6 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 



for gaining an education in those days were far from what 

 they now are, yet they succeeded well in mastering the 

 common branches, and fitting themselves for the import- 

 ant stations in life which they afterwards held. 



James (who has since been called Old Jim), the sub- 

 ject of this biography, was born November J 8th, 1809, 

 being the sixth son, or eighth one of this family of 

 eleven. The sequel of this man's history discloses seve- 

 ral things touching peculiar traits of character and habits 

 of life, that may be read with pleasure and profit by 

 both the youth and parents of our land. 



Higher f with him, was ever a word of noble meaning, 

 " the inspiration to all great deeds; the sympathetic chain 

 that leads, link by link, the impassioned soul to its zenith 

 of gloryj and which still holds its mysterious object 

 standing and glittering among the stars." 



As the impressions made upon the mind in childhood 

 are very lasting, and have considerable influence in form- 

 ing one's character in after life, perhaps it will not be 

 amiss to state here one that was deeply felt by him in 

 early life. We paint our lives in fresco, and the soft and 

 facile plaster of the moment hardens under every stroke 

 of the brush into eternal rock. 



He, as a matter of course in the early part of his life, 

 was brought up under church rule (his parents being 

 Presbyterians, as were a majority of the New England 

 emigrants who came to this state in former days), and, 

 as soon as his infant tongue was able to lisp the Lord's 

 prayer, he was taught to repeat it every night on going 

 to bed, by his Christian mother. This was well, for it had 



