y youth. He was my senior by about ten years. In my
boyhood he called not infrequently at my father's house, driving an
old horse in a second-hand, well worn sulky. His business was trading
in horses and watches, and gambling, as was reported, for small sums of
money. To myself and my brothers he was held up by my mother as a
warning. Before he was twenty-one years of age he had induced his
father to mortgage his small homestead for four hundred dollars which
John lost in unwise or unfortunate ventures. Upon that experience he
began to recover his fortunes. He became a dealer in better horses,
then in hops, then in real estate, and to some extent he became an
operator in Boston markets. At the age of fifty he was worth,
probably, two hundred thousand dollars. With the improvement of his
fortunes, his character improved. He was always temperate and his
agreements were carefully kept. He made ample provision for his
parents, and for a sister; was a representative in the general court
and for many years he was a capable and acceptable county commissioner.
He was one of a not numerous class of persons who escape from evil
early associations and habits of life.

In 1854 the Know Nothing Party took possession of Massachusetts. Its
secrecy made it attractive to many persons. Moreover, the then
existing parties were unsatisfactory to the people. The Whigs, who had
been out of power in 1851 and '52, had regained power, but the vitality
of the party had disappeared forever. Many of the leaders had joined
the Free-soil Party, and others were indifferent to its fortunes. The
Democratic Party was dissatisfied with the national administration, and
the Free-soil Party was without hope. The coalition could not be
repeated. In the spring or summer of 1854 General Banks asked me
whether I intended to join the Know Nothings. I said No, that I had
left politics and that I intended to practice law. He said in reply,
"I am in politics and I must go on." The success of the Know Nothing
Party was without precedent. They carried every city and town in the
State, elected all the members of the Legislature, unless there may
have been an accidental exception, unseated all the members of
Congress, elected Henry J. Gardner Governor by an immense majority,
and elected Henry Wilson to the Senate of the United States.

Mr. Gardner was re-elected in 1855 by the momentum of the party,
although it had fallen into discredit which wou