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A
 J
.
The life-career of the seventeenth president of the United States well
illustrates the spirit and genius of our free institutions. Four of the
incumbents of the national executive chair were born in North Carolina. Of
these, the subject of this sketch was one, being born in the above-named
State, December 29th, 1808.
His father, who died in 1812, was sexton of a church and porter in the
State bank. Extreme poverty prevented Andrew from receiving any
schooling, and at the age of ten he was apprenticed to a tailor. A gentleman
was in the habit of visiting the shop and reading to the workmen, generally
from the 'American Speaker.' Andrew became intensely interested,
especially in the extracts from the speeches of Pitt and Fox. He determined
to learn to read, and having done this he devoted all his leisure hours to the
perusal of such books as he could obtain. In the summer of 1824, a few
months before his apprenticeship expired, he got into trouble by throwing
stones at an old woman's house, and ran away to escape the consequences.
He went to Lauren's Court House, South Carolina, and obtained work as a
journeyman tailor.
In May, 1826, he returned to Raleigh. Mr. Selby, his former employer, had
moved into the country, and Johnson walked twenty miles to see him,
apologized for his misdemeanor and promised to pay him for his unfulfilled
time. Selby required security, which Johnson could not furnish, and he went
away disappointed. In September he went to Tennessee, taking with him his
mother, who was dependent upon him for support. He worked a year at
Greenville when he married, and finally settled, deciding to make that town
his home.
Thus far his education had been confined to reading; but now, under the
tuition of his wife, he learned to 'write and cipher.' During this time he
became prominent in a local debating society, formed of resident young

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men and students of Greenville College. One student says; "On approaching
the village there stood on the hill by the highway a solitary little house,
perhaps ten feet square,—we invariably entered when passing. It contained
a bed, two or three stools, and a tailor's platform. We delighted to stop
because one lived here whom we knew well outside of school and made us
welcome; one who would amuse us by his social good nature, taking more
than ordinary interest in us, and catering to our pleasure."
Mr. Johnson, taking an interest in local politics, organized a workingman's