Section 15:  Politics, Work & Charity

I read all the good speeches made in Congress and as soon as I was able took the Congressional Globe and appendix and in this way managed to keep pretty nearly abreast of the literary and political news of the day.

At this time I had an uncertain feeling about my future that I am satisfied now did me no harm, for it kept my mind alert and eager to catch at anything to improve my prospects, and after the first year, although making slow progress, I felt that I stood on firmer ground. In the first place I had learned a good deal of practical life and was better qualified to take hold of the business that dropped into my hands, and I thought I could see the dawn of a brighter future.

Along about these years Neal's charcoal sketches began to appear; Mrs. Candle's curtain lectures and Salimagundi [sic] and machine poetry. Jack Downing's letters were old, the moon hoax was perpetrated I think before I came to Clarion. Washington Irving and J. Fennimore Cooper were living popular authors. Some of their works I had read at College. I had read while there a good deal of fiction -- Scotts [sic] -- many of them, J. K. P. James, Fielding, Dr. Warrens and others. After I was settled here for many years I read little at novels, only the stories published in the Saturday Courier and some in Graham's Magazine which I took for a year or two.

A year or two after I came, an old Scotchman named Jamy Rutherford died up in Farmington township. Some of our boys went up to the vendue and I authorized Gilmore to buy me any histories that went cheap enough, and he bought me Homer's history of England in twelve volumes for a dollar a volume. They were well bound and in good condition and I reviewed that work at my leisure and I have them yet. Soon after that I bought Gibbon's Rome. Early in 1841 the first volume of Watts and Sergeants Reports came out and I bought it, and every volume of Supreme Court Reports I bought as they came out from that till the spring of 1885, something over one hundred volumes.

About 1843 when Gen. Jolly moved away I bought from him Sergeant and Rawles Reports and Rawles Reports, 23 volumes. Sometime after that I bought from Alfred Gilmore Watts Reports, 10 volumes. Penrose and Watts 3 volumes I bought at D. W. Fosters vendue, also Bacon's abridgment 7 volumes.

In the fall of 1848, when Mary was a baby, I was in Philadelphia. Sitting in the Hotel one evening I noticed in a paper a sale of law books and on looking at my watch I found it was just about the time the auction commenced. I got right up and went over to the auction rooms of Thomas and Sons on Walnut Street and the sale was just commencing as I got in. I had thought nothing about what I wanted to buy, and before I had time to think a full set of Massachusetts Reports were struck off for a dollar a volume, so I opened up my eyes and began to bid, and I got Binney's Reports and Chitty's pleading at a little over a dollar a volume and might have got other standard works at less than half price if I had been a little smarter. But I had then all the Supreme Court Reports but Wharton and I never bought them to this day. The Digests I bought as they came out and other works such as acts of assembly and works on practice till I now have what cost me more than a thousand dollars but owing to the reduction of prices and the republication of cheap editions of various books, would probably not sell for more than half that sum. This is a succinct history of how I got my library, in the perusal of which and in the preparation of cases I have spent many anxious hours and lost some sleep.

During the fall of 1841 I had travelled around the country some -- gone as far as Kittanning and several times to Brookville collecting for J. and J. Milliken. I had received a number of bills and one morning in November I got on a bay horse of Charley Waters and started to Brookville. The roads were frozen and pretty good and I got down there in good time and went around among the merchants making settlements and receiving money. I did not get away till after supper and with a roll of money in every pocket I started up the hill. It soon got very dark -- was cloudy with a strong east wind. I had to stop four and a half miles from Brookville to see a man who was to pay me some money for the same firm. When I got there it was pitch dark and pretty cold and it began to snow. I got four hundred dollars more money, stuffed it under my overcoat, buttoned myself up to the chin, got on my horse and rode home with a driving snowstorm on my back -- every pocket full of money. True it was not my own, but I felt proud at the thought that I was a business man and at the opportunity of showing that I could handle other people's money, and I would not have kept a cent over my regular fees for a kingdom. It was not a pleasant night to be out, but I certainly enjoyed that ride and was happier taking the snow than I would have been by the stove in my office, and with a good horse under me I had not a fear of being robbed.

Next morning I wrote to J. and J. Milliken what I had done and very particularly how much I had received from each man, and in due time received a very satisfactory answer. I don't recollect now how or by whom I sent the money to them. We had no banks at that time, but they got it and I retained over fifty dollars collecting fees.

One day that winter, 1841 and 1842 I was sitting in the office when a pale, sickly-looking young man came in and asked me if came from Mifflin County, and on telling him who I was he said his name was Clugh, that he lived in Ferguson Valley near old Hugh McKee's, that he had been out in Ohio visiting friends and got sick and lain there for over a month, and started home but at Franklin had found himself so weak he had to lie over several days among strangers and had just come on here, but had not money to pay his stage fare home and asked me for the loan of ten dollars. I had never seen him but knew that there was a family of that name where he said he lived. The poor fellow looked sick and as if he needed a friend. I pitied him and although not flush, I could spare that sum and I gave him ten dollars. After he was gone I had doubts whether I had not done a green thing for he might very easily be an importer. I concluded to say nothing about it, but in a short time I got a letter from Millikens instructing me that young Clugh had paid them ten dollars for me. I was then glad I had accommodated the fellow, and although I have never seen or heard of him since, I have no doubt he made an honest and upright man.

I have done a few of that kind of things since and was not so fortunate but I was better able to lose the money.