Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 9.djvu/240

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��Colonel Albert A. Pope.

��of character, one of the best of moth- ers, a daughter of Captain James Bog- man of Boston, an enterprising ship- master and a commander in the U. S. Army during the War of 1812. Sons often owe much of their inner quahty and merit to their mother ; certainly it was a great element in the make-up and progress of Colonel Pope's career to be the child, and so long under the influence of that peculiarly clear headed, true hearted, Christian mother.

In 1846 the family removed to Brook- line. In April, 1852, his father having failed in business, young Pope, then in his ninth year, applied to a farmer for work and obtained employment in riding a horse to plough. This he continued af- ternoons until the summer vacation, when he devoted all his time to working on the farm ; and for the next three years, during about six months of the year after- noons, in the summer time late into the night. His vacations also were all spent in farm work.

In the summer of 1856 he com- menced buying fruit and vegetables of the farmers and selling them to the neighbors, carrying them in baskets on his arm. The next year he was able to hire a horse and wagon for the whole season. Early in the morning he was on the road to Boston, arriving at Quincy market before light, where he made purchases of vegetables ; then he would drive home to deliver part of them on orders before going to school and the balance in the afternoon. This work he continued to do during that season and the next and during a part of the summer of 1858, going to school all the time and keeping up in his studies with the average of the boys of his own age in the school. He had a good memory, learned easily, was quick of

��comprehension, and stood well in his classes. As a boy he developed a re- markable business ability, and was ad- mired for his enterprise and pluck by his schoolmates, for whom he frequently found employment in gathering crops which he had purchased in the field or in the orchard. During these years of his early youth he had very little time to play, for he had not only the care of his own horse but the care of the horse and cow belonging to his father ; and besides he did all the chores around the place.

In the late fall of 1858, when he was fifteen years of age, young Pope went to work for Mr. Harrington in Quincy market, and all winter long had to ride from Brookline to the market with him in an open wagon before daylight. To show the severity of this experience it is recorded that during the winter three mornings in succession the thermome- ter indicated twenty-two, twenty-three and twenty-four degrees below zero. Late in the winter he gave up his place in the market and was employed by the firm of Brooks & Mecuen, dealers in shoe findings, shoe machinery, leather, pegs, etc. Their store was on the cor- ner of Blackstone and Shoe and Leather Streets. He used to walk from Brook- line during the summer and walk home at night, five miles each way, to save eight cents car fare. He carried all that he had to eat during the day, and when he got home at night he was fre- quently so tired that he could hardly eat the frugal supper that was ready for him. His wages were four dollars a week, half of which he paid for his board ; from the balance he used to save money. His old account books, which he kept with great care, show that one month he spent fourteen cents and another month twenty-eight cents.

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