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