hip ▁instruct or , ▁a ▁teacher , ▁and ▁a ▁shop keeper . ▁He ▁lost ▁his ▁hearing , ▁and ▁used ▁an ▁ear ▁tr ump et . ▁Event ually ▁he ▁sold ▁his ▁shop ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 1 ▁and ▁took ▁to ▁the ▁road ▁as ▁an ▁it iner ant ▁pre acher ▁during ▁the ▁Second ▁Great ▁Aw ak ening . ▁He ▁tra ve led ▁through ▁Maine , ▁telling ▁people ▁to ▁leave ▁their ▁churches ▁and ▁seek ▁their ▁inner ▁light , ▁or ▁" that ▁of ▁God ▁within ." ▁ ▁Career ▁Return ing ▁to ▁Port land ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 5 , ▁H acker ▁began ▁writing ▁and ▁printing ▁a ▁reform ▁journal ▁called ▁The ▁Ple asure ▁Bo at . ▁According ▁to ▁H acker ▁himself , ▁he ▁sold ▁his ▁one ▁good ▁coat ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁the ▁newspaper ' s ▁first ▁edition . ▁He ▁wore ▁a ▁borrow ed ▁coat ▁after ▁that , ▁which ▁he ▁referred ▁to ▁for ▁years ▁as ▁" the ▁old ▁d rab ▁coat ." ▁He ▁wrote ▁his ▁newspaper ▁on ▁his ▁kne e ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁board ing ▁house ▁in ▁near - p over ty , ▁while ▁he ▁spent ▁all ▁his ▁time ▁getting ▁his ▁message ▁out . ▁He ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁an ▁out sp oken ▁journalist ▁who ▁ra iled ▁against ▁organized ▁religion , ▁government , ▁pr isons , ▁sla very , ▁land ▁mon opol y , ▁and ▁war fare . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁early ▁pro ponent ▁of ▁an arch ism , ▁and ▁free ▁thought , ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁prison ▁reform er . ▁Un h appy ▁with ▁how ▁ju