ls. He was a fair speaker on popular topics,
and took great interest in current politics as a Whig. He was a
member of the Harrisburg convention that nominated General Harrison
for President, and made several creditable speeches in that canvass.
He was married in the fall of 1840 to Miss Elizabeth Williams, of
Dayton, Ohio, and I became a member of his family soon after.

The influence of the special traits and tendencies of Judge Parker
and my brother Charles upon my life was soon manifest. My course
of study, outlined by Judge Parker, commenced with Blackstone,
followed soon after by Coke on Littleton. As a compromise I was
allowed to read Kent's Commentaries, but Chitty's Pleadings had to
go along with Kent. The disinclination of Charles to have anything
to do with contested litigation became more marked, and I was
compelled, long before my admission to the bar, to look after such
cases as grew out of his practice. The pleadings then in vogue
were the declarations, pleas and replications of the English common
law. These I prepared after I had been a student for a year, and,
in cases within the jurisdiction of a justice of the peace, I
habitually appeared either in prosecution or defense.

As a matter of course, I was often outwitted and defeated, much to
my chagrin. In one case submitted to arbitration, a pettifogger
of bad repute by the name of Baldwin secured an award palpably
unjust. I felt more keenly than my client the injustice done him,
and never forgave Baldwin until he was indicted for perjury and
driven out of the county in disgrace.

While pursuing my studies, I was able in various ways to make enough
money to support myself. I wrote deeds and agreements, and drew
the first map of Richland county, showing subdivisions in farms,
the course of creeks and rivulets, and roads. I was also employed
to collect small debts, and, toward the close of my probation, I
was intrusted with large collections, one of which was in closing
the business of an old firm with outstanding credits of more than
$20,000.

In those days of primitive barter the merchant was the banker of
all the farmers dealing with him. The farmer sold to the merchant
most of his surplus products, including live stock and pork, and
purchased his supplies, mainly of clothing, tea, coffee, and the
like, and the merchant made advances on the growing crop. At the
close of the year the account was settled, generally with a balance
in fa