WILLIAM G. ANGEL.

His Ancestry.-Birthplace.-Description of his early home in Otsego County.-His Love of Knowledge.-His Poverty.-The Commencement of his Education.-The Circulating Library.-His Struggle to obtain access to it.-His Ultimate Success. -Engages as a Clerk in a Dry Goods Store.-Deposits a large quantity of Whiskey in the wrong place and Leaves the Store.-Dr. Buckingham and his School. -Young Angel a Pupil.-How he Obtained a Copy of Murray's Grammar.-His Progress in the School.-Becomes a Medical Student.-Abandons the Study.-Is a Witness in a Lawsuit.-The Novelty of the Scene.-Colonel Farrand Stranahan and Honorable William Dowse, of Cooperstown, the Opposing Counsel.— Angel's Personal Appearance.-The Wonder with which he Witnessed all the Proceedings.-A new Field of Ambition opens.-Enters the Service of William Dowse as a Laborer.-How he managed to became a Law Student.-Dowse Elected to Congress.-His Death.-The Struggle of young Angel to obtain his Profession.-Succeess at Last.-Discouragement of his early Professional Life.— His retiring nature and embarrassment in Courts of Record.-An incident occurs which causes him to overcome his Embarrassment.-Samuel A. Starkweather.— Angel's Professional Career.-He becomes Prosperous, and gains Distinction at the Bar.-Is Elected to Congress.-Is repeatedly Re-elected.-His Congressional Career. His relations with Calhoun, Clayton, Silas Wright, General Houston, and Ogden Hoffman.-Retires from Congress.- Removes to Hammondsport, New York.-Forms a Partnership with Morris Brown, Esq.-Martin Grover a Student in their Office.-Angel removes to Angelica, and enters into Partnership with Mr. Grover.-Character and Success of the Firm.-Mr. Angel enters into Partnership with Honorable Wilkes Angel.-Is Elected a Delegate to the Constitutional Convention.-His Labors and Services in the Convention.-After its adjournment, he is Elected County Judge of Allegany County.-Character as a Judge. Retires from the Bench.-His Death.-Characteristics.

BLOCK ISLAND, which is nominally a part of Rhode Island, was the birthplace of Wm. G. Angel. Early in the seventeenth century, his ancestors emigrated from Warwick, England, and settled in the colony of Massachusetts. They belonged to the Society of Friends; and accompanied Roger Williams to Rhode Island, and settled at Providence, where many of the descendants of the family still reside. At length the grandfather of Mr. Angel removed to New London, Con

necticut, where his father was born.

His mother was

a daughter of Stephen Gordon, of Colchester, Connecticut. She, too, belonged to the Society of Friends.

During the Revolutionary war, his father was favorably disposed to the cause of liberty, and furnished such aid as was consistent with the principles of the sect to which he belonged; yet he was subjected to many annoyances, and serious losses-losses which reduced him nearly to poverty itself. He eventually removed to Block Island, where, on the 17th day of July, 1790, his son, William G. Angel, was born; being the youngest of seven children. When William was two years old, his father removed to Richfield, Otsego county, New York; then, an almost unbroken wilderness. Amid the wild scenes-the grand woods --and by the side of the bright shimmering streams of Otsego, Mr. Angel received his first impressions of life. In a house formed of logs, covered with strips of elm bark-the floor of which was made of split logs faced with an ax, he first knew the sacred and tender affections of home-the unwearied watching and cheerful sacrifices of parents, and all the endearing offices of brothers and sisters, which shed a serene and holy light in that humble home. In the years of his prosperity and success, when mingling with the great, the learned, and the gifted, memory often carried him back to that home of poverty:

"And again returned the scenes of youth,

Of confident and undoubting truth,"

and he sighed for the happy hours, which even amid toil and privation he had passed there-for the loved ones he should see no more.

As the boy increased in years, he developed a bright, inquiring mind. At length he began to share with his father the labors and hardships of the day, and these were great; for their nearest grist mill was at Fort Plain, on the Mohawk, thirty miles distant, and the nearest store was at Cooperstown, eleven miles

away. For several years the family depended upon the deer which abounded in the forest, and the trout which swarmed in the streams, for the meat they used. When William was old enough, it was his delight, with dog and gun, to hunt for deer or fish for trout. Occasionally while hunting, a black bear would cross his path, and then a steady hand, a sure aim, always brought Bruin to the ground. Sports like these enlivened his life of labor, and lent a charm to its hardships.

The family of Mr. Angel had been at Richfield several years before a school was established there, and William learned the alphabet from an elder sister, who, in due time, taught him to read. When he was seven years old, a school was opened, four miles from the residence of his father. A relative resided near the school, and with him the boy boarded for the term of seven or eight months and attended school. His studies were confined to the spelling book. So rapid was his progress, that at the close of his term, he could repeat almost every word in Webster's spelling book, and was an excellent reader. Leaving this school, he returned home and remained with his father on the farm, until he attained his seventeenth year, laboring during the summer, and occasionally attending school during the winter. The common schools of that day afforded, at best, indifferent advantages. The only books to which young Angel had access during these years, were the Bible, a part of Shakespeare's works, Barcley's Apology for the Quakers, Webster's Third Part, and the Columbian Orator. These works he studied with the most unremitting industry, committing large portions of them to memory. Like many whose lives have adorned the "Bench and the Bar," Mr. Angel ever derived from Shakespeare a never-failing source of intellectual delight. He always had a true and just appreciation of that "great poet of humanity, whose every page furnishes us with intensified expressions,

where some happy word conveys to us a whole train of ideas condensed into a single luminous point."

At length a circulating library was established in the neighborhood. To gain access to this, was the ruling desire of his heart. But there was an almost insurmountable obstacle in his way. Before he could be admitted to this intellectual banquet, he was obliged to pay the sum of two dollars-an amount far beyond his reach. So limited were the means of his father-so pressing was his need of money, that he could spare none to his son, and as the young man had no friend from whom he could borrow, fortune seemed to deny him access to the books.

Learning that a man living some distance from his. father owned two shares in the library, one of which he desired to sell for the sum of two dollars, he immediately sought this man, and made an arrangement with him by which he was to take the share, and in payment, work for the owner on his farm. And now the coveted treasures were open to him. The "Meccas of the mind" were before him, and his every faculty paid tribute to them. His mind was enlightened and disciplined by the accuracy of the logician-the penetrating spirit of philosophy-the intuitions of genius -the researches of history--the science of the mindthe spontaneous utterances of the gifted and inspired poet. Compelled to labor in the field, like Ben Jonson who carried a trowel in one hand and a book in his pocket,-young Angel carried a book in his pocket, and seated on the plow beam, while his team was resting, he studied the classic page. When moving over the well-turned furrow, he meditated upon his studies, and grafted on his mind all he had read. When night came, his book was again his companion; and thus for several years, his life was the scene of labor and study. Thus, struggling with all the disadvantages of his narrow circumstances, gifted with great industry, and a retentive memory, he mastered every minute portion of the works he

read; thus his acquirements were lasting and valuable. His mind had now become too active, and his ambition too great, to be contented with his manner of life; he therefore left his father's home and entered a store, which had been established near the residence of his father, in the capacity of clerk and salesman. But he soon learned that in this, he had mistaken his calling. So much of his time was given to his books, that his employer complained of him.

One day, with book in hand, he was engaged in transferring a quantity of whiskey from one barrel into another. At length his book caused him to forget his occupation, and before he was aware of it, several gallons of the liquor found a lodgment on the cellar floor. After remaining in the store four months, he became thoroughly disgusted with trade, and leaving the business, he returned again to the labors of the farm.

In the autumn of 1808, Doctor Buckingham, a graduate of Yale College-a physician of fine attainments and a ripe scholar-settled in the neighborhood, and in the winter following opened a grammar school. It had long been the desire of young Angel to attain a knowledge of English grammar, and this was the first opportunity which presented itself for his pursuing this branch under a competent teacher; he therefore resolved to attend Doctor Buckingham's school. Upon consulting with his father he found him at first opposed to the project, as he desired his son to follow the avocation of a farmer, and believed that his education already sufficiently qualified him for that business. But at length he gave his consent, with the understanding that William should see that the winter's wood was drawn to the door, and prepared for the fire, and that he should also take care of the stock on the farm, nights and mornings. To this, the young man readily consented. But now another difficulty presented itself. He had no grammar, and what was still worse,