* . ' ' At New Britain ,
MORE OF THE in Connecticut ,
COMMON PEOPLE. there was born ,
December 8,1810 ,
a sou to the village cobbler , a shoemaker
who was then plying his trade for the
maintenance in that town of his family
of five daughters and five sons. But in
1825 the shoemaker died , leaving the
orphan , born the date above , at 16 years
of age , to fight the battles of life for
himself. Immediately the boy develop
ed extraordinary capacity for both men
tal and manual labor. One of his
brothers who had become a mathemati
cian and astronomer of some repute
financially aided him to the best of his
ability , and at the ago of 21 the young
man began a systematic course of self-
education. He became passionately fond
of the languages. He studied with in
tense zeal , teaching school meantime to
maintain himself. Ho familiarized him
self with Homer's Iliad , having no in
struction except that which he could get
from a Greek lexicon with Latin defini
tions. In 1832 he began the study of
many other tongues. This remarkable
man had been apprenticed to a black
smith and learned that trade between
the years 1825 and 1882 , during which
period ho mastered several languages.
Jn 1887 he was working in a blacksmith
shop at Worcester , Mass. With his
savings he purchased books. He also
haunted the library of the Antiquarian
society of that town. He made himself
master of the modern languages of
Europe and of many of the Oriental
tongues , including Hebrew , Chaldeac ,
Assyrian and Ethiopia. He soon became
known to the world as Elihu Burritt ,
"the learned blacksmith.In 1841 he
delivered his first lecture. The subject
of that discourse was "Application and
Genius , " the author taking the ground
that attainments and success are the re
sult of will-power , application , courage ,
and'industry. He recognized no short
route or cross-road path to eminence.
He believed in and advocated labor as
the only alchemy out of which fame and
fortune could be evolved.
The editor of THE CONSERVATIVE
listened with rapt attention to a lecture
by Elihu Burritt in 1854. He was a
Splendid exemplar of the possibilities
reposing in the brain of every American
Who has the energy , will power and
persistent pluck to strive to attain and
achieve. " His career , from impoverished
orphanhood and friendlessness to emin
ence in scholarship , to'a comfortable
competence and to everything that
nwkes human life desirable , should be
ail inspiration to every well-brained
American boy. His example , his
wonderful triumphs over great obstacles ,
and his ultimate brilliant career as a
patriotic citizen , giving wholesome
instruction to all the people of. the
United States , are formidable refuta
tions of all demagogic declamations to
the effect tliat the poor are getting
poorer and the rich richer because of
iuequal American laws and the institu
tion of favored classes.
Elihu Burritt was a man of peace.
Ho attended the Peace Congresses at
Frankfort - on-the-
A Traveler. Main in 1850 , at
London in 1851 , at
Manchester in 1852 , and at Edinburgh
in 1853 ; and at each one of these con
ventions he was a central , prominent
and dominant figure. Thus the son of
the Now Britain shoemaker , the black
smith's'apprentice , demonstrated in the
Old World and in the presence of the
most distinguished advocates of peace ,
including Victor Hugo , that all tilings
are possible to the youth of the United
States who liave brains , application ,
good habits and courage.
One of the last enterprises in the life
of Elihu Burritt was to establish in
Philadelphia a periodical called "Citizen
of the World , " in which he advocated
the emancipation of the slaves of the
United States and compensation for
them by the government. Mr. Burritt's
busy life and its fruits stand refulgent
in the annals of the United States as a
testimonial to freedom of actionfreedom
of speech and the freedom and right to
reach the highest peaks of prominence
in popular esteem which belong to every
young man of ability who will depend
upon his own industry and efforts.
Burritt's biography should be studied in
the common schools of this country. As
"The Learned Blacksmith" he was
known all over the civilized and reading
world. At New Britain , Connecticut ,
where ho began Ms useful life at the
forge , the philosopher , the scholar and
patriot , the philanthropist , Elihu Burritt ,
died , March 9,1879.
THE CONSERVATIVE will , from time to
time , give examples of the "common
people" who , under the beneficent in
stitutions of this free country , have
italicized themselves in the vast volume
of the generations thus far born and
reared in the republic founded by Wash
ington , Franklin , Jefferson , Hamilton
and their compatriots. The object of
these articles is to show clearly the
malice of the misinformation which de
clamatory demagogues are constantly
scattering am6ug the people , teaching
that all opportunity has been cut off
from the aspiring poor and the am
bitious of the multitude by the com
mercialism of the age in which we live.
The truth is , opportunities are this day
greater , more frequent , more inviting ,
more certain to result in , success finan
cial , literary , political , professional if
recognized and'utilized by common people
ple with oommousense , than ever before
since the race began an historic career.
At the 'recent
IRRIGATION. " convention of the
, Editorial Associa
tion for Nebraska Col. Bowlby of
the Crete Democrat read ' a " "very
instructive and interesting paper up
on irrigation. While THE CONSERVA
TIVE may not fully agree with the
Bowlbyan theories , and may be
altogether wrong in its views , it is the
antagonist of all irrigation schemes
which propose to tap the the reservoir
of the funds of the government for first
fertilization.
All governments are born paupers.
They have not a cent except it be taken
by taxation from
Paupers. either subject or
citizen. Any cash
therefore from the treasury of the
United States to reclaim the arid lands
by irrigation is cash taken from the
people. THE CONSERVATIVE is commit
ted to fight all such paternalism.
With one breath the philanthropic
declares that
ploce-and-plnnder-hunter
there is over-pro-
A Paradox. duction among
American farmers
and that competition for markets
is eating up fanner's efforts and
their farms too , and with the next he
advocates taxing farms and farmers to
raise money to make more farms and
more competition by irrigating the arid
lands.
For twelve years
GEN. MANDERSON. General Mander-
son faithfully rep
resented , in the senate of the United
States , the intelligent and patriotic
citizenship of Nebraska. He was an
efficient public servant , never a mere
partisan , and always alert and just in
the discharge of his duties. Thus he
endeared himself to the people of this
commonwealth , and therefore there is
general and sincere rejoicing because of
his convalescence after a long , painful
and dangerous illness.
WOOD RIVER.
I understand that you are seeking
some information in regard to a Mr.
Johnson and the name of a place once
called Wood River Centre and also want
to loiow if a paper was published there.
I can say that I know all the facts in
the case , having worked for Mr. Johnson
in 1856 and 1857 ( if I remember correct
ly , his first name was Joseph. ) The
paper was six by eight inches in size and
was called the Huntsman's Echo. I am
willing to make statement under oath.
I do not know why you wish the information
mation , and it makes but little difference
tome. Mr * Heddes' statement is all
right but he is only telling , what some-
other one has told him. Let me hear
from you if I can help you out.
W. R , MCALLISTER. .
Grand Island , Neb. , Feb. 11,1901.
