Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-07-07
OF LowLY BIRTH.
What Working Men Have Done for Sell
ence, Art and Literature.

What Working Men Have Done for Sell
ence, Art and Literature.
Some may say: "Why give working
people time to thinkP What good use
can they make of itP" Let us see
what they haze done Take general
literature. Look at Daniel Defoe, tho
author of Robinson Crusoe," one of
the greatest writers of prose fiction
that ever lived. He began life as a
hosier, and was almost wholly self
taught William Cobbett, the great
master of racy Saxon English, was in
early life farmers boy, and after
wards common soldier Izaak Wal
ton, the pleasing biographer and
complete angler" was linen
draper.
Then in science: Thomas Simpson,
the distinguished mathematician,
wrought, for the greater part of his
life, as a weaver Captain Cook, one
of the most scientific of English sail
ors, and very pleasing writer, was
wholly self-taught His father, poor
peasant, learned to read when he was
turned of seventy, in order that he
might be able to peruse his sons voy-
ages. Arkwright subsequently Sir
Richard, the inventor of the cotton
spinning machine, was q poor man,
and commenced life as barber
James Brintlley, the author of canal
navigation in England, the first who
tunneled great hills, and brought
ships across navigable rivers on
bridges, was millwright. Herschell.
subsequently Sir William, originally
musician in q Hauoverian regiment,
became a skillful optican and great
astronomer, To him Campbell refers
in the well-known lines:
Gave to the Tyre of Heaven another string
Then for the fine arts: Chantrey
was milk and butter boy, and his
first mouldings were in softer material
than marble. Sir Thomas Lawrence
was the son of an inn-keeper and
wholly self-taught. John Opie was
found by DR.. Walcott, working in a
saw-pit. William Hogarth, the great
est master of character that ever de-
yeloped his ideas by means of the PEN
Gil, served his apprenticeship to an
engraving silversmith, and COM
menced his professional career by en-
craving coats-of-arms and shop-bills.
Then in poetry: Clifford, the first
editor of the QUARTERLY began life as q
poor sailor boy, and afterward served
an apprenticeship to shoemaker.
Bloomfield wrote his best poem, the
Farmers Boy" while he, too,
worked in q garnet as shoemaker
ben Jonson," says Fuller, in his
English Worthless" worked for
some time as bricklayer and mason.
He helped to build the new structure
of Lincoln's Inn, when, having a
trowel in his hand, he had book in
his pocket" Shakespeare was q
poor mans son. His father could not
write his name, and his cross or mark
still existsln the record of Stratford-
on-Avon to attest the fact. The poets
own education seems to have been
very limited, and tradition describes
him as having lived for time by
very humble employments.
Then turn we to theology, the high
est range of all. The two Millers,
Doctor Isaac, Dean of Carlisle, and
his brother Joseph, author of the we'll
known History of the Church." be-
gan life as weavers. DR.. Prideaux,
author of the CONNECTION, and
Bishop of Worcester, got his educa-
ton by entering Oxford as kitchen
boy. John Bunyan, the greatest mas
ter of AllegorY and author of the sec
ond best book in all the world, was /;
self-taught tinker y Ledger.