aware, Ohio, at which place I worked and attended two terms at the Wesleyan University. In the fall of 1843 I taught a three months' school about ten miles from Delaware, in Radnar township, on the Scioto River. During the early spring of 1844 I taught another three months' school near Delaware.
In March, 1844, I started on a visit to my boyhood home in Pennsylvania, stopping at Alexandria, Ohio, where I cast my first vote on Monday, April 1,—the day before being my twenty-first birthday. Returning to Delaware in July, I worked at the tailor's trade until the spring of 1845, also studying surveying under Davis' system.
On June 30, 1845, I started for Illinois, driving a two-horse wagon across the country, arriving at Maquon, Knox County, July 13. Here I worked in the harvest fields during the summer and in September went to Knoxville, forming a partnership in the tailoring business with one William James, and remaining all winter. In May, 1846, went as delegate to the Democratic district convention at Rock Island, also visiting Fort Armstrong, then an important military post. I went then to my brother's place at Dresden, at the foot of Joliet Lake, working during the summer on the farm and in the sawmill. While here I was troubled greatly with the common complaint of that locality, chills and fever, and one day while lying under a tree, unable to work, I made up my mind that I would go to Oregon. I worked at tailoring in Joliet, Illinois, during the following winter, reviewing my studies of surveying at night by candle light, often studying till 12 or 1 o'clock.
On February 17, 1847, I started overland once more across Indiana for a farewell visit to my father in Ohio and my boyhood home in Pennsylvania. April 3, 1847, I took passage on the steamer Planet for Cincinnati.
