Year: 1872

THE HOME OF HENRY WILSON.
Special Correspondence Of the Washington


NArIcK, Mass, June IS, 1872.


In obedience to your commands 1
took occasion to pay a short visit TO
Natiek, Mass, on my way to the
Boston Jubilee, the home of the Re
publican candidate for Vice Presi-
dent, and make inquiries concerning
his standing among his neighbors and
everyday home companions. we
came in sight Of the principal village
at a curve in the railroad around the
beautiful Lake Coehituate, which
supplies the city Of Boston with
water, and in two minutes were IL
the heart Of the place, which Is thriv-
ing in its general appearance and
shows all the enterprise characteristic
of the shoe making towns Of New
England. The blOated bondhOlders
keep aloof from the place, and the
only aristocraey is that OF the common
people who commenced lie IN power
ty and earned their first pocket
money by stitching uppers and peg
ging shoes, or toiling on the land.
Shoe-making is the foundation OF eY-
erything here, and itleads to comfort,
intelligence, honor, thrift, and not
unfrequently to wealth. On the main
street Of the village are some stores
and business places, and II has all the
activity Of small city. / saw law
yer's signs, fancy goods shops, and
barbersi poles, and on inquiry learned
that in most cases, whatever the trade
or profession, the man originally was
a shoemaker, and graduate from the
bench. Squire Ham, lately retired
from the clerkship Of the court Of
Middlesex in consequence Of falling
health, one of the most eminent law
yers in the region, was in early life 8
shoemaker. Colonel Mutt, another
lawyer having q good practice and
member Of the Legislature, was also
a shoemaker. w. n. Mason, q high
ly successful practitioner, was anoth-
er. Newton Morse, trial-justiee,
another, and Geo. L. Sleeper, long
after attaining to manhood, was q
trader in shoe tools and implements.
The sheriff, Col. Brigham, was shoe
maker; the superintendent of schools,
ditto. and so on. The place is em-
inently one where workingmen are
the leaders in society, and take the
direction and control Of affairs into
their own hands. These seemed to be
general thrift and universal comfort,
and more democratic equality than in
almost any other place 1 have ever
been, and yet there is an appearance
of good taste, cleanliness, order and
public spirit everywhere to be SEEM
! The roads are excellent, fences in


good repair, churches, school houses
and manufactures are large, hand
some and costly, and the streets and
commons are lined with an abundance
of elms and NAPLES that render q
drive about the place exceedingly
pleasant and agreeable. In eOnvers-
ing with one of the old Inhabitants /
learned that the example and success
of Henry Wilson had been the main
cause of the state Of things have de-
pieted. When the young men who
were hammering away on the lap
stone saw one of their own number
rise from poverty, obseurity and
drudgery, overcome the deficiencies
of early training and education, and
take and maintain the position Of an
eminent statesman Of the nation,
commanding the respect and support
of the best elements Of society in the
Commonwealth, they eOmprehended
the possibilities of their own advance
ment, and were induced to try for
better things themselves.


The Senator not being at home,
made no effort to see the interior Of
his unpretending dwelling. Itisvely
plain, surrounded by q hedge, the en-
trance to the house being from q side
piazza, and the double parlor windows
face the street. The street runs
straight and level for about q mile,
and is rather eompactly built and
ornamented with shade trees on both
sides. I was fortunate in finding
gentleman whoghad been acquainted
with Mr.. Wilson since 1888, to whom
/ am indebted for the materials gath
cred concerning the place and its
principal citizens. He described Will
son as he was when an apprentice, on
his first appearance in Massachusetts,,
dressed in plain homespun, rough in
manner, with an impediment in his
speech which made it difficult to un-
derssand him when he spoke hurried
ly, thoroughly in earnest, determined
to know what was to be known, and
to be q man. He was not ashamed to
work and there was not lazy bone
in his body. His ambition was 10
work more hours than any other man
in town, and never let q half hour 90
by without having accomplished an
allotted task, so that at the end OF
each day, each week, each month and
each year a given number Of pairs Of
shoes were turned out, and for all
such holidays as political eonven-
tions, public meetings, recreations,
&C., time had to be gained. This
made the hours of work from 5 A. NJ,
to9P.M. One night per week was
devoted to q debating club, with such
additions at either end of the day as
became necessary to gain the time for
other duties and pleasures. After 8
o'clock work was suspended, when
three or four hours were given to
study, reading, composition and con-
versatiOn with young men Of his own
age and pursuits.


The gentleman with whom I con-
versed related how he and few other
young fellows were out skating one
night, and after eleven o'clock they
took q turn up brook and narrow
run of meadow which was covered
with ice, till they came In sight of
light in little ten by twelve build
ing, low, dingy snd filled with shoe
benches, and looking in they saw
Henry Wilson hard at work, book
on one corner of the bench, evidently
intended to be used for the snatehing
Of q few sentences at Intervals when
his VIZ aried hands and arms required
a moments rest. Two of them went
In and talked for two hours, while he
kept on at his labor and added twenty
five cents to his stock OF worldly
goods. This was one Of the nights
when time was to be gained, and the
conversation enabled him to work an
hour OF two longer than he intended.


In this manner he pegged away un.
til he had accumulated more than
eight hundred dollars his debts were
all paid, new suit Of clothes in
duIged in, and at the age Of twenty
three wears he started for an academy
in New Hampshire. Soon after this,
by the failure of . friend to whom his
money was loaned, eveE dollar was
lost, and young Wilson was compelled
to commence life anew. when /
heard Of his disaster" said the gen.
-