The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-30
CAREER OF HENRY GEORGE.
Early struggles and Later TrIuinphs or the
Author OF .'ProEresa and Poverty"

ChHEEh oF hENhf EEOht b.
Early Struggles and Later TrIuInphs or the
Author OF "FroEresa and Poverty"
Henry George was born in Philadelphia on
Sept. 2, 1889. He was the eldest OF a family OF
eight children. His father, II. S. II. George. was
an Episcopal book publisher, and it was in his
fathers store that he early acquired a taste for
literature. He was first sent to a little private
school for children and for u time studied in tho
public schools. A%fterward he was sent to the
Protestant Episcopal Academy and was a class.
mate of Bishop Potter. Ho left the Episcopal
academy to go to a high schoo AID was grad.
uated when l3 years old, standing first in his
class.
After he left school he got a Job as Office boy
in a crockery importing house. He was OF q
restless. rowing disposition, anxious to get out
in the world and make his fortune. and after a
year OF this work he decided TO 20 to sea. Ho
ran away from Philadelphia and shipped as q
cabin hoy on board the steamship Hindoo, sail
ing for London. He went from there around the
world, touching at Melbourne and Calcutta, and
then back to New York. He was away from
America about fourteen months.
When he got back here the Frazer River gold
excitement was at its height and he shipped on
board another steamer as a sailor before the
mast in 1853. Before he got to the gold mines
the craze had died out. and he returned from Vic.
toria, British Columbia, to San Francisco in the
Storage. He got a job in q printing office. and
during his spare time he worked In a rico mill.
He did not succeed in making his living, how
ever. and he borrowed a small sum OF money
and set out for Sacramento. Mr.. George re-
ferr. d to his period as tho most trying in his
life. He was reduced 10 absolute poverty and
tramped it around the country. No thought OF
going to sea again when he succeeded in getting
n job us u compositor on u weekly paper. ana
when he was II years old he was turned out a
full-iciged printer. and frat became interested
in labor unions by joining the local typograph-
ical union.
II was while struggling for existence in this
fashion that Mr.. George met the woman who
a~fterward became his wife. She was born in
Australia and WAS n Catholic, while he was an
Episcopn!ian; They we're married in 1861. Mr..
George was then - years old. In telling OF his
marriage he said that he was so poor that he
had 70 borrow - to pay for a carriage to take
clothes from his friends for tho ceremony. His
lest man was Ike Trump, a shipIn9tc.,
marriage. but the morning after his honeyInoon
San francisco EStmin0 BuIefin. lie worked ali
nights in the Alta California office. He seemed
He started "a job printing Office, but hard times
struck Ca ifornia just then ana it was q fixture.
Macmillan. Mr.. George Joined an American
s seand Of thst n WIS Pl" nnd wt to go IM, 70 the Ftr as,
Lieutenant in u company compounded by an In.
dian fighter nnned Burn; With a neMspaper
ford, who afterward became the fat er.in-law
OF John w. Muckay. as Colonel, they started to
rangenients with the Alta California to print
letters " ich he was. going to send. and the
and family. The expedition fnaniied.' as as the shSlp
was seized by n revenue cutter. and later, when
he started to go to Mexico with the Brontes ex-
ne him hR A. arrested with halI IA Invan
others and tried for intended piracy. This was
what led to the charge. printed in some Of the
Mayor o! New York in lSS6. that he WAS at one
time c%neagcl, In a pirttichl expedition. Mr..
George was released and became n compositor
Oh the San Francisco Bul tim in 1865.
1t was then HAT he began ,tr TO write for the
JoMrnai, sending in little communications on
politics. These were printed and he was led TO
write more. At the lime Lincoln was ~assnssi,
mated he wrote an article on the subject which
brought him into notice rs "A newspaper writer
in san Francisco. and he Was engaged as an as.
sistant reporter on the Times: It Was while
working here as n reporter that he peddlcd
clothes wTingcrS to Rs.iSl IN earning money to
job IN The state printing office Ia SACRAMENTO. lie
received So ~ day there. He saved a little money
out Of his pay and invested it in IA copper mine
Sacramento and became n compositor on tho
Sacramento Union. He wandered TO San Fran
cisco after II while and made n hit on the Times
by an EDITORIAL article on tho completion OF the
Russian telegraph. The managing editor gave
mn u pace AN news cNltDT ana tulIDTlRl Wrltpr.
II was while in this office that Mr.. George be-
gan to tako an active interest in social ques-
tinns. He became II member of n debating So
ciety, and, as he said, himself. was stirred up by
a speech on protection made by a young man
named William II. Mills, who Is at present the
land agent OF The Central Pacific Railroad. MIR.
George took an exactly contrary view as TO the
tariff and became "A free trader. All his lifo
aftGrwArd he was a consistent free trader. At
about this time hO became acquainted with
editor OF the Tribune, and established a friend
ship which was never bIokCn.. He wrote an ar
ticIe for Mr.. Young on I'll" Chinese question in
1869. 1t was tho first printed on the Atlantic
coast on tho subject and attracted considerable
attention. especially on the Pacific coast. 1t
was in opposition 10 the immigration OF China.
men. and he held that view all his life.
lie became u student OF political economy,
taking az his ideal John stuart Mill. and came
east 10 New York, lle remained here for a
correspondent of the I1'ibunc. He gave this up
Cal. 4 ere ne formed the friendship of GOV.
Haight of California, who asked him TO come TO
Sacramento and take charge OF what was then
the principal Democratic organ, the Sacramento
Democratic. campaigns, but when the paper
WAS sold he went back to san Francisco
again and started in 1872 the San Francisco
Eienin0 Post. the FIRST penny paper on the Pa
wns induced 10 sell out his interest, and when no
left the paper declined. j en- he formed q
friendship with John T., Jones. who ha Just
been elected United states senator from No
vAda. and Mr.. Jonas became interested in tho
paper. They bought ihc first web pcrfecting
press uv,T seen in California. Mr.. George was
d~eslrOus Of following NJ his STUDIES IN socia and
political economy. ana IN order 10 obtain the
! leisure time necessary he gave UP The newspa.
| per business and got u Job as inspector