The Minor Family of Somerset

Name Prefix:<NPFX> Rev
Autobiography of Eugene Bruce Read.
Eugene Bruce Readwas born at 152 Greenwhich Street, New York Ci
ty, Feb 28, 1837. In January 1840 the family removed to Patters
on, N.J; we lived here nearly five years, until I was 7 years ol
d. My first recollection of going to school was at Patterson, f
irst to Miss Mary Miller, and then to a Mr. Timms; they were bot
h private schools. I have a very vivid recollection of Patterso
n - the house welived in, the factory, the race, the falls, th
e river, the town. We removedin the fall of 1844 from Patterso
n to the "Good Intent Factory" near Philadelphia, one and three-
quarters miles West of Market St. Bridge, across the Schuylkil
l River. I do not remember the journey from Patterson to Philad
elphia, although I remember well our arrival at "Good Intent"
. This factory (cotton) was owned by an English fir, Butterfiel
d Bros. & Co. Ed and I went to school at the West Philadelphia P
ublic School. We lived at "Good Intent" three years and then mo
ved to "Burside" on Cobb's Creek, 3 1/2 miles from the city (Phi
ladelphia). My brother Ed died at Burnside August 7, 1849 fo dy
sentery.The following January (1850) the family moved West t
o Alton Ill. At this time I was in the first class, West Philad
elphia Grammar School and the next September would have entere
d High School int he city. It was the last of my schooling. I
n going to Alton we went by railroad from Philadelphia to Cimber
land Md, via Baltimore. At Cumberland we took a stage and cross
ed the mountains to Brownsville, pa, on the Monongahela River
. From there to Pittsburghby steamboat and from there to St. L
ouis by the steamboat "Niagar" The OhioRiver was very hight
, out of its banks in many places. Just before reachingWheelin
g, little Willie, the baby 2 1/2 years old, was attacked with sc
arlet fever, and was doctored so successfully by Dr. Vastine
, a Homeopathic physician of St. Souis who was on board, that th
e famly became Homeopaths. At St. Louis we changed boats again
, taking "the Tempest" and in a couple of hoursor less we reach
ed our destination (Alton, Ill.) Feb 2 1850, having made the jo
urney from Philadelphia in ten Days, which was then considere
d a very fast trip, owing principally to the flood on the Ohio R
iver.
My father's object in coming West was to engage in the mercantil
e business with Cousin JamesE. Starr; the firm was Read & Starr
. I was now thirteen years old, as as I was far in advance of a
ny school in the city (although Shurtleff College was at Upper A
lton, two miles away), I entered the store as a boy clerk at $10
.00 a month, half o which $5.00 I paid Father Read for my board
. My duties were to open and close the store, sweep it and dus
t it, keep things neat and clean, and wait on customers when the
re was a rush. I was much interested in learning the trademark
. It was something entirely new to me and was a follows:
The store was a large one, on the river side of Second street, a
nd the stock, which was general merchandise, with many fine good
s (silks, etc) for the city trade, invoiced something over $10,0
00. Two years after the store opened(1852) a very high flood (
the second highest in history) in the MississippiRiver paralyze
d business, and so damaged the stock that it resulted in a failu
re in the business. The firm dissolved and Father Read took th
e goods toPittsfield, Pike County, Ill in an attempt to recover fr
om the disaster. The family removed in the spring of 1852. I c
ontinued in the store until the finalcrash came in 1856, when t
he business was closed up. I then received employment as cler
k with Keys and Ferry at $400 a year, but as Father Read could g
et no employment, my salary went to support the famly. I abou
t a year Keysand Ferry's store took fire and butned up, but I i
mmediately secured anotherposition with James A Kenney at a sal
ary of $50