Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-07-12
The BoyhOod of
Horace Greeley

eAS
New York Tribune, and one OF the
leading men of his times, whose in
f1uence is felt TO this day, was a very
poor boy without much promise of
education. He was born among the
New Hampshire hills, in a poor little
implanted wooden house, in the year
1911. being the third of seven chill
dren. His father was a farmer, till
ing the stingy, stony soil of the New
Hampshire hillsides. His mother was
frugal and exceedingly industrious,
land had no time for the frivolities
so often INDUCED in by her sex. She
found work to do from early morning
till late bedtime, and she did it cheer
fully, singing as she worked. She
was of fine mettle, and from her her
gifted son Inherited his great energy
and strength of will. The little Hor-
ace often sat inside the house, be-
side the open door. watching his
mother working in the garden. She
not only did all her W housework
tand not the easy work of the mod
ern house,, but found time to raise
chickens and make a garden. She
spent her evenings knitting and spin
ming. The father worked the land
and made from it what he could,
but he was not of a venturesome
spirit and preferred to remain where
living was hard, but certain, to NOV
ing TO a larger and newer land
farther west.
So it was that Horace Greeley
came into the world, poverty-but not
the sordid, hopeless kindZbeing his
parents lot. He grew up there, at
tending the public school when he
was just entering his fourth year.
During his first winter at school he
was carried through the heavy snow
on the back of a young aunt, who her
self was a schoolgirl, or on the Shout
ders of a neighbor boy. He became
a proficient speller when very young,
and if by mischance he spelled a
word incorrectly and another pupil
turned him down" he wept bitterly.
So it became the rule among the little
boys and girls of his class not to go
above him when he misspelt a word,
but to let him keep his place in the
line. 1t was their kind, sympathetic
nature that prompted this loving con-
sideration for the sensitive little Hor-
ace Greeley.
BY the time he was 6 years old
Horace had read the Bible and PHI
grim's Progress through, and many
other books which he could get access
to. His parents had only about TWEEN
ty books in their home, and most of
the neighbors had fewer, but Horace
borrowed books from them whenever
he found among them one he had
not read. His longing for knowledge
was most pronounced even during
his tender years, and he would sit up
of nights beside his mother, watching
her at her spinning, knitting or mend
ing, listening the while with keen
interest to stories h would tell him
Later, when he read for himself, he
would come in from a hard days
work on the farm, bringing with him
a basketful of pine knots to use after
dark for light. These pine knots
one or two of them at a time-placed
on the fire in the great fireplace would
give a very good light, and by them
Horace could see TO read his books
or to learn his lessons. On the hearth
in front of the fire he would stretch
himself and read or study after the
rest of the family had retired to
rest. Sometimes his ever busy mother
would remain up with him, finishing
off a pair of stockings or completing
a quilt. and on such occasions they
doubtless enjoyed the lessons to-
gether. Mrs. Greeley was o an
educated woman, but she was able
to help her son with his lessons and
to urge him on and on.
When Horace was about 10 years
of age his father became so involved
sheriff's sale. He was forced to
move from that part of the country,
leaving debts behind him. Many of
these debts were paid thirty years
later by Horace Greeley. then a sue
cessful man.
During their days of severest
poverty, following upon their fathers
disaster, the family suffered many
hardships, but it Is said that never
once did Mrs. Greeley complain nor
show a soured countenance, but re-
manned cheerful and happy, thus
robbing poverty of its sharp edge,
So long as hope andaa cheerful dis
position pervaded the home, want
could not long be it's master. A
biogra pher of Horace Greeley has this
TO add when summing up the char