The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-11-28
miscellaneous.
"Old Hutch's" BOyhOod.

A few miles from Nahant brings one
to a truly rural region "North Pre-
cnct," as it used to be called. Here,
along the meadowy brooks of the sinu-
Gus Ipswich, must be traced the early
haunts of Benjamin p. Hutchinson
cold Hutch" in the familiar parlance
of irreverent Chicago. The surviving
companions of his boyhood and early
youth call him Ben" and are free in
their "reminiscences and comments on
his course. | may venture here few
items gathered from trustworthy sources
concerning the business beginnings of
the bold wheat operator whose name
has so recently been bruited round the
world. His parents being of the pro-
verbally poor, Ben came into the world
with no silver spoon in his mouth, but,
which is more to the purpose, he en-
tered the stage of life with a decided
fancy for figures, an aptness for addi-
ton, a strong bent, not to say positive
genius, for buying, selling and getting
gain, his infantile fist clutchlng, as it
were, board of trade membership GER
tificate. AT very youthful period of
his existence he entered the path of in
dustry and economy AS a farmers
choreboy he became self-supporting.
If his food was plain and his garments
were coarse, it was because he earned
the plain food he ate and the coarse
garments he wore, and because he had
all the plain food and coarse garments
that he earned, and he had no more.
Living in serious family, member of
a sedate household, whose Sunday din
ner was of baked beans, cucumber
pickles, brown bread and Indian pud-
ding, and who attended public worship
three times on that day, Ben went also
demurely to meetings, but when it came
to The annual Fast Day in April he re-
fused to be led churchward. Threats
were of no avail; he preferred to play
ball with the big boys in the field and
take the Consequences switching
from his master Before long, Ben
jamin p. left the barnyard, the hay
! field and cow-pasture for seat on the
shoemaker's bench. That his bargain
ing propensities manifested themselves
at every stage of his career goes with
out saying. AS vender of cheap
brooms and yardsticks, made, like the
razors in the story, to SELL and,
later, of hand-sewed shoes, the rising
youth successfully adopted, if he did
not originate, the system of quick sales
and small profits. None knew better
than he how to turn cent" or was
more keenly aware of the advantages
of doing it often, keeping his coins in
nimble circulation. His educational
advantages, as will have been surmised
were largely of the misunderstanding or
der. To his credit be it said, that some
time after his few schooldays were
over, in company with an aspiring
friend, when Chautauqua classes were
not yet, he took up course of supple.
mentary study, thus gaining his first
knowledge of bookkeeping; also, it is
believed, becoming member of de.
batting club. If his shoemaker's kit is
still in existence, it would hardly be
surprising to find in the drawer, with
lap-stone and leather apron, copy OF
CushiDg's manual and Latin gram
mar, but this is mere guess-work. DIFF
ficulties but stimulated him to greater
exertion. When confronted with ar
unusually difficult piece of work, he
would bend his energies doggedly tC
the task, when it was finished, straight
ening up his tall form, exclaimine
Feni, ridi, ricip So frequently these
words came from his lips, it seemed al
if lie had chosen Caesars dispatch as
his motto, voicing his constant deter
minaliou TO succeed. To what eXten
its use argued an acquaintance with the
classics, it is needless to inquire
Boston Transcript.