New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-07-07
stepnen A. Douglas Did His Best.

stephen A. Douglas Did His Best.
The young man "who does the oess
ais circumstances allows makes even
that stepping-ston to success
When poverty obliged Stephen A.
Douglas, boy of fifteen years, TO give
up all hope of entering college, ne IN
dentured himself as an apprentice 20
cabinet-maker. For two years ne
worked at his trade with such INDUS
try as to become a frst-rate cabinet
maker. A feeble body and poor health
forced him out of the shop. When ne
discovered that he could not become
mechanic, he determined to study,
law. He began a course OF classical
studies at an academy, aid carried IL
on with the application which enabled
MIN within four years to master near
" an entire collegiate course. During
that time he also persistently followed
q course of law studies, under tie IN
struction of an able lawyer.
At twenty years of age, he lett the
academy, and the law office, to seek
his fortune in that vaguely defined re-
gion then known as "the Vest. he
wandered through Cleveland, Cncln-
natl, Louisville and st. Louis, seeking
in vain for some opening through
which he might pass to self-support-,
In his pilgrimage he arrived atJack-
sonville, H., with thirty-seven cents
in his pocket, and he himself unknown
to any person in the town. Hesought
employment as law clerk, offering
his service Tor his board and lodging
No LAWYER wanted him. He sold his
school-books to pay for bread and
bed, and walked to Winchester On a
cold December day.
The morning after his arrival, he left
his lodgings to find employment. AS
he approached the public square, he
saw a crowd, and joined it. An
ministrator, about to sell by auc*,..
the stock in trade Of deceased -
chant, was halted by thewant OF IL"
man competent to keep arecord I =
sales. and to make out the bhEs o..
purchasers. J.,
No person in the crowd, though ,seE
eral OF them had been asked, was vii
ing to undertake the duty. The
ministrator was embarrassed, an L
would be buyers impatient. r
''P'raps this ere stranger" sad
man, pointing to young Dong! >
would do the job He looks as if he
could read, write, and cipher"
The administrator pressed him to
serve, and rendered him the libeEa.s
salary of two dollars day. He con-
sented; the auction lasted three days,
and the temporary clerk had six dol
lars in his pocket, no mean sum for a
man whose cash amounted TO only
thirty-seven cents. But he had gain
ed more than the money. The
! 2romptness with which he discharged
his duties won for him the admiration
| OF buyers, administrator and auction
! Ger.
| 1t was in the days when President
Jackson was fighting the United States
| Bank, and party feelings were at fs>-er
neat. Young Douglas was g par II
Of Gen. Jackson's administra N.
At intervals during the sale, and in
| he evenings, he joined in the political
conversations which took place. The
ability and the good nature he show
I'd III defending the President caused
The good old farmers to take him to
their hearts. 1t was discovered that
he was poor, and wished to open q
school. In a few days his new friends
provided him with forty pupils, each
OF whom was to pay three dollars per
| quarter.
While teaching school, he devoted
his evenings to studying the statutes
of Illinois. On Saturday afternoons
he acted as counsel before the Justices
court. At the end of three months he
abandoned his school, and opened a
law Office. The money he had receiv-
ed for teaching, together with his fees
for legal services, justified him in APP
plying to the Supreme Court for a IL
cense to practice law.
In seven Yeas from the date of his
application he occupied a seat upon
the Supreme Court bench, and in ten
years he went back to the East as a
member OF Congress. His subsequent
career as a United States Senator, q
leader Of the Democratic party, and
Presidential candidate, is well known.
| Doubtless, it is spotted with errors
and faults, for ne was but man; but
it illustrates that honor and fame
come to him who instead of repinino
| Ut his situation, uses it as O. fulcrum.