for although he had n really
fine face, noble forehead and the most
benign expression I ever saw upon n
human countonanco, yet his clothes and
bearing quite spoiled him. His rounG
Jacket made him look like II tall boy who
had grown too fast for his strength he
stopped little and walked in a loose
lolnted manner. He was very bashfnl
and, totally destitute of the power OF
pushing his way, or arguing with man
who said no to him. He had brought no
letters Of recommendation, and had no
kind OF evidence to show that he had
learned his trade. The first business
was, OF coutse, to find cheap boarding
house, as he had made up his mind to
try New York as an experiment, and il
he did not succeed in finding work, to
start homeeward while he still had Dor
zion pf b;a PNh-