MR SEDDON'S EARLY DAYS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7353, 22 July 1902, Page 3

MR SEDDON'S EARLY DAYS

A journalist or St. Holcti'ii, Lancashire, writes to " M.A.P.'," Siving the following outline of Mr Scddon's early days. "The Right Hon. Bfchard Scddon, the up-to-dalo Premier of n very up-to-date colony, was, as all the world knows, T)om at St, Helen's.-He 'canto -of an old Lancashire family on his father's side, and las mother hailed from Dumfries. When they were married they .conducted a school at St. Helen's, the schoolhouse, which was built in the seventeenth century, and is now occupied by a coachman,' being situated at the top of Eccleston Hill, leading out of St. Helen's to the town of Prescot. At Jiis father's school young Richard Seddon was born, reared and educated. By the time the youngster was twelve years of oge however, he had had enough of books, lie thought, and so he went to work on the farm. For two years he stuck at this, and then he was apprenticed -at Daglish's Foundry, at St. Helen's. Ho was a lively young man, and took hij share with the other apprentices in all the fun that was going. At the same time he was not at rest. He dreamed dreams, and his visionn, backed up by his determined will, have been realised. Not that he dreamed then of being Premier of New Zealand, but he hud idea of becoming a great man. In that way have his dreams been fulfilled. His restlessness was increased when, after spending four years at the foundry, he removed to Liverpool, where he heard such stories of the Empire beyond the seas, thut he took ship, and Went io see fnr himself. At that time he was only eighteen years of age. In Australia he spent some time 011 the Government railways as an engineer, some as a storekeeper in a goldmining district, and some as a digger." Then came his marriage, to which he attributes much of his good fortune, and he rose higher and higher in public life, until in 1893 he became Premier. And has remained ever since. On his visit to St. Helen's this month (June) he is being presented with the freedom of our borough, which is proud of him.'