The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-12-30
SINuLE TAX DEPARTMENT
HENRY GEORGE.

Henry George was born September .,
1889, at 3l2 Catherine street, Philadel-.
phia The house still stands. His
grandfather was shipowner and SEQ
captain; his father in early life pub
Usher of religious literature and for
thirty years a clerk in the custom
house; his mother comedy and esti'
mable woman, at the age of eighty was
described as "a queenly looking woman
still beautiful despite the years that
have left their traces on her features"
Henry George attended public school
until his twelfth year. and afterward
attended DR.. Hare's academy At 10
he was indentured to printer, but
soon becoming weary Of the calling,
persuaded his father to allow him to
60 as cabin-boy on the ship Hindoo.
bound to Calcutta on three years
cruise. On his return he was appren.
ticed to King & Baird, printers. but the
panic of 1857 caused the failure of the
firm, ard Henry George was compelled,
from lack of other employment, to
ship on small coal steamer running
between this port and Boston. On this
vessel he labored for one year, and then
secured berth as sailor on the
United States steamer Shubrick bound
for San Francisco via Cape Horn. On
reaching its destination the vessel was
thrown out of commission, and our
EN- bryo political economist out of en-
ployment with few dollars and no
friends
1t was at the time of the gold dis
coveries in California and Henry George
became miner and followed the occu-
patton for a number OF years but with
Indifferent success In 1861 he obtained
aposition as compositor on the Alta Cali
fornia Presently he began anonymous
communications to the press which
were almost always accepted. Among
these he wrote nine.column article
on the life and services of Abraham
Lincoln, just after the assassination.
1t made marked impression. ex-
tracts therefrom being published
in every section of the nation.
Changing his position as compositor
from the Alta California to the San
Franciso Times he sent all his COM
munications to the latter paper. They
were eagerly received and invariably
published, often as editorial matter
Finally DR.. Gum, the editor, determined
to discover his unknown contributor.
His attempts to do SO were unsuccess-
full until he noticed that these letters
were always deposited in a box at the
foot of the stairs leading to the editorial
rooms. At this box watch was kept
! Whenever a note was inserted the per-
son on watch removed it and compared
the writing with that of the unknown
correspondent At length MIR, George
was seen. in passing the box, to slip a
letter in it and proceed up stairs to his
employment The watcher glanced at
the letter and found the handwriting he
had been searching for He hurried to
DIR. Gum, told of his success. Both
rushed into the composing room Hen.
ry George was in one of the alleys"
removing his coat. DR.. Gum showed
him the letter and asked him if the
handwrit ng was his. Mr.. George an
swered yes "Then, young man"
said the doctor, ''you must not fool
away any more of you time as com.
positor. l have place for you in the
editorial ROOM
Three months afterward he became
managing editor of the paper and held
the position until 1867. when he re.
signed and joined the editorial staff Of
the San Francisco Herald. In 1872
Henry George, in conjunction with four
others started the Evening Post, pen.
ny paper. Owing to his brilliant anG
logical editorials the paper soon had
thousands OF readers and to large ex,
tent among workingmen. He contin
ued in charge of the Post until 1875
when it passed into other hands by pur
chase. He then accepted IN official pc
sition from Gov Irwin, which gave him
sufficient leisure to make an exhaustive
study of political economy, and to write
"Progress and Poverty" He found
kEcdt uiulCuAty LII seCutluS puuiiolCi'
A first edition on five hundred copies
was published by Hinton in California.
The Appletons sent out second edi
ton; then Kegan Paul. of London
brought out large edition, but it re-
NAMED unsold and piled in their cellars
until the English government kindly
came to their rescue. At this time
1882, Henry George was in Ireland a.s ;
correspondent of the Irish World. Thi
was enough to make him q suspect ant
cause his arrest on two occasions. III.
arrest brought him into public promi
nence, and directed attention to hi
great work. 1t found readers compe
tent to appreciate it's merits. Favor
able criticism doomed it's sale and with
in a fortnight the cellars Of Kegan Pau
were empty, and new editions calico
for, which could not be brought on
fast enough to meet the demand. Til
Philadelphia Press