Accordingly, he gave directions to his family to come to him, and to Montgomery that he should dispose of all his effects and settle up all his affairs.  These offices that devoted friend performed most faithfully; remitting him the proceeds.  The newspaper he himself bought and continued, under the name of the “Sheffield Iris.”  Still retaining his affection for the family, he passed into the household of what was left of them, and supplied to the three sisters of the elder Joseph Gales the place of a brother, and, wifeless and childless, lived on to a very advanced age, content with their society alone.  The last of these dames died only a few months ago.

At Hamburg, whence they were to take ship for the United States, the family were detained all the winter by the delicate health of Mrs. Gales.  This delay her husband put to profit, by mastering two things likely to be needful to him,—­the German tongue and the art of short-hand.  In the spring, they sailed for Philadelphia.  Arrived there, he sought and at once obtained employment as a printer.  It was soon perceived, not only that he was an admirable workman, but every way a man of unusual merit, and able to turn his hand to almost anything.  By-and-by, reporters of Congressional debates being few and very indifferent, his employer, Claypole, said to him,—­“You seem able to do everything that is wanted:  pray, could you not do these Congressional Reports for us better than this drunken Callender, who gives us so much trouble?” Mr. Gales replied, with his usual modesty, that he did not know what he could do, but that he would try.

The next day, he attended the sitting of Congress, and brought away, in time for the compositors, a faithful transcript of such speeches as had been made.  Appearing in the next morning’s paper, it of course greatly astonished everybody.  It seemed a new era in such things.  They had heard of the like in Parliament, but had scarcely credited it.  Claypole himself was the most astonished of all.  Seizing a copy, he ran around the town, showing it to all he met, and still hardly comprehending the wonder which he himself had instigated.  It need hardly be said that here was something far more profitable for Mr. Gales than type-setting.

But to apply this skill, possessed by none else, to the exclusive advantage of a journal of his own was yet more inviting; and the opportunity soon offering itself, he became the purchaser of the “Independent Gazetteer,” a paper already established.  This he conducted with success until the year 1799, making both reputation and many friends.  Among the warmest of these were some of the North Carolina members, and especially that one whose name has ever since stood as a sort of proverb of honesty, Nathaniel Macon.  By the representations of these friends, he was led to believe that their new State capital, Raleigh, where there was only a very decrepit specimen of journalism, would afford him at once a surer competence and a happier life than Philadelphia.  Coming to this conclusion, he disposed of his newspaper and printing-office, and removed to Raleigh, where he at once established the “Register.”  Of his late paper, the “Gazetteer,” we shall soon follow the fortunes to Washington, where it became the “Intelligencer”:  meantime, we must finish what is left to tell of his own.