The Portland daily press., 1895-06-15
ALBERT G. FRENCH.

the patriotic Union party in the dark war
days of June, 1862. Every year and
month, almost every day, during the
thirty three years since that eventful
date, has seen Mr.. French at his case or
desk In all those years the pleasantest
relations have always existed between
Mr.. French and his associates-a fact
which speaks volumes to his credit and
to the credit of the paper and its manage
ment EARLY this spring a trouble with
his eyes compelled Mr.. French to take
this vacation, but he expects to return to
his work in the fall.
Mr.. French's full name is Albert Gal
latin French. His father came from Mas
sachusetts to Portland, and the son was
born in this city in 1882. He went to
Miss Cumston's S school as soon as he was
old enough. His parents moved to Bart
lett, N. H, when he was fourteen years
of age ). but in two years, at the age of
sixteen, he returned to Portland and be-
gan to leanr the printers trade with
John Edwards, who then Tin 1S4S} was
publishing a morning tri-weekly paper
called the Portland Bulletin. Mr.. French
was an apprentice, and with the other
two apprentices boarded at the home of
their proprietor. 1t was the duty of these
boys to arise at O'Clock in the morning,
go to the office, and roll off the papers
on an old hand press. Each boy rolled
q certain number of papers and then de-
parted with them to deliver to customers
The pay of the apprentices in those days
was fifty cents week and board. Mr..
French's parents provided his clothes.
The second year the pay was raised to a
dollar, and during the sixth and last year
of his apprenticeship he received five dol
lars week and board During Mr..
French's apprenticeship, the Bulletin
was sold to Francis o. j. Smith, and
Ira Berry became editor.
Having become a journeyman printer
Mr.. French went to Bangor, and obtained
employment with S. P. Dinsmore, who
was publishing the old Mercury. When
the Mercury suspended publication he
went to work for Marcellus Emery, who
published the Bangor Weekly Democrat
and Daily Journal OF this paper Mr..
4
After the war broke out he returned to
Portland. 1t was lucky he did so, for
only few months after he left Union
mob broke into the Democrat Office and
threw the presses out of the window.
Marcellus Emery was one of the men
called Copperheads in those days, and his
attitude was resented by the Union men.
When Mr. French returned to Portland
he obtained place in Fosters printing
Office. That Office was the birthplace of
the PORTLAND DAILY PRESS By
the curious changes of politics the Repub-
lican party in Portland and this part of
Maine had found itself without a
paper 1t was to sustain the government
of Abraham Lincoln and encourage the
loyal feelings of the Republicans that the
PRESS VISA established in June, 1862
The prospectus was set in Fosters off &c,
and Mr.. French did the work of putting
1t in type.
Few papers have ever been established
on occasions and for purposes when their
high calling could be set forth in such
noble words as these: Politically the
PRESS will give an earnest, cordial and
generous support to the administration
of Abraham Lincoln, who in little more
than one year, has indelibly impressed
himself upon the nations heart as an
incorruptible patriot, an infexible chief
magistrate, and an honest man; the abil-
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