334 HISTORY OF THE WHEEL AND ALLIANCE. 



which he could not otherwise have done. Every leisure 

 moment was thus employed in reading standard works of 

 history, fiction and poetry, and his young mind was thus 

 stored with useful information, which, in after life, served 

 him a good purpose. When he was 14 years old he man- 

 aged, through the kindness of an uncle, to attend an 

 Academy for one year. At the age of 16 he began teach- 

 ing school a portion of the year, working on the farm the 

 remainder of the year. Throughout his whole career he 

 has kept up his habits of study. 



In the fall of 1881 he married a Miss Peebles, by 

 whom he has five children. For several years he served 

 as magistrate and a member of the Democratic Central 

 Committee in his county. In 1888 he was, with four 

 others, nominated as a candidate for the State Legislature. 

 Up to this time he had never delivered a public speech in 

 his life, but he soon showed considerable ability as a 

 speaker and was able to hold his own with the old politi- 

 cal orators. His canvass of the county was a brilliant one 

 and he led his ticket by a hundred votes r being the only 

 Democrat elected. Mr. Beddingfield at once took a 

 prominent position in the Legislature, and no man in that 

 body, perhaps, exercised a wider influence. He has stood 

 for Alliance principles on every occasion. He aided 

 materially in passing the bill to establish a Railroad Com- 

 mission, and drew and introduced a bill against "trusts" 

 which passed both Houses, and should be read by every 

 member of the Order. His career in the Legislature was 

 a success. When Col. L. L. Polk resigned his position 

 as Secretary of the State Alliance he was appointed by 

 the Executive Committee to fill the unexpired term. In 

 this position he has shown the prudence, wisdom and 

 ability that has always characterized his course, and the 

 Alliance in the State * continues to prosper under his 

 management. 



