Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1890-11-21
ANEW YORK YANKEE
The Old Man Wac Sells Papers on
the Streets
BsxtaRias I'sv a. = slihsussts F~i~ss
ae a&kes ssserEi forsases IA var
lea EatsF prise Ana Briaxs Up
in oF&nd k3pids-

Rapids pspsrs' Ihs Old man passes
rgut along on as oNn business, never
topping except 10 make change, aud
epsats his announcement IA the same
pssgonless monotone, until his whole
bundle of 500 papers are disposed OF.
He is the most conspicuous rgare on
the streets OF Grand Rapids, sttracun <
more observation than al the other
news-yenders put together, and giving
infinitely less annoyance 10 passers-by.
He IS = marked man the first time one
sees him, for bis face can not be drop
ped Ike most faces. Every feature Is
prominent one, the large squi.lne
nose especially, carrying a pair OF eye
glasses with the careless tirmness OF a
bioncho with cowboy saddle.
But wait moment This old news
man is character with history as
WIDE as that OF any public man IN the
country. He is the father of very
many Of the customs of American life,
the origin OF which has been for
gotten. His name is Orsemus
Sackett He was born in Rochester,
New York, July p, 1920, and is now
much older than he appears TO be.
His parents were poor, and he had no
opportunity Tor what today passes for
an education. He was a prccocious
youth, and, among his early gifts. the
deft use of pen and pencil was the most
conspicuous. At the age of IL years
ne made the first ott-nand sllhoutte
picture with paper and shears, ever
produced. The money making instinct
was as strong within INN as IL was IN
L. L. Bsrnum, and the moment the
power of silhouette making was dlscOv-
cred, he directly turned II 10 account
as money -getter. He worked all the
way from Chenago TO Rochester, and,
though a mere boy, he made $40 on the
trip cutting out profiles. HIS process
was simple. Only glance was suifi-
cient to enable hlm to cut out por-
trait. On one occasion ne made a sli-
houtte picture OF man whom he had
seen but once, after the man had been
ten years dead.
After he had done considerable of
this sort Of work, others initiated HIM,
and made the business too common for
profit. So he went INTO the picture paint
ing business. He bought IN Rochester
shilllng's worth OF paints, and took
jobs TO paint portraits. But his paints
proving too cheap, he bought more ex-
pensiye ones, and did some credItable
work. Coming into contact vita the
| then celebrated Gilbert, at Rochester,
ne was told that he would make bet
ter farmer than painter, and he
changed his style to sHpple work. lie
then advertised IN Rochester TO make
portraits on ivory and CHINA, he having
been the first worker on this material.
HIS ivory pictures Obtained great cele-
brty, and he was employed by many
OF the most noted families of westC,n
New York, among them the Hog'''o
Seymour and the COnkllng famlIeo >
do this, he walked from kOCne,t
Utica. Here he boarded at the 4..---
hotel with Roscoe Conkllng,
painted his and Seymour's picture or
ivory. Here ne received letter
j. FennimOre Cooper, at CoOpersvH
to go up there and paint the Coop
family. Cooper sent ms carriage dowa
10 UUca, and Sackett rode two days IN
the conveyance from Utica to COOpers-
vile. He was entertained at the
Cooper mansion all the time he staid IN
the town, and painted j. FennlmOre's
picture and those OF n.s son George and
OF two daughters. He also painted the
whole town OF COOpersyllle, aud sat up
nights to do il. lie worked IN this way
IN tins town until his eye-slCht gave
out, which he has not since completely
recovered. lie had tnen 10 give up
painting forever.
"Ics, made money very fast, and
spent Il freely. | never knew how to
keep my money. / then developed
great gift OF penmanship, and founded
the art Of card-writlng, which has since
So largely obtained throughout the
world | travelled all over what was
then known as the United States.
have written IN Saratoga. New York,
Newport, san Francisco, New Orleans,
and all the intervening towns, and
made money bv the bushel. When
others began 10 initiate me, and their
numbers increased so much, ! went out
of the business about the beginning Of
the war"
During the war he went into the
wl,h varying fortunes ever since. In
the lsst year OF the war he was in East
Saginaw, snd had laid gp 5000, winch
WAS destroyed by fire. This drove him
from Saginaw, and he went 70 the new
town OF Corey, Pennsylvania. where he
laid up 5000 out of the newspaper
trade
At Corey. ne frst heard that Weston,
! p
Portland on his way 10 Chicago. Gong
uD 30 Troy, he there met Weston for
the first time. and made an enEsge-
mcnt TO eel Weston's picture on thst
famous trip The account Of ms trip.
"a hear sacsett tel it, sounds more
tx. novel than ike history. He
made hundreds Of dollars selling thess
PICTURES. and met with many tnuiing
adventures. After the arrival iu Chi
caeo. he engaged Weston for
occurring tour, but the c0usum-
mate foolvznitY 0f Weston made
I th.s venture - disastrous that ~sCkftt
lost every dollar he had Tie saYs Wcs-
Ton vas nst8rai dead heat. and Was
never any good for anything, hardly
beng good walker. lie got - Nan-
sas CITY comp. teiy husted ard there
I SIT MP = peanut ard news stand, unft
/ be had sccumGlstsd ttle money he
{ tnsn vent into the hofel al Rerts <
{ busness. and copyrighted tas notoes
( which ~ere posted in a. TIE rooms of
I hotsIs IN those days - ing wasi 70 do
/ n eass of IRE snd ehen anything Has
wanted. md ahout see hs1rs 81 meals
sud sbout isaving kevs in tfs rocnss
etc Tbs brs ness ed hlsa - re ST.
veuton - tae "cssxet nhch sts ON
s fne hctei counters u pss count-T
H fr=t at &c n kna fremont