Am'j°nr;^grm }       Memoir  of  Thomas  H.  Powers.  41 
"Resolved,  That  the  Board  deem  it  due  to  Thomas  H.  Powers,  late  a  pupil  in 
the  Walnut  street  school,  thus  to  award  to  him  the  evidence  of  its  approbation  of 
his  conduct,  diligence  and  acquirements  in  learning  during  a  period  of  nearly  eight 
years  in  which  he  remained  in  the  school ;  and  as  a  further  testimony  of  their  appro- 
bation, be  it 
"  Resolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to  purchase  such  books  as  they  may 
think  proper,  to  the  value  of  five  dollars,  and  present  the  same  to  Thomas  H. 
Powers  in  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  this  Board." 
[SiSned-]  J°HN  Claxton,      I  Committee\ 
Phillip  Garrett,  j 
Philadelphia,  Fifth  Mo.  25,  1827. 
In  the  year  1828  he  entered  the  store  of  Daniel  B.  Smith,  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Arch  and  Sixth  streets,  to  learn  the  drug  business. 
A  few  months  after  his  apprenticeship  William  Hodgson,  Jr.,  an  able 
pharmacist  and  chemist,  brought  up  in  the  celebrated  establishment  of 
John  Bell  &  Co.,  Oxford  street,  London,  entered  into  partnership  with 
D.  B.  Smith  under  the  firm  name  of  D.  B.  Smith  &  William  Hodg- 
son, Jr.,  a  partnership  which  continued  at  the  same  location  until  the 
close  of  the  year  1848,  when  they  were  succeeded  by  Bullock  & 
Crenshaw. 
We  have  been  favored  by  a  fellow-apprentice  with  Mr.  Powers  of 
his  recollections  of  him  during  this  period,  and  can  not  do  better  than 
to  quote  his  words  : 
uThe  means  of  his  aunts  were  restricted,  and  his  early  habits  were 
very  economical.  I  think  his  clothing,  which  I  remember  as  some- 
what peculiar,  was  usually  made  at  home.  In  the  latter  part  of  his 
apprenticeship  he  had  a  coat  made  by  a  tailor,  which  he  considered 
quite  an  event. 
u  He  was  a  faithful  apprentice,  laborious  and  indefatigable  in  his  atten- 
tion to  business,  and  in  many  respects  was  the  main  dependence  of  the 
establishment.  He  wasted  no  time  in  the  pursuit  of  youthful  recrea- 
tions, the  reading  selected  by  him  was  not  for  amusement  but  for  infor- 
-mation  and  instruction,  especially  on  subjects  which  were  connected 
with  his  business  (which  he  made  his  pleasure),  and  consisted  mainly 
of  chemical  and  pharmaceutical  works  and  occasionally  of  moral  and 
religious  books. 
"  I  remember  a  little  book  then  in  my  possession,  entitled  '  Char- 
acter Essential  to  Success  in  Life,'  of  which  he  formed  a  high  opinion. 
In  after  years  he  applied  to  me  to  ascertain  the  exact  title  of  the  book 
with  a  view  to  having  it  reprinted  for  distribution  amongst  young  men. 
