partly
developed, such a electricity, will contest with steam as a motive
power.

During the period of my stay on the Muskingum improvements I had
very excellent opportunities for study, of which I regret to say
I did not avail myself as well as I might have done. Still, I
occupied my leisure in reading novels, histories, and such books
as I could readily get. Many books were sent to me from Lancaster.
I purchased a number, and found some in Beverly which were kindly
lent to me. I read most of the British classics, as they are
called, the Spectator, Shakespeare, Byron, and Scott. I read all
I could find of the history of America. I tried to brush up my
Latin, but without much success. I had the frequent company of my
associates on the corps, all of whom were bright, able men, several
years in advance of me in age. We were frequently called to
headquarters at McConnelsville, a trip usually made on horseback,
and where we always had not only a cheerful, but a very instructive
time. Colonel Curtis was highly esteemed by us all, and his
treatment of me was kind and fatherly. He frequently complimented
me upon my work, and when he came through Beverly he visited me.

Among the diversions at Beverly we had occasional debates. One of
these was upon the dangerous subject of temperance, a topic not
then much discussed, for drinking of something stronger than water
was almost as universal as eating, and considered equally necessary.
However, there sprang up about this time a movement in favor of
temperance. It was thought best to discuss the subject at a public
meeting, a school teacher and I taking the side of temperance, and
two other young men opposing us. The meeting was well attended,
largely by the men employed on the public work who habitually
received a certain number of "jiggers" of whisky a day, at regular
hours. Whisky, not being taxed, was worth from fifteen to twenty-
five cents a gallon. It was not an expensive luxury, and was
regarded by all the workingmen on the improvement as a necessity.
At the end of the debate, which I do not remember to have been a
very notable one, the audience decided that we had the best of the
argument. The discussion created a great excitement. The workingmen
took up the cry that the Cumberland Presbyterians, the prevailing
sect there, and other Christians, were interfering with their habits
and comforts, and when the young schoolmaster appeared the next
day, they rai