The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-09-20
BEN. WADE.

A correspondent of the Cincinnati
Commercial, who has been visiting ASH
tabula, Ohio, the home of Ben. Wade,
writes as follows of the acting Vice Pres
dent:
He is self-made man, an original
thinker, and perhaps the best informed
man now 10 public life in this country.
His parents were among the poorest PEG
pie In Massachusetts,. and he never had
but seven days schooling; yet. at the age
of 81, he had read vast number of
books. mastered the Euclid. and was we'll
versed in philosophy and science. He
read the Bible through in a single winter
by the light of pine torches in his wood
choppIng cabin. He read much and re
hected on all he read. His grandfather
on his mothers side was minister, and
had q small but well selected library, and
to this he was indebted in his early youth
for much valuable information. Mr.
Wade says the most difficult thing 10 solve
be ever met with was algebra. He was
working on a farm when he commenced
studying i; he had no one to show him,
aud be read it over SO times without un
Outstanding it. Often when following
the plow. he thought for hours over the
mysterious signs and l-tters, until they
seemed as large as his hand. He had
read them so often they were constantly
before bis eyes as clearly as if they were
painted upon canvas, but he could make
nothing out OF them. Gradually he be
gan to comprehend them. and he has not
forgotten the propositions to this day he
then solved. Mr.. Wade is still hard
student, and what he studies is thoroughly
mastered before he lays il down. A sin
gle sample will suffice to show his appl
cation: Last summer we were with him
when he was studying C@ -ar's campaign;
he had Napoleon's Life of the great Gen
eral, and, although the Senator rose early
and went to bis study, and continued
there until night. be did not average more
than 20 or 80 pages per day. Sometimes
he would read page twice or three times
over, then all the battles were studied and
compared with other authorities, bridges
were carefully measured and distances
calculated, maps and charts consulted.
the notes of the author examined and
compared with the commentaries, and
everything done that might give a clear
and comprehensive idea of the subject
under investigation. Mr.. Wade ought TO
and no doubt does, understand the Cam
paigns of Ca sar. The habits of the Sen
alor are peculiar. He rises at daylight
summer and winter, and makes up the
fires in the house; then he goes 10 his
office, makes The fires, sweeps it out,
dusts off the furniture, aud goes to the
stable 10 look after his horses. When be
returns he wakes up the family. and then
goes to his study and reads until called
to breakfast. After breakfast he takes
walk of two miles, and returns to his
study and reads until O'Clock in the
afternoon. When the mail comes in he
goes to the posi-ofiee, gets his own mail,
and opens aud reads it. All letters to be
answered at once are laid on his table and
the rest tied 10 bunch aud put into the
drawer requiring attention." He get
over SO papers and periodicals., and dis
poses of them in this way: 1.-THE Cincin
natl papers, the New York Tribune.
Cowles's Cleveland Leader and the New
York Independent are laid away for his
own reading, and the rest are sent into
the house for his family to read. Any
one who notices anything they think be
should see, marks the articleor paragraph.
aud lays the paper on the table, and at
night his wife reads it to him. His wife,
who is great reader, and most intelli
gent aud accomplished lady. generally
reads one or two hours to him every night
Mr.. Wade is very fond of Nasty. and
his letters are read at night, SO the whole
family can laugh with him. for he says
be don't like to laugh alone. Comrcal
books are often read TO him, and amuSe
him immensely. His wife, being asked
for Christmas gift, bought him "Old
Mother Goose" and he was so greatly
pleased with her taste, that, to convince
her he appreciated her gift, he learned
every line by heart aud insisted on re
peating it to her almost daily. OF his
periodicals, the Westminster Review, the
Atlantic Monthly aud Harper, he reads
himself. and the rest are sent to the family
to be marked and read as the papers.