The sun., 1896-08-09
ALECK, TOM, BOB, AND X.
VINO THEY WE'RE, AND WHAT 7HEY
NAVE COME TO.
Each OF the Four New York Roys Ivas
Weuded EIis Way Through Lille In HIs
Own Manner Three or Thcu Now
F.ro,. Msn In The,r Native I,nnu.

! Somo fOrtg years ago TOUR DOyt, all oi Nho"
! under seventeen years Of age. were learning
the trade of typesottinG as apprentices in the
composing room OF book printing oficc in
| this city. Their names were Aeck. Tom, Bob.
! and X. All OF them were bright and industri-
! Gus lads. who had TO earn their own living
Aieck Was q vermonter by birth and Tom was
| q Now Yorker. while the two others were from
somewhere up country. The four were warm
friends though OF course they were at logger
| heads with each other at times.
| Aleck was dry kind of a fellow, Tom was
wild. IL not Wicked; Bob was of studious dspo-
sition, and Y. was a shining light, though alto
| rether too quick tempered. Aleck picked up
| the type slowly: Tom would stay away from
! work for q day now and then. so that he had TO
| BE- scoded by the foreman; Bob was a steady
worker; y. could not only sat up more type In an
| hour than any ot the others, but he was looked
| upon as universal "kno Wedge box" even by
| the journeymsn.
BY reason of tho nature OF the trade. all four
| of tho apprentices wore constantly engaged in
thought, reading books OF all kinds. and think
| Ing of what they had to read, SO that, during
| the years In which they wore serving their
| time" they got up to the outskirts of the lit
erary field, know the names OF plenty OF au-
thors, and gained q good deal of gumptlon.
Not on this account, however. did Aleck be-
come any the more expert as a typo. or Tom
ices VI n ooapoBIuSo. VI Looo VI NJ hii
changed in life or habit After working hours
| thcy often talked about tho books for which
| they set the type, but Bob and X. did most
OF the talk of this kind. II Bob liked q
book. Y. was very apt to argue that its author
( was an gnoramus, could not write logically. or
made blunders in grammar. These wranxles
often grew a, hot as those OF the old-tiue lit
erary critics, and II DR.. Sam Johnson or Lord
jeffrey ever spoke more scorch,ngly than X.
apnka of hnr bna ba,nk had t.d
was merely because the first uamed was the
creator master OF invectire. Aleck took bu.
slight interes: In such dooatcs, and Tom was
sure to clear out as soon as one OF them began.
To Aleck an author was of interest only because
he gave work TO typesetters. and to Tom all
thors were but muddiers. who ought to dry up.
These four youths served out their aporen-
tceship to the prlnters' trade upon the top story
of rckety old building In the lower part OF
New York.
At this time OF the year 1903 all four OF the m
are yet alive, all Of them gray boards between
30 and 80 years old One OF them. Aleck. oenrs
the well-earned military title OF General: Tom
trails no fame behind him: Bob bears the title
Of Professor; x. is an author whose celebrity is
wide us the realm OF American literature.
When their apprenticeship in New York
ended, and they started out in life as full
fedged journcymen. the world was all before
them, and three Of them had part OF their
earnings TO the fore. Aleck had saved hun
dred dollars, which was doubled by gift from
his father in Vermont: Tom hsd not a dollar to
his name; Bob and Y. had amounts about which
they would not tell Ybody. Aleck struck oat
West: Tom stayed in New York: Bob entered
an academy in New Jersey. with the design of
working his way" through 1t by setting type
at night; Y. hai determined to travel over the
c0uatry, sure that he could get job in some
printing Office he might O
stay. and thus pay his way.
1t was the year 1861. when the blare OF the
trumpets Of the great war was heard all over
the Union. and when the blood OF youth coursed
hotly through the veins.
ALEoK.
Aleck, who was setting type In one o. tho
lesser towns OF Illinois, partook OF the patriotic
fervor In such measure that he could not han
die his composing stick" He talked to the
other young chaps OF the town with whom
he was acquainted. and soon found that
they were all as fiery spirited as he
himself was. squad OF six men WAS
formed. a star spans!ed etreamer WAS
bought for dollar: ana Alecx. carrying the
flag. marched through the place at the head of
his six men. calling for volunteers for the war.
Within u week he lad a company OF IL hund red
young fellows. who drilled every night in IL va
cant lot and ha'i axe handles for guns. Aleck
was chosen Captain; he spent his spare hours
over book OF infantry tactics; lie got u mil
itary hat that had once belonged to an
old soldier OF the Mexican war: he
proud OF his martial array. About
that time an Officer had been sent to tho place
to raise n regiment for the field. and Capt. AL
eck's men were at once mustered In as Com panv
A. In less than II fortnight the regiment
was full, had elected its officers, Colonel ard all
and had been accepted by the military authori-
! - 1,
Missouri it became part OF brigade; the
! brigade was sent TO disperse q body OF Confed-
crates that had been seen on the Mississippi
/ River south of 81. Louis. There was a small
tight, after which the enemy bulted. Aleck had
entered upon his first campaign; ha did
his duty on the field like young
American. and at time he came near
to catching a wearer of the gray who had
taken to the woods. After n while he did mt
like war. and thought OF his early home In old
Vermont; but he was OF Uncle Sans
soldiers and felt that he could die in battle for
tho flag of the Union. For months he cam
palgned In the State OF Missouri he led scout
Ing parties on horseback; he fought IN the
bush and along the rivers bank and In many
frontier settlement; no was with his regiment
III every service; he became accustomed To obey
orders and to give them; he bore the hardshps
OF the field without grumpness. and lie never
the head Of the regiment or the Major eneral
In command of the brigade. Twice or thrice
he was wounded with bullet or sabre. but never
80 badly as To need to 20 10 hospital.
| got letters from Alcck occasionally at that
time, and they were always CHEEKY. but he never
seemed TO care TO tell me of MS deeds or his
trials in the war. | only guessed what they
might have been when got news o! hts promo
ton to the rank OF Lleutenant-I'o I'olunol. Io
hnh held thar but n Inn ina ,yha In
appointed to the Coonelcy OF mounted
regiment, and ordered to report at Cairo From
that period onward. Alexis career vas one tho
record OF which can bs found in the War Odl1e
at Washington. He commanded a brigade
at tho battle OF Fort Doneson, performed duty
as far south as Nicksburg, and served on many
another field. always with honor to the title he
had won, which by this time tho title of
BriEadier- General. Subsequently he was as
Al ed To IncnIn s.lI Sherua u Il innk