The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-11-01
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A'LEESON FOR BOYS.
The Education OF the Late ThOmS
Ewing, and How it Was Achieved,

The Education OF the Late Thomas
Ewing. and How tt Was Achieved.
In a memoir of the late Thomas
Ewing, prepared BY one of his old
friends, published in the Cincinnati Com
mereiai Of Friday, we find a most in
teresting account Of the difficulties over
which young Ewing acquired an educa
ton in the early part of this century
All have heard of him as the "Salt
Boiler" but few Of this generation have
known with what honorable toll, and
with what admirable ambition that title
was earned.
In April, 1892, the Ewing family
Thomas then but three years old-re.
moved from West Liberty, Ohio county,
Virginia, to the mouth of Olive Green
creek, on. the Muskingum river. In
the year 1875, the Indians rising in all
directions, they were obliged to take
refuge in a block house at Olive Green,
to avoid the danger Of being massacred.
An elder sister had taught young Ew-
ing to read, and while he was in the
garrison he very assiduously cultivated
acquaintance with almost the only
book it afforded-the Bible-and &C.
quired therefrom the cognomen of
Bishop which chung to him for many
years.
In 1877, he was taken to West Lib
erty, and there went to school about
seven months, at the expiration OF
which time he returned to his father,
who had then removed to the waters OF
Federal Creek, into what is now Athens
county, Ohio. The spot selected by his
father was then in the wilderness, and
seventeen miles beyond the frontier set
Elements. Here, for nearly three years,
they were shut out from any intercourse
with the world. Young Ewing, during
this time, read the Vicar of Wake
field and Fool Of Quality" These,
and the Bible, were all the books,
which, up to that time, he had been
able to procure. In the year 1900, a
few other families from New England
had settled on Federal creek; and in
the winter of that year a school was
opened under the superintendent OF
Charles Cutter, a Cambridge graduate,
who was succeeded by Moses Everett,
from the same college.
Ewing studied, one quarter under
each, the rudiments of common Eng
lish education, and this was the total
of his schooling until 1872. This little
enterprising community of New Eng
lauders, that were then settled upon
Federal creek, had but few books; and
to procure a further stock they formed
a library association and raised small
fund by subscription. This literary
fund Gin all probability the first that
ever was formed in the Northwestern
Territory was sent to one Of the East
ern cities and invested in books.
The whole collection was brought
across the mountains on horseback in
a sack. With the exception OIL, Gold
smiths works, the books were not well
selected. consisting principally of the
novels then fashionable, such as "Aman.
d." the Romance Of the Forest" and
dull treatises on controversial doctrines
OF divinity. Subsequent additions were
made TO the library, among which were
Plutarch's Lives, Stewards Philosophy,
Darwin Zoouamia, and Lockes Treat
Uses on the Understanding
Young Ewing fell upon these with a
literary avidity which none can under,
stand but those who. under like cir
cumslances, have felt it; and he de
voured the whole, reading at his leisure
hours, aud principally at night, 10y the
light OF hickory bark.
From the age OF thirteen the life o.
Ewing was laborious. Then be be
came a substantial assistant to his
father upon his farm, and by and by he
had the principal management Of it.
Still he had time to read, as all can ind
who have a thirst tor knowledge; but as
he grew older he had less time to read
than when a boy. The little he bad
learned, however, but infamed him
with a desire to learn more. The love
for knowledge was the prevailing aud
all-absorbing passion OF his soul. Io
be a scholar was then the summit OF his
highest ambition. He felt that he had
ACQUIRED all the knowledge within hls
reach, but this only taught him how
little in fact, he knew, and was far from
allaying his burning thirst for knowl
edge more. knowledge there was, he
knew, but how to reach it was more
than he could tell. Poverty stared him
in the face. DISTINCTIONS thlckenec
upon him. The father and his fam
anchored him at home, but his buoyan'
spirits led him off on q thousand plans
through many aerial castles, and II
many delightful visions. Calculation;
were made, but made in vain. Plans
were formed, but they were soon bu
air A world was abroad, but what Il
was the eager student hardly knew
And vet, the more he knew OF 1t the
more he painted to act his part IN 1t
But the more he thought Of his sltua
ton the more he despaired. Reflection
at last ripened into actual suffering
His feelings became intensely interested
The bitter melancholy conclusion a
last was that he must abandon all hope
forever. ooo
But in the summer of 1908 he wa
awakened from this stupor by ayoutf
nearly of his own age, whom his fathel
had hired for few months to assls
him in farming, and who had ramblet