'The World and the University 



a highway of the river while it was closed to 

 ordinary navigation by ice. After he saw my 

 inventions he offered me a place in his foundry 

 and machine-shop in Prairie du Chien and 

 promised to assist me all he could. So I made 

 up my mind to accept his offer and rode with 

 him to Prairie du Chien in his iceboat, which 

 was mounted on a flat car. I soon found, how- 

 ever, that he was seldom at home and that I 

 was not likely to learn much at his small shop. 

 I found a place where I could work for my board 

 and devote my spare hours to mechanical 

 drawing, geometry, and physics, making but 

 little headway, however, although the Pelton 

 family, for whom I worked, were very kind. 

 I made up my mind after a few months' stay 

 in Prairie du Chien to return to Madison, hop- 

 ing that in some way I might be able to gain 

 an education. 



At Madison I raised a few dollars by making 



and selling a few of those bedsteads that set 



the sleepers on their feet in the morning, — 



inserting in the footboard the works of an 



I 273 ] 



