He found the editor of the newspaper kind, and apparently indifferent; for he asked no questions relative to his qualifications as a printer, but, requiring help, gave him immediate employment.  He went to work—­was very slow, but very assiduous and constant, never leaving his stand until he had completed his work.  There was a compositor near him, and he watched and learned without asking questions.  Owing to the little English he knew, no questions were asked; but it was observed in the office that he was rapidly improving in this, and in the facility of doing his work.  The paper was a weekly one, consequently he had ample time for his work, and he improved every moment.  The many mistakes he made in the beginning were attributed to his ignorance of the language, and it was not until he became the most expert compositor in the office that it was known that he had never, until he entered this office, been in a printing-office.  He was so abstemious in his habits that those about the office wondered how he lived.  He rarely left the composing-room, and, in his moments of rest from his work, was employed in studying the language, or reading some English author.  A bit of cheese, a loaf of bread, some dried fish, and a cup of coffee constituted his bill of fare for every day, and these were economically used.  He never spoke of home, of previous pursuits, or future intentions.  He held communion with no one—­his own thoughts being his only companions—­but steadily persevered in his business.  No amusements attracted him.  He was never at any place of public resort.  He was the talk of the town, though none had seen him unless they visited the little, dirty, inky office in which he was employed.  He never seemed to know he was an object of curiosity, and when—­as sometimes was the case—­half a dozen persons would come expressly to see him, he never turned his head from his work, or seemed to be conscious of their presence.

In this office his progress was very rapid, and it was not very long before he became the foreman in the composing-room.  He continued in that capacity until he became the owner of the entire establishment.

Not content with the life of a printer, he disposed of his printing establishment and paper, and came to New Orleans.  Before leaving France he had read some law, and now he applied himself closely to its study.  In a short time he rose to distinction, and was in a lucrative practice.  It was a maxim with Judge Martin never to be idle, and never to expend time or money uselessly.  He found time from his professional duties to write a history of Louisiana, which is, perhaps, more correct in its facts than any history ever written.