The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-12-09
DISTINGUISHED PRINTERS.

~ 10 uhbNSOcoh'y N"SSP' -" -"
ton, to remark that Benjamin Franklin is
the printers apostle. They usually meet a
printing office. The Office was to him, 10
his education, more than any academy or
college was to any other man. When he
edited his newspsper--and editors then
were all printers-he was addressed by his
correspondents as "Mr. Printer" That then
was the title of honor. We find the practice
universal in all newspapers seventy five or
one-hundred years ago. The newspapers OF
New Eoglsnd-the Boston Courant, the
Concord Patriot, the Worcester Spy, the
Hampshire Gazette-were all edited by the
printers who printed them. Honorable
among them stood the names of ISAIAH
Thomas, Vim. Butler, Jonathan Judd,
Isaac Hill, W. Earle, and they we're always
addressed as "Mr. Printer" Willis, the
father of the poet, N. P. Willis, was a
printer in Boston. and bis poet son was bis
apprentice. Thurlow Weed was a printer,
and gloried in it; and so was bis associate,
Solomon Southworth. Geo. P. Morris, the
poet, and many others of distinction were
printers. Samuel Richardson, the father of
the ancient printers. Hooper Warren, one
of the oldest editors of Illinois, has only the
education of the printing Office. He usel
to set up his editorials from the case with
out writing. Horace Greeley is one of the
specimens of the modern printer arriving at
distinction as journalist. The news
papers of the land took new departure
under the inspiration of his genius. VIM.
LLOYD Garrison, the intense abolitionist,
was printer, and gained the wondrous
power of his pen from his training at the
case. JB. Walker, DID,, author Of the
great book. PHILOSOPHY of the Plan o.
Salvation" was printers apprentice and
journeyman until he entered college. Hon.
E. B. Washburne, our Illinois statesman,
was printer before be was lawyer.
President Angel, of Michigan University,
late minister to China, was printer and a
journalist.
Simon Cameron, the so-called boss OF
Pennsylvania, was printer, and gained his
position and hold upon his state through
his newspapers To correspondent Mr..
Cameron made illusion to public men WHO
we're printers. Referring to Boyd Cum
mings and Dointer Cunningham, of the
navy, be said, "Cun ningham used to be a
printer. had him appointed tothe navy
thirty five years ago, and he has got to be a
high officer. Gen. Drum, adjutaut.general
of the army, was printer, and good one,
too. Ihad him appointed lieutenant in
the army during the Mexican war. l like
to tell these fellows, as they grow in i'm
portance, where they came from; and they
ought to be proud of it, too. 1t is sgood
sign to see man begin at the bottom and
reach the top of the ladder" Here the dis
tingulshed statesman, who began life in the
lowest corner, and has himself reached the
highest attitude in the esteem of the peo.
pie and in public importance, related to the
company most interesting story of re-
cent visit to the home of son of the old
master to whom he WAS apprenticed
as printer nearly seventy years
ago, who learned the printar's
trade with him. He now livea in Indiana,
at the advanced age Of eight-eight years
The pleasure which General Cameron
evinced at reviving the recollecticns of his
youth told better than language how warn,
bis heart is toward his early struggles
This strong fidelity to home and friends is
what has, more than anything else, give to
General Cameron that hold on the popular
heart which brought with it power and
high station outru ming most mems life
time. A journeyman printer of Chicago
was seen vending his way to Pittsburg
When asked where be was going, be sad
he was going to see Simon Cameron, for
whom he had worked as jour. The illus.
trates the hold he had upon men to make
them his friends.
Since journalism has become q profess
sion, to be followed by those who have
been educated in colleges, the style of the
printer has somewhat declined in the popu.
lar estimation. But has the style of the
editorial risen in proportioni 1t is pity
that the printer should lose the thought
that the Office iu which be 10 trained is his
college, granting him extraordinary facili.
ties for an education that 6ts him for all
emergencies, from which he can graduate
to high possibilities. Printers Cabinet.