The sun., 1896-08-09

Armv NJ the Potomac. He refused to take any
horr,r A Gallant young New Yorker was he.
,houch he had some bad habits, Including
,ho.. NJ syearinu and drinking. His nrst
martial experience was ut the o"'''o Va
Bull Run. and II was OF the n"'"'o
OF flight, with the enemy III n"U
nursuit- In other affairs in Virginia he took
n.rt du,inv the f,rst year OF his enlistment; but
h, was unable 10 boast Of many OF them. Ho
WA In tn. famous nyht at the Crater. lie
b,d hard tI,nos in tho trenches. lie fell Ill, ana
b,a IN he cnrricd to hospital. lie took part IN
tho "seycn days retro IT." lie was In the mnreh
and the countermarch. tho charge anu the
counterchnrgc. He was several times wouh"eu
by shot or bayonet. He saw the horrors OF war
In the second year of service ns n private IN MS
regiment ne was captured by tho enemy anu
sent TO Libby Prison. where he TOOK part IN Ihe
do.perate attempt to escape. When Mt last ex-
changed In the third year OF h's enlis'meht ne
was sent back to his regiment, which was soon
TO engage in battle. Iio got now, VI the death
of his wife. whom lie had married In New
York a few months after he became a Journey
man printer. shortly afterward hs was severely
wounded in battle. and had TO be sent 10 the
rear. Upon recovering he was again In the heid.
Tom was faithful, true, and bravo. in all his
service rs soldier. and always glorted In the
Union flag under which he fought.
The day of the battle OF Gettysburg came. lie
was there. While using his rifle against the
enemy he was struck by q cannon ball. which
shattered his right leg. He was taken to a hos
n,,al near Washington, whore his wounded leg
was cut or and there he lay TIL long after tho
last gun of the war was fired. till after peace
had been restored. till after President Lincoln
was assassinated. There saw him for the first
time In years. He WAS not the wicked Tom any
more: he had become religious. BY the end Of
the yenr ls65 he was out OF the hospital. Grip
pie. ard hc has ever since stumped through i'e
on wooden leg. He was now tired OF the world
He went to n email place In Pcnnsylvahia ana
took up his old trade OF typesetting. at which he
has worked for the past thirty years. Every
morning of the week he may be seen limping 10
the Office where he earns living. and where
seated on a stool, with q compositor's stick in
his hand and his copy before him. he picks
up the type. Tom looks like very old man.
when you see him with hts long, white beard.
his furruwed front, and pair of spectaces on
his nose though he is not yet sixty years Of age.
He gets n very small pension. which helps 10
support him in q boarding house through his
lonesome life.
Such has been the career of Tom, the New
York printers apprentice. whose only hope now
is for world better than this where there nre
no battles ard no crip2les.
As for his fellow-apprentlce. Bob he did not
go to the war. when President Lincoln issued
his call for volunteers. He WAS seeker after
learning who sought nauSht else in life. He
entered academy. according to the plan he
had formed in the year that lie completed his
apprenticeship and support ed himself there for
three years by working at his trade at niEht.
never touching the small sum of money which he
had saved while an apprentice. Atthe academy
he got along well. acquiring such a smattering
o. Greek and Latin "a would enable him to
enter upon classical course in college. Out of
the acaIemy. of for France. He had pick ed
up some French while setting the type for
French books in New York: and soon after no
arrived in Paris he advertised that he
ready to teach French boys Tn speak English.
He got some pupils. and taught them as best
he could. while he himself became prof.
cient IN French and began the study
OF German. After a year in France, off
TO Germany. where he set up at once
teacher OF French and English for German
boys. Again he got some pupils TO pay his way,
until he became easy in German. He then drew
upon the small bank account which he had in
New York, found he could enter the university
at Jena entered it, and took a course IL sre
with ths help of few private pupils in the
French and the English. While at jena and
nearly ready to leave it, he made the acquant-
ance Of au American visitor, tho President of
one OF the lesser colleges IN the State of New
York. who asked him II he would accept the
chair OF ancient and modern languages in the
college. He was wide awake and made a bar
gain at once.
Bob, once printers apprentice. has been
distinguished professor in that college for these
many years. He has won reputation as q scholar
pniiolorist. and a philosopher. and thousands
x,f at,,la fo.
name. 1t is probable that he will be President
of the college OF these days, for he is yet un-
der 20 years.
LASTLY.
The last OF the four printers apprentices here
SPOKEN of Is y. While y. was learning the
printing trade In the yenrs OF his youth he was
a keen and thoughtful render OF the books for
which he set the type. After he had become a
journeyman he remained ut his craft for sew
eral years, reading books all the time. as a com.
positor. and critcisinG them for himself us q
thinker. At last he began to fancy that he him
self had as much brain the authors OF
weekly paper. and It was printed, to
his delight He stuck to his trade, but
occasionally sent to the paper other
pieces. some of which were printed. In time
he cot trife of pay for his compositions. and
finally the editor of the paper offered him an
engagement at n small weekly salary. He took
1t gladly. and his ideas appeared in the paper
every week. Yet he felt dissatisfied. for 1t was
his ambition to become an author In the high
sense OF the w"rd. He wrote book and IL was
got out for him by publishing firm. As the
saying goes. ut fell dead" Tho critics de-
clared that II was bosh the work of n
bra'nless scribbler. The publisher of the
hook quarrellcd with him: he wus dsconsolate
lie might do for n weekly paper, but he had not
the genius for successful authorship. Altar n
year had passed he got up his pluck once more.
composed another book, ana secured the publ-
cation of ~ by paying the cost OF It's printing.
Few humdred copies were sold at n dollar a
copy and thus the expense which had been in
Cured was covered. The critics took no notjoe
oi tho volume. But anyhow. Mr.. Y, once a type-
setter WAS now an author. There is no need OF
giving chapters to his subsequent literary en-