Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-02-03
From Poverty TO Fortune.
From the Philadelphia Press.1

4WCuGy v00Ao oko - GOoA JoAA6 %AoA SSo
walking the streets of Philadelphia looking
for work. His clothes were shabby, his
hands were blue with the cold, and his
gaunt face showed that square meals were
not intimate friends of his. One morning
he awoke and thought over the years of toll
and picayune recompenae that had been his,
and he resolved then and there to make
break for the coast. He did so, and finally
reached the Pacific coast, where he now re-
sides. He found that work out there was If
anything harder than that in the East, but
wages and opportunities were far greater.
He came to Philadelphia last week for the
first time in quarter of . century, but in
stead of coming in on foot, as he had left
the city, he rushed along in Pullman car.
BE is j. B. Woodwork, and last night he
stood in the Lafayette corridor, talking with
Colonel Baker, of changes that have occurred
since he went West.
ST found work." said Mr.. Wordsworth,
Sin carrying q hod in Frisco, and, tell
you, worked hard, too. One night was
sitting on a barrel near the buildings on
man came along on foot. he turned the
corner, and inside of two minutes heard q
feeble cry for help. Igrabbed hod-handle
that happened to be near on the ground, and,
darting around the corner, saw the old man
struggling with two whyos. 1 yelled as if
ten men were at my back. "Come on boysl
Well lay 'em out!' And of course they
dropped the old man and ran for their lives.
The gentleman wasn't hurt much, but had
lost his watch and a shirt stud. He gave
me his card and told nae to call on him next
day. Of course I, did 30, and we talked
about'my former life. and told him how
wanted to succeed, and was bound to be at
the top Of the heap some day.
II was young then" )" continued Mr.. Woods
worth, with quiet smile, "but my boyish
talk seemed to tickle the old chap. He lent
me some money, gave me lots of good ad-
vice and this card, he added, taking from q
wallet yellow piece of pasteboard. "And
tell you, sir, that card did me more good
than anything else. The old man afterward
gave me good place, and from there I got
on rapidly. But lots and lots of times when
was discouraged and homesiek just pulled
out this card and read it,"
Mr.. Wordsworth handed the card to Colo
mel Baker, who read on it:
columbus was the son of a weaver, and
weaver himself. Cervantes was q common
soldier. Homer was the son of small far
mer. Demosthenes was the son of cutler.
Oliver Cromwell was the son of London
brewer. Franklin was journeyman printer,
the son of tallow chandler and soap boiler.
Daniel Defoe was hostler. Cardinal VOL.
sey was the son Of a butcher. virgil's fath-
er was porter. Shakespeare was the son
of a wool stapler. Milton was the son of
money scrivener. Mohammed was a driver
OF asses. Napoleon, descendant of an OBJ
scure family Of Corsica, was major when
he married Josephine, daughter of a tobac-
conist Creole in Martinique. John Jacob
Astor once sold apples in the streets of New
York. Catherine, Empress of Russia, was
camp grisette. Madame Barnadotte was a
washerwoman in Paris. Horace was the con
of shopkeeper."
Colonel Baker handed the card back to
Mr.. Wordsworth, who placed it in his wal
let, and patting it, said: "That card is re-
sponsible for what snccess have gained"