James ANDERSON, the nestor of the press in St. John, was born in military quarters, Fort Howe, St. John in 1822., his father, Lionel ANDERSON, being in the civil dept. of the Royal Engineers. His mother was Miss Eliza EARLE d/o Dr. Charles EARLE, surgeon of the 104th Regt. His grandfather, William ANDERSON, filled the office of deputy sheriff of Sunbury Co. which comprised the province of New Brunswick before the coming of the Loyalists and had an extensive estate on the Nashwaak. In his boyhood Mr. Anderson attended school at the Humberfield Academy, corner of Union and Charlotte Streets, kept by Samuel CHAMBERLAIN. On leaving school he assisted his father in his official duties and at the age of 22 was appointed barrack master at St. John, which office he held until the arrival of Capt. FRENCH, who was appointed to the position by the home government. His connection with the press commenced about 1850 when he became associated with the 'New Brunswicker' published by William TILL. For several years he was actively engaged in press work. He was a news-getter, shipping editor, wrote editorials, attended to the mailing dept., and frequently, when delayed by the late arrival of the English mail, the whole staff, editors and assistants would be impressed into the service of working off the paper. Early in the fifties St. John was aroused by the Turning of the Sod and commencement of the work on the European & North American Railway, from St. John to Shediac, and all the young men became enthusiastic over it. Mr. Anderson gave up his newspaper work for the time and was employed on the preliminary survey, assisting Mr. RAMSAY, civil engineer, in the location of the roads in New Brunswick and afterwards in Nova Scotia. When the English contractors began the work of construction, he became store keeper to Messrs. Pets, Brassy & Betts and until the completion of the road was engaged in the survey, store dept. and supervision of men employed on the works. On the railway being opened for trafic he returned to the city and took up his newspaper work again, being connected with 'The Telegraph', published at that time by the late John Livingston and since that time in all its changes has been continuously of the staff of the paper as shipping editor and mailing clerk.