The record-union., 1892-06-02
ORLANDO II. CLATES.
The Cid Time State Printer On His
Deathbed.
Stricken Down by Paralysis - How
Public Life Brought Him From
Affiuence to Poverty.

The many old friends Of Orlando NJ.
Clayes in this city, Stockton and else
where, VIII be panied to learn that he has
been stricken = probably tatally-with
paralysis. For several years past Mr..
Clayes has been a compositor on one Of
the San Francisco daily newspapers,
having lost his property some sixteen
years ago.
Clayes made his first venture in San
Andreas, where, in 1861, he was pub
fishing the independent, a weekly news
paper, in company with his brother-in-
law, George Armour, now Of Chicago.
Sam Seabough, who had been mining in
that vicinity, became the editor of the
paper, and his forcible and learned edito-
rials on the civil war and the causes lead
ing thereto brought the Independent into
such prominence that Clayes 81 Armour
were induced to remove their plant TO
Stockton, where the paper was made a
daily.
Subsequently Clayes was elected State
Printer, and although he received only
a portion of the profits OF the office he
was soon in easy circumstances. The
paper kept right along in its able way,
and ClayeS was looked upon as the ableSJ
Journalist in the State. About 1864 he be-
came imbued with this idea himself, and
sought a wider field. He found an op-
portunity to secure a one-fOurth interest
in the San Francisco 1Hd, the other own
ers being Frederick Macrellsh, w. A.
Woodward and John McComb. In the
meantime Armour had SOLD his interest
in the business to Clayes and went East
When Ciayes went to the 4ttU he took
Seabough with him as editor, and dis
posed OF the Independent to \. +. White,
y. G. BeritZhoff and II. NJ. Clayes. with
the understanding that if he should not
like his new venture he was to have the
privilege of taking back the I2rIeDendent
within a year. His San Francisco ex-
perience was not satisfactory, and he re-
turned to the Independent, his term OF
office as State Printer having expired in
the meantime.
Clayes had fallen into the free-and-e
way of politicians and public men during
his official career, and being generous and
open TO a fault, he retired from
office practically without dollar. A few
years later the I3,dcpcndeRt had again
slipped from his ownership, and Clayes
found it necessary 10 return to his trade
as a compostor, and has ever since
picked his living out of the type -case.'
While Clayes had money he was con-
tinually being imposed upon by political
leecheS, and il used to be said that he gave
away enough. in the shape of loans. to
have made any man comfortable for life
His was one of the many cases in which
steady men have been ruined by enter
ing politics and aspiring to Office. 1t was
not the first of the kind, nor has it been
the last. Others are fast travelling the
came road that leads to Incidence, extra
Yagance and-worSe than all-intemper-
ance. The deluded victims Of a misdi-
rected ambition are falling daily by the
wayside, but there are always others
jooihardy enough to take their places and
keep the ranks recruited
Q. NJ. Clayes once had a good business,
comfortable home, loving wife and
children. But they have not for years
depended on him. and he has been prac-
tically homeless, while making an indit-
terent SORT Of livelihood as a typesetter,
until now he has probably found his
death-bed. The story Of his life contains
q moral.