LIFE SKETCH. I7 



opportunity of going to school. But I did not make 

 much of a scholar, as my mind was too full of horses 

 and outdoor work. I much preferred going to Con- 

 necticut with one of father's droves of cattle. 



MY START AS A LECTURER. 



About this time Professor C. H. C. Williams, of the 

 well-known horse-taming firm of Rockwell, Hurl- 

 burt & Williams, visited the place, and my father and 

 I joined the class. I was greatly interested in what I 

 saw, and went to a number of towns where the Pro- 

 fessor was forming classes. When I saw how much 

 money he was taking in, I made up my mind to go 

 and do likewise. After thinking it well over, I told 

 my father what I had determined to do. He said: 

 " You lecture ! Why, the folks will laugh at you; they 

 will stone you," etc. But nothing he could or did 

 say made me change my mind. " I will give you six 

 months as being all the time you will be away from 

 home," said my father. 



My first bills, or hangers, were written for me by 

 Miss Gordon, of West Townsend, Vt. They were 

 about two feet long, and, after each performance, were 

 taken down and saved for the next occasion. My first 

 lecture was given at Wardsboro City, Vt., in front of 

 Waite's Hotel, at 2 p.m. I formed a class, and, to my 

 great astonishment, took in twenty-two dollars. This 

 lecture I delivered standing in a wagon, my knees 

 shaking as if I had been caught in some criminal act. 

 This amused my hearers, but they were well satisfied 

 with what I had to show and explain. My success 

 gave me great encouragement, and for two weeks I 

 continued the exhibition, returning home with just the 

 amount I started out with. 



At tliat time my father owned a buckskin mare, 

 2 



