Complete Prose Works of Walt Whitman | Page 8

1829 or '30 that I went with my father and mother to hear Elias Hicks
preach in a ball-room on Brooklyn heights. At about the same time employ'd as a boy in
an office, lawyers', father and two sons, Clarke's, Fulton street, near Orange. I had a nice
desk and window-nook to myself; Edward C. kindly help'd me at my handwriting and
composition, and, (the signal event of my life up to that time,) subscribed for me to a big
circulating library. For a time I now revel'd in romance-reading of all kinds; first, the
"Arabian Nights," all the volumes, an amazing treat. Then, with sorties in very many
other directions, took in Walter Scott's novels, one after another, and his poetry, (and
continue to enjoy novels and poetry to this day.)
Note:
[4] "On the visit of General Lafayette to this country, in 1824, he came over to Brooklyn
in state, and rode through the city. The children of the schools turn'd out to join in the
welcome. An edifice for a free public library for youths was just then commencing, and
Lafayette consented to stop on his way and lay the corner-stone. Numerous children
arriving on the ground, where a huge irregular excavation for the building was already
dug, surrounded with heaps of rough stone, several gentlemen assisted in lifting the
children to safe or convenient spots to see the ceremony. Among the rest, Lafayette, also
helping the children, took up the five-year-old Walt Whitman, and pressing the child a
moment to his breast, and giving him a kiss, handed him down to a safe spot in the
excavation."--John Burroughs.
PRINTING OFFICE--OLD BROOKLYN
After about two years went to work in a weekly newspaper and printing office, to learn
the trade. The paper was the "Long Island Patriot," owned by S. E. Clements, who was
also postmaster. An old printer in the office, William Hartshorne, a revolutionary
character, who had seen Washington, was a special friend of mine, and I had many a talk
with him about long past times. The apprentices, including myself, boarded with his
grand-daughter. I used occasionally to go out riding with the boss, who was very kind to
us boys; Sundays he took us all to a great old rough, fortress-looking stone church, on

Joralemon street, near where the Brooklyn city hall now is--(at that time broad fields and
country roads everywhere around.[5]) Afterward I work'd on the "Long Island Star,"
Alden Spooner's paper. My father all these years pursuing his trade as carpenter and
builder, with varying fortune. There was a growing family of children--eight of us--my
brother Jesse the oldest, myself the second, my dear sisters Mary and Hannah Louisa, my
brothers Andrew, George, Thomas Jefferson, and then my youngest brother, Edward,
born 1835, and always badly crippled, as I am myself of late years.
Note:
[5] Of the Brooklyn of that time (1830-40) hardly anything remains, except the lines of
the old streets. The population was then between ten and twelve thousand. For a mile
Fulton street was lined with magnificent elm trees. The character of the place was
thoroughly rural. As a sample of comparative values, it may be mention'd that
twenty-five acres in what is now the most costly part of the city, bounded by Flatbush
and Fulton avenues, were then bought by Mr Parmentier, a French emigré, for $4000.
Who remembers the old places as they were? Who remembers the old citizens of that
time? Among the former were Smith & Wood's, Coe Downing's, and other public houses
at the ferry, the old Ferry itself, Love lane, the Heights as then, the Wallabout with the
wooden bridge, and the road out beyond Fulton street to the old toll-gate. Among the
latter were the majestic and genial General Jeremiah Johnson, with others, Gabriel
Furman, Rev. E. M. Johnson, Alden Spooner, Mr. Pierrepont, Mr. Joralemon, Samuel
Willoughby, Jonathan Trotter, George Hall, Cyrus P. Smith, N. B. Morse, John Dikeman,
Adrian Hegeman, William Udall, and old Mr. Duflon, with his military garden.
GROWTH--HEALTH--WORK
I develop'd (1833-4-5) into a healthy, strong youth (grew too fast, though, was nearly as
big as a man at 15 or 16.) Our family at this period moved back to the country, my dear
mother very ill for a long time, but recover'd. All these years I was down Long Island
more or less every summer, now east, now west, sometimes months at a stretch. At 16, 17,
and so on, was fond of debating societies, and had an active membership with them, off
and on, in Brooklyn and one or two country towns on the island. A most omnivorous
novel-reader, these and later years, devour'd everything I could get. Fond of the theatre,
also, in New York, went whenever I could--sometimes witnessing fine performances.
1836-7, work'd