Page:The autobiography of a Pennsylvanian.djvu/124

 Commonwealth and after a career of great distinction, died universally esteemed and leaving his edition of Blackstone for the instruction of the profession. The lectures were delivered in the building on the west side of Ninth Street, north of Chestnut. When I was graduated as a Bachelor of Laws, we had no commencement save that I called, with others, and was given my diploma.

I was admitted to the bar in May, 1866. On the Board of Examiners sat George W. Biddle and William Henry Rawle, among others, and John Cadwalader, Jr., acted as secretary. They made an entry on their minutes that I had passed the best examination which had come before them during their term, much to the delight of Mr. McCall as well as myself. Biddle, long regarded as the leader of the Bar, never forgot me and frequently recalled the impression of me then made. In the trial of cases he had a nervous habit of raising one hand and rubbing the back of it with the palm of the other, and he always spoke impressively. He had three sons, all of them lawyers, and it was his sad fate to see them all die in young manhood.

It had cost my grandfather for my legal education, extending through two years and a half, in the midst of the high prices of the war, including $200 paid to my preceptor and $360 paid to the University professors, and including board and clothing, exactly $1,260. This sum he later forgave and probably never expected to reclaim. It ought to be added, however, that while I was a student the discovery of oil in Venango County led to tremendous speculation and the organization of oil companies in all directions. Robert R. Chrisman and other persons whom I happened to know secured some land, a charter for the Providence Oil Company, and proceeded to bore for oil and to sell their stock. They engaged me for two hours a day, at $12 a week, to keep their books and I remained with them four months and until the balance in the treasury had fallen to $3.67. I did some other work which helped my resources slightly. 114