James Ferguson, the son of a half-starved peasant, learned to read by
listening to the recitations of one of his elder brothers. While a
mere boy he discovered several mechanical principles, made models of
mills and spinning-wheels, and by means of beads on strings worked out
an excellent map of the heavens. Ferguson made remarkable things with
a common penknife. How many great men have mounted the hill of
knowledge by out-of-the-way paths! Gifford worked his intricate
problems with a shoemaker's awl on a bit of leather. Rittenhouse first
calculated eclipses on his plow-handle.

Columbus, while leading the life of a sailor, managed to become the
most accomplished geographer and astronomer of his time.

When Peter the Great, a boy of seventeen, became the absolute ruler of
Russia his subjects were little better than savages, and in himself
even the passions and propensities of barbarism were so strong that
they were frequently exhibited during his whole career. But he
determined to transform himself and the Russians into civilized people.
He instituted reforms with great energy, and at the age of twenty-six
started on a visit to the other countries of Europe for the purpose of
learning about their arts and institutions. At Saardam, Holland, he
was so impressed with the sights of the great East India dockyard that
he apprenticed himself to a shipbuilder, and helped to build the _St.
Peter_, which he promptly purchased. Continuing his travels, after he
had learned his trade, he worked in England in paper-mills, saw-mills,
rope-yards, watchmakers' shops, and other manufactories, doing the work
and receiving the treatment of a common laborer.

While traveling, his constant habit was to obtain as much information
as he could beforehand with regard to every place he was to visit, and
he would demand, "Let me see all." When setting out on his
investigations, on such occasions, he carried his tablets in his hand
and whatever he deemed worthy of remembrance was carefully noted down.
He would often leave his carriage if he saw the country people at work
by the wayside as he passed along, and not only enter into conversation
with them on agricultural affairs, but also accompany them to their
homes, examine their furniture, and take drawings of their implements
of husbandry. Thus he obtained much minute and correct knowledge,
which he would scarcely have acquired by other means, and which he
afterward turned to admirab