The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-07

struggles might give them courage
to continue the fight. 1t was some
time before I could persuade the Sec
rotary to give me The story. He said
it was not a public matter, and it was
only after my urging the above that he
went on. He said:
'rI doubt whether any boy who is
starting life today has a worse outlook
than. had. Iswas born in a log cabin
in Medina county, o. My father was
poor pioneer farmer. He was an I'M
lucky man, and for some reason or
other nothing he touched seemed to
prosper. When he settled in Ohio the
state was an almost unbroken wilder
ness. He took up tract of woodland
and cleared a portion of it, but he did
not do we'll. Afterward he had charge
of wooden mill. This did not succeed,
and he finally died when 1 was about
twelve years old, leaving four children
and nothing to support them. AT times,
in 1847, we had but little to eat, and 1
remember one dreary period when both
father and mother were sick for
months in the same bed. Soon after
this mother died and it was not long
before father followed her to the grave,
I had sister who was older than 1,
but there were two others who were
younger, and I was, you know, but
twelve. For time L worked for
neighbor, receiving three teacups of
flour day, and this formed the food
of the family. We had COW, and
with the milk from this we made what
was called thickened milk. We had,
I remember, a little corn in the house.
My sister and shelled bag of this,
and I carried it on my back to a mill
nine miles away, and there traded it
for meal. I walked to the mill and
back. 1t was eighteen miles, but 1 do
not remember that was worn out by
the trip" s3ga D.
HOW HE GOT HIS SCHOOLING.
ga boy of twelve does not amount to
much" said I. What could you do?"
81 could not do much" replied Gen.
Alger, but l. was head of the family
and felt 1 must5d do something. First [
found homes for my younger brother
and sister, and then arranged to work
for my board and clothes and for
three months schooling during the
winter. 1 did this until was fourteen,
when my Older sister died I then
thought I ought, TO be worth more, and
hired out to farmer, who paid me
| SO a month for the first month, 81 for
the second aadSs5- for the next four
months. The next year he gave me
| Sc a month, sthel next 81, the third IS,
| the fourth 0,sethe fifth SIP and the
sixth and seventh years SIS month:
These were great wages in those days
| for farm hands, We had no reapers
| or mowers then, and all work was done
| by hand.
"All of this time the secretary con-
| tinued, 'I went to school part of the
year. got the idea when was very
| young that l must have an education
If I expected to do anything in the
world. So, after a time, worked only
six months Of each year and went to
school the other six. While at school
I worked for my board mornings, even
ings and Saturdays. I remember I
worked one winter in a blacksmith's
shop, where I used the hammer and
acted as a helper. grew very rapid
ly, and when / was still a young boy
could do the work Of man. At nine
teen I was six feet tall and weighed
160 pounds.
ALGER AS A FARM HAND.
'"Fhen you spent your vacations on
a farm, Gen. Alger," said L
Eyes; hired out, as 1 have said, for
half Of each year to farmer, and
kept this up seven years. That was
my only vacation have little ac-
count book at home which contains all
the payments which my employer
made me. He charged me for every
hour I lost dHring working days, and
also for everything he gave me out
side of my meals; I remember once
had two halt9rs Stolen while I was at
a mill getting some grinding done.
was charged twelve shillings for them.
and this was deducted from my wages.
Not long agofonefof my boys came into
my Office at Detroit. with a bill for a
dress suit. The ball amounted I think.