Washington telegraph., 1853-10-05
GEORGE WILSON.

A few years since, as Mr.. Galaudet was
walking in the streets of Hartford, there
came running to him poor boy of very
ordinary appearance, but whose fine intelli
gent eye fixed the attention of the gentle
man, as the boy inquired, 'Sir, can YOU tell
me of man who would like boy to work
for him, and teach him to read?" Whose
boy are you, and where do you live ?' II
have no parents, was the reply, ''and have
just run away from The workhouse because
they won't teach me to read" The gentle
man made arrangements with the authori-
ties of the town, and took the boy into his
family. There he learned to read. Nor
was that all. He soon acquired the conf
dence OF his new associates, by faithfulness
and honesty. He was allowed the use of
his friends library, and made rapid progress
in the acquisition of knowledge. 1t became
necessary, after while, that George should
leave Mr.. Galaudet, and he became appren
tlced to a cabinet-maker in the neighbor-
hood. There the same integrity won for
him the favor of his new associates. To
crafty his inclination for study. his master
had little room finished for him in the up-
per part of the shop, where he devoted his
leisure time to his favorite pursuits Here
he made large attainments in mathematics.
In the French language and other branches.
After being in this situation few years,
as he sat at tea with the family one evening,
he all at once remarked that he wanted to
go to France
Go to France said his master, sur
prised that the apparently contcnted and
happy youth had thus suddenly become dis
satisfied with his situation-''f for what ?''
'Ask Mr. Galaudet to tea to- o-morrow eve
ming" continued George, land l will ex-
plain"
His kind friend was invited accordingly,
and at tea time the apprentice presented
himself with his manuscripts, in English and
French, and explained his singular inten-
tion to 90 to France
''In the time of Napoleon" said he, ''a
prize was offered by the French Government
for the simplest rule for measuring plain
surfaces Of whatever outline This prize
has never been awarded, and that method
| have discovered
He then demonstrated his problem to the
surprise and qualification Of bis friends, who
Immediately furnished him with the means
of dcfraving the expenses and with letters
of Introduction to Hon. Lewis Cass, then
our minister to the Court of France. He
was introduced to Louis Philippe, and in
the presence of the king and mobiles and
plenipotentiarias, this American youth de-
monstrated his problem, and received the
plaudits of the court He received the
prize, which he had clearly won, besides
valuable presents from the king.
He then took letters of introduction and
proceeded to the Court of st. James, and
took up similar prize offered by the Royal
Society, and returned to the United States.
Here he was preparing to secure the bene-
fit of his discovery by patent, when he re-
ceived letter from the Emperor Nicholas
himself, one of whose ministers had witness
ed his demonstrations at London, inviting him
to make his residence at the Russian Court,
and furnishing him with ample means for
his outfit.
lie complied with the invitation, repair
ed to St. Petersburg, ard is now Professor
of Mathematics in the Royal College, un-
der the special protection Of the Autocrat
of all the Russias