How 1 Came to Be a Farmer. n 



used only when father was gone), and all done without money. It 

 took first premium where exhibited, and was, I think, the fastest 

 but one then known in the United States. I refused a large offer 

 for it. Yes, I learned the whole trade of casting the same way I did 

 the handling of steam. I had cast lead in a wooden mould and tried 

 brass in the same w^ay ; melted it in a crucible at the blacksmith 

 shop while the smith had gone to dinner. I wanted a little piece 

 for my lathe and made a mould of green wood. When I poured 

 in the brass, quicker than you could wink it went through the 

 roof of the shop. I learned some more about steam as well as 

 casting. Then some one kindly told me how to make moulds of 

 sand, and there happened to be some in the town, and I soon 

 learned to make patterns and cast brass. 



Only once in his life did father ever say an encouraging 

 word, while he said very many of the other kind, but the love of 

 such work was in me and it died hard. I do not offer any excuse 

 for my constant disobedience in this line ; it was all wrong; but I 

 do believe now, when after many years I look back and think it 

 over, that father did me a far greater wrong, although of course, 

 he thought he was doing right and I was the only sinner. Let 

 me beg of you, dear readers, not to make the mistake that father 

 did. If your son is plainly cut out for something else, don't try 

 to hold him on the farm. Encourage him in any honorable 

 direction that he may show a decided and continued preference 

 for. But that encouraging word ! It happened thus : A man 

 with extended knowledge of machinery was visiting at our house. 

 I became so interested that I hinted at what I had done and he at 

 once wanted to see my engine. This was the brass one. I had 

 made a number; the first of tin. He seemed greatly surprised, 

 and father rather grudgingly came up and looked at it, I think, for 

 the first time. The man praised my work without stint, and not 

 knowing the lay of the land, turned to father and congratulated 

 him on the talent his son showed. Now father was an absolutely 

 honest, upright man, and he would not leave a wrong impression, 

 even *by keeping still ; but he frankly told the man that my work 

 had been done without any chance at all, and with discourag- 

 ments enough to sink a ship. These are the exact words and will 

 never be forgotten. 



Up to this time I had been sent to school constantly, and 

 had gone about as far as I could outside of college. The fall 

 before I was seventeen, matters came to a climax. I was thor- 

 oughly aroused and desirous of doing something. I went to 

 mother and talked it over with her. I wanted to go into a ma- 

 chine shop. I more than wanted to. She talked with father and 

 they knew I had got to a point where I must be humored or some 

 change made that would divert my attention from the one desire 

 that was so strong. They decided to send me, to Western Reserve 

 College. This hardly suited me, but the thought of something 



