Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-11-06
The HEech annie.
IlIustriOus Mechanics and Scli"MadC Men.

gardener. lie nlu, however, d SUD l8e piupcH-
sity for tasting unwhosome ftUit which proda-
ced very injurious effects, both upon himself and
bis offspring
Noah was shipwright and hasbandman
he navigated the whole earth in his ark, and got
{ seas over in his vineyard.
Solomon was an architect, poet and phi
losopher his conduct, however, was not always
by line and rule; he trod the circle Of dissipa-
ton, was erratc in his imaginations, and yiola-
ted his own maxims. His conscience and strength
of mind, however, reclaimed him, and his repen-
taRce is the most beautiful the works which he
has left for the contemplation Of his species.
The apostle Paul was tent mixer, and la
bored with his hands at his vocation, while he
endeavored to nfuse into the minds Of his fellow
men the important truths of revelation While
he screened them with earthly tabernaces from
the weather, he held above their souls the agls
of divine protection.
Mathew was poor fisherman, he remquish-
ed his humble calling for that Of missionary
and toiled hard to draw men from the fiery bill
lows of perdition,
Quintus Cncinatus was a ploug hnan, and
was invoked to the government and dctorshp
of Rome His abors in the political field were
as successful as those upon the. soil.
Arsaces was private mechanic, and was call
ed to found the Parthian Empire He built up
a powerful nation, and erected for himself a
mausoleum of fame which is understandable.
Tameranc, the conqueror Of Asia, was also a
mechanic; he rough heoed Bajazet, and carved
his way to fortune and glory.
Massanello, Neapoitan fisherman, was raj
sed to the command of fifty thousand men, and
gave up fish lines for lines of bayonets, and riy-
er scines for scenes of carnage.
John, Of Leyden, in Germany, was a tailor,
and rose to the dignity of king. He cut out for
himself a bad piece of work, however and after
wards came to a miserable end His goose did
not fly well.
Zeno, the famous bishop of Consantia, who
had the largest diocese in that country, was a
weaver. He directed his attention to the habits
of both soul and body,
Mr. Edmund, of Sterling, in Scotland, show
ed such unparalleled bravery in the Swedish
wars, under that 'thunderbot of war Gustavus
Adolphus, that he was madea general. A ma
ker of bread might be supposed to know how to
rise
Peter the Great, Emperor Of Russia, worked
at ship-building. He learned the Russian Bear
how to manage boat
Charles II, of England, was turner in ivory,
nor could affairs of state divert him from his NOR
mig task at the lathe He turned his mind
however, to other amusemets, which taskcd his
health, and pared away his reputation.
Louis XIV of France, was one of the best
watch-makers of his reign, He forgot the bur-
dens of power, in following the light footsteps of
time, and escaped the hutterngs Of parasites, on
the pinons of chronometers,
William ~, Of England, was a sailor and
rose from the forecastle to the throne, He man
aged the ship of State with nautical address, and
beat her a considerable way up the harbor of re-
firm.
Benjamin Franklin was printer, statesman,
and philosopher He drew lightning from the
heavens, and left his name in large caps upon the
annals of his country. His spirit is among the
Geoge Washington Andrew jackson, and
William Henry Harrison, were farmers. From
the pursuit of agriculture, they went forth to
pursue the enemies of their country, and from
the fields of death gathered the " Golden I'm
mortal"
Sir Richard Arkwright first conceived the
idea of spinning cotton by means of machinery,
passed the earlier years of his life in pursuing
H. 10 o(c b,vhor lie,
proved brighter than his razors
John Leslie, professor of Natural Philosophy,
in Edinburgh, was the son Of poor farmer in
Largo, Scotland. lie was employed in the ca
plcity of herdsman. His pencil was a stick and
the ground his slate. From being the compan-
ion of cattle, he became the peer oflearncd men,
James Ferguson was in earlier years a shep-
herd, watched the stars at night like his prede
cessors of Chaldca, and like them was led to his
favorlte planet by the contemplation of the good
ness and magnliceuce of the works Of the deity
At the age Of eight years, young Ferguson ac-
tually discovered two of the most important truths
in mechanics, the lever, and the wheel and axle
He afterwards hit upon others, without teacher
or book and with no tool but a simple turning
lathe and pocket knife. While he was feed
ing his flock, in the employment of neghboring
farmer, he used to busy himself in making mod
els Of mills, spinning-wheels, &c. during the day,
and in studying the stars at nght
In l74S, he commenced his public lectures !;
and in 1868, he was elected Fellow of the Roy
al Society, the usual fees being RENTED, as had
been done in the case of Newton and Thomas
Simpson, George Ill, who, when a boy, was
occasionally among the auditors of his pnblic
lectures, soon after his accession to the throne,
gave pension of fifty pounds per annum from
the privy purse
The famous Ben Johnson worked for some
time as bricklayer OIL, a mason and "let not
them blush, says the historian Fuller, "that hare
but those that have not, a lawful calling He
helped in the building of the new structure of
Lincoln's Inn, and while having trowel in his
hand, he had book in his pocket