The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-07-29
HOW THEY STARTED LIFE.
Beginnings of Men Who Have Be-
come Great.
From Tuesdays Daily.

Il
Thomas A. Edison was newsboy at
eight years of age, and owned the ex-
elusive right to all papers sold on the
Grand Trunk railroad before he was
twenty. While running this business he
made experiments in chemistry, which
resulted in setting fire to the car. He
then took up telegraphy, and soon made
his first invention, which allowed the
sending of two messages at once over one
WIRE
Henry c. Payne worked his way up
from the position of a clerk in a dry
goods house until he became partner
in wholesale house in Milwaukee
| When this failed he started life over
again, beginning with the insurance
business. His success dated from the
time he entered Republican politics as an
organizer during the Grant Greeley cam
paign.
Simon Newcomb grew up with won
derful aptitude for books, and was con-
sidered a failure on this account, and
because he was not a success at farming
He absorbed enough knowledge from a
country school and doctors library to
secure the position of a school teacher
in Maryland, and while here sent mathe-
NAUTICAL and astronomical calcula-
/ lions to the papers. These attracted at
! tention, which led to his receiving an ap-
pointment on the governments nautical
and astronomical almanac.
Grover Cleveland helped his family be-
fore he was sixteen by working in a
country store. Later he studied for the
law, at the same time supporting him
self by clerical work. After he was adj
mitted to the bar he was soon given full
charge of the office in which he work
ed at salary of 5000 per year.
William A. Clark taught school and
studied law at Mount Pleasant until he
was attracted by the gold discoveries in
Colorado. He went to Central City,
worked in quartz mines for a year, and
then went to Montana, where he began
his mine operations.
Albert J. Beveridge was called upon to
earn the living of the family at the age
of twelve At fourteen he became a
railroad laborer, and at sixteen went in
to logging camp and was soon put in
charge of the men. With $50 which was
loaned to him he entered De Paw uni
versity.
| Charles w. Fairbanks learned the trade
of a carpenter, so that he might earn
money to pay his college expenses and
support himself while taking his
course. Later, while studying law, he did
newspaper work for the Associated
Press. He began to practice at Indian
apolis, and refused to enter politics I'M
til he had become thoroughly establish
ed.
Alton B. Parker began teaching school
at the age of sixteen, with the hope of
going to Cornell. He entered law Of
flee instead at Kingston, attended law
school at Albany, and returned to King
ston to practice twelve years later with
a partner named Kenyon. He was elect
ed surrogate of Ulster county during
this time, and became a power in poll
tics, and was nominated by his party
for the supreme bench, with the unusual
experience of the Republicans refusing to
nominate an antagonist.
Benjamin B. Odell went into the ice
business with his father when he was
fifteen, and began by delivering ice from
the wagon. He used the opportunity to
win votes for his father, who was run
ming for county office, and from that
time became his campaign organizer. He
soon extended his own business activi
ties to all sorts of public improvements
in his home city of Newburgh, and began
his own political life as leader of ward
in the legislature.
Stephen M. Merrill worked at the
shoemaker's trade at night during the
time that he was getting his education
for the ministry. He studied while work
ing with his book propped open on a
wooden bracket. This was at Greenfield,
Ohio, where he had already united with
the church. He was licensed to preach
three years later, and was appointed to
his first church at Monroe, Ohio. He
Immediately began that close application
to study which has resulted in his schol
arly attainments.
| Cardinal Gibbons worked for a time as
clerk when a boy, and then decided to
enter the priesthood. He received this
trend from a religious parentage, and,
after receiving his education, entered the
service of the church, first as curate,
! then as rector in Baltimore suburb. He
was next made secretary to Archbishop
Spaulding.
Richard Olney began practicing law
with Judge Thomas. who had an estab-
lished business. He had a short career
in the Massachusetts legislature and re-
tired from politics to become general
counsel for the Eastern Railroad COM
pany. After that he devoted himself
for twenty years to the practice of cor
poration law.
James A. Stillman entered the employ
of Smith & Cunning, cotton commission
merchants in New York, and was TWEEN
ty-one years old when a new firm sue
ceeded them, in which he was taken as