Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-08-02
THURLOW WEED.
THURLOW WEED.
Autobiography of the Great Editor
and Political Engineer-His
Early Struggles, the
Men He Met and
His Hidden Influence Upon Al
faiFs--SerVlces TO Lincoln In
the War--Rurr's Cor
resPOndence.
ID. y. Coz. phIladelplha press.

erede in their greatest activity the
same quarter century of our history.
should both be published on the same
day. Thurlow Weed began writing
the story of his eventful and wonder
full life in 1945. but wrote then only O
few pages. Many of the facts of this
narrative have already been made
through sketches, while the great edi-
tor and maker of men lived, and
through the obituaries with which the
press ofthe country were filed at his
death, Thurlow Weeds first en-
ployment was blowing a blacksmith s
bellows at six cents day; then be
was boy of-all work at a tavern, then
a cabin boy on q sloop. Always be
read, especially newspapers. while he
devoured a history of the French
Revolution by the light Of pine knots.
Another boy. whom Weed was to
meet later in life-Lincoln-also read
by the same Pickering light. Pine
knot reading must have been bad fol
the eyes, but it seems to have fed &C.
quisitive brains
At twelve, Weed became an sp|
prentice in the Office of newspaper in
0nondago Hollow. In 1916 he became
a compositor in New York, at the side
Of James Harper, the senior of the
great publishing house, and afterwarC
Mayor of New York. In these day.
of early work Weed abstained from
drinking. but was a devoted attendant
of the old Park Theater.
HIS EARLY MARRIAGE.
Mr.. Weed married, when he was
very young. Miss Catherine 0strander
of Cooperstown, He had just enough
money to take his wife to Albany
where. with good health, stronl
hands and hopeful hearts, we botf
went earnestly to work to earn q
living. The value of our household
goods did not exceed $780," Two OF
three years after this Mr. Weed went
to Richmond and edited the Tele.
graph, of that city for $500 year
During the winter, he writes, my
wife rose long before daylight, kiudled
her own fire and prepared breakfast
of which we psrtook by candle light,
and the dawning day found me at work
in the Office. | selected matter
and wrote editorials for the paper eve
nings after my days work was done
and to my great satisfaction the Roch-
ester Telegraph seemed to become
popular" The Telegraph was the
first paper which placed the name Of
John Quincy Adams under its edi.
torial head az a candidate for Presi
dent early in 1923. and the first popu.
lar meetihg nominating Mr.. Adams
was held in Rochester.
ADAMS GOES SWIMMING.
Weed made his first trip to Wash.
ington in 1895, and he thus describes
the extraordinary sight of the Presi
dent going in swimming:
Having heard the President wa:
in the habit Of bathing early every
morning in the Potomac, | rose be.
fore the sun and walked down to the
bank Of the river, observing, as ap
preached it, 9 gentleman in blu,
pea jacket walking rapidly from the
White House toward the water. Thil
was John Quincy Adams. I moveC
off to q respectable distance. The
President began to disrobe before ht
reached the tree on the bank of thu
river, where he deposited his clothes
and then plunged in head first
and struck out fifteen or twenty
rods, swimming rapidly and turning
occasionally upon his back, seeming al
much in his case in that element as OF
terra firma. Coming out, he rubbed
himself thoroughly with napkins
which he had brought for that purposi
in his bandg The sun had not ye
arisen when ho hEd dressed himself
and was returning to the Presidential
Mansion" Imagine Chester A. Ar
thur, the CORRECT and conventional
following this precedent
Mr.. Weed devotes several chapters
Of the story to the abduction Of VIM
Morgan, but the most Of this has beer
| printed.
The Albany Evening Journal wa
established on the 22d Of March, 1880
with Thurlow Weed as editor, on
salary OF $3.50 a year. The Journa
was launched with but 40 daily ant
leas than 300 semi weekly subscribers
But before the first month had ex
pired all doubts of the success Of tn,
undertaking had vanished. la thosl
days there was no editorial staff. g.
not only edited the paper without as
sistanee," says Mr.. Weed, but 70
several gears reported the Assembl
proceedings And personally collecte,
all news items, aud local items, rea,
all proof and occasionally made up d.
FORMS"
BURR's FEMALE CORRESPONDENTS.
Mr.. Weed tells some interestin
facts about the correspondence Q
Aaron Burr, which he learned iron
Matthew l.. Davis, Burr's literar
: executor. For nearly forty years Mi
Davis vas the only reliable friend MI
Burr bad. Davis informed Mi
I Weed that Colonel BRrr's grst iuquir
| on landing on his return from Europ
; was for Mrs. Eden. a widow ono
. prosperous, but who had, ddrin
/ Burr,s absence supported herself an
? two daughters as 8 laundress. Go
, Burr at once brought the well know
| ejectment suit, which, after two yess
} resulted in favor OF the Mrs. Edel
who, as Mr.. Davis informed Mr.. Wee
conadentially, was a natural @apghtt
Of Colonel Burr. The con6dentii
correspondence Of Burr with ladi,
constituted a large portion Of ID
; papers which he bequeathed to Nj
pSyis as bis literary executor. 4
) these lotters Mr.. Weed had free az
} cess Ia saws. "The letters mar