Page:Archæologia Americana—volume 2, 1836.djvu/25

 MEMOIR OF ISAIAH THOMAS. XXI from a condition of dependence to one of opulence, and from the obscurity of an humble apprentice to the distinction of a founder of one of the most valuable institutions in the western world. It will thus be seen, that, in our country at least, the character, the reputation, and the destiny of every youth are generally subject to the decisions of his own will ; and how much society is often indebted for its privileges to the influence and labors of men, who never shared its applause or par- ticipated its honors. The principal portion of the following sketch of his life and character is taken from an address delivered at his funeral by the late Isaac Goodwin, Esq. Isaiah Thomas was born in Boston, January 19th, 1749. His ancestors emigrated from England at an early period in the settlement of Massachusetts. His grandfather, Peter Thomas, was *a merchant, and died in 1746, leaving four sons and two daughters. Moses, the second son, and father of the subject of this notice, resided partly at Long Island, and partly in Boston, and died at sea, leaving a destitute widow and five children, of whom Isaiah was the youngest. At the age of six years, he was apprenticed to Zachariah Fowle, a printer of ballads in Boston. Instead of being sent to school, he was placed in the printing-office ; and, to enable him to set his types for the small works executed at the press, he was elevated upon a bench raised eighteen inches from the floor. The composing stick he then used, is still preserved, with a specimen of this early attempt at typography. Without the assistance of any one, as he himself often declared, in this shop, he not only acquired a knowledge of the elemen- tary branches of learning, but was so far competent to write, that, at the age of seventeen, he was enabled to take charge of a newspaper at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, to which place he went, upon a disagreement with his master. During his resi- dence at this place, the memorable Stamp Act took effect in the colonies. To send out a newspaper with this odious badge of