Year: 1875

Washington, Nov. 2S-My init


mate acquamntace with VIce-Presi-


dent Wilson began as recently as


1870, although had often met him


previous to that time in the editorial


rooms of the old Tribune office,


which he almost invariably visited


whenever he passed through New


York. There was nothing cold,


distant, or repellent about Mr.. Will


sons personal bearing, and as he al


ways sought rather than avoided


the company of the Washington


correspondents, and was a frequent
visitor of Newspaper Row." my


personal relations with him soon be-
came very cordial, and from that


time to this he has honored me, as


he has other correspondents whom
he found he could trust, with such a
degree of his confidence that he al
ways conversed with me very freely
on all subjects of public interest,
even at times when our political
sympathies were widely different.


Mr.. Wilson, in his conversation,
very seldom referred to the events
of his early life, although it was not
asubjeet that he ever avoided. Only
a few months ago he spoke to me
with unusual feeling in regard to
some


CRUEL NEWSPAPER REPORTS



affecting the memory of his mother.
He said that their publication hurt
him more than any personal abuse
he had ever received during his
whole public life. The reports
were utterly untrue, for his mother
was one of the very best women
that ever lived, and to her teaching
more than to almost any other or all
other early influences he owed the
formation of the best traits of his
character. He asked me if it would
be proper for him to take public
notice of these untrue reports, as he
was anxious to do everything that
would be proper to defend his
mothers memory. heard him
speak of his father only once, but it
is hardly necessary to deny a report |
I have sometimes seen in print, that |
his parents were gypsies they were
respectable but very poor New
England PEI pie.


In a conversation about two years
ago on the subject of labor organiza-
tions, and the condition of the la
boring classes of this country now
when compared with what it was
fifty OF even thirty years ago, he
gave me brief sketch of his boy
hood and early manhood, and al
though the leading facts which he
recited have before been published,
the narrative as he related it will be
none the less interesting, and !
transcribe it from notes which I
made at the time:


81 was born," he said, ''in 1912,
and at the age of 10 years was put
out as an apprentice to farmer.
From the day of my birth to the day
was 2l-years old


NEVER had DOLLAR IN MONEY
to spend for anything. During the
whole of my apprenticeship my
master never but once gave me a
penny, On that OCCASION he allow
ed me holiday, with permission to
attend a muster I miles from home,
and gave me s cents to spend. l
walked to and from the muster, and
Of course spent no more than that
sum.


"On the day 1 was 81 years DID,
it very well, one Satur-
lay, the 10th of February,-in the
my master gave me yoke
IF oxen and six sheep. The latter l
sold the same afternoon for SO, but,
not being able to dispose of the oxen
hat day, requested my master to
<eep them for me until Monday
which he dad, but charged
ne so cents for it. l paid him this
md took the oxen away. l sold
hem to nan for $75, and took his
tote for the amount. So when ! |
became of age l had for eleven years.
work i was sent to school only four
weeks each year, $s4. l had saved
n cents, which l had in some way
but l had paid so of this
o my master for keeping my oxea
wo nights. l then hired myself 10
! farmer, agreeing to work for


SIX DOLLARS A MONTH AND BOARD.


used to get up long before daylight,
eed the stock, get my breakfast, ,
md just as the east was beginning
o be streaked with red start off for
he woods with my team. 1 used | ]