The telegraph manual: a complete history and description of the semaphoric, electric and magnetic telegraphs of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, ancient and modern.

808 APPENDIX.
AMOS KENDALL,
Of tfje Eigtrict of Columbia.
AMOS KENDALL was born in Dunstable, in the State of Massschusetts,
on the 16th day of August, 1789. His ancestors were farmers, and he
labored on his father's farm until he was about sixteen years old. IHis
fondness for books, and progress in the free schools of the neighborhood,
excited in his father a desire to give him a collegiate education.
He was fitted for college, partly in New Ipswich, N. H., and partly in
Groton, Mass. In August, 1807, he entered the freshman class of Dartmouth college, and graduated in August, 1811. For want of means, he
was unable to attend the fall terms, and having supplied himself by
teaching school in the winter, and kept up with his class by studying in
the long evenings, he joined the class in the spring, so that he entered
college five times within the four years. He graduated at the head of a
large class.
Immediately after graduating, Mr. Kendall commenced the study of the
law, at Groton, Mass., in the office of Winm. M. Richardson, Esq., who
afterward became chief justice of New-Hampshire. This step was
taken at the instance of Mr. Richardson himself, who learning that young
Kendall was without means, proposed to take him into his office and
family, allow him sundry perquisites, and depend entirely on the future
for his compensation.
In consequence of the war with Great Britain, the practice of the law
was very much depiessed in New-England. and having no prominent
family to sustain and advance him, Mr. Kendall determined to seek his
fortune in the South or West. Mr. Richardson was then in Congress, and
in February, 1814, Mr. Kendall went to Washington, and after spending
there a couple of weeks, collecting information by means of his friend
and patron, started foi the West. Hie travelled to Pittsburg in the
stages, spent two weeks there, descended the Ohio river in a flatboat to
Maysville, Ky., thence in a skiff to Cincinnati, and then ce he went most
of the way on foot to Lexington, Ky. Accident there made him
acquainted with the family of Henry Clay, who was then in Europe, and
under an arrangement with Mrs. Clay, he became family tutor to her
children for nearly a year. He then settled in Georgetown, Ky.. in the
prnctice of the law, and was soon afterward appointed postmaster
there. It was not until after he settled in Georgetown, that he first saw
Mr. Clay.
A slight incident here gave direction to his subsequent life. A club of
young men, associated for mutual improvement in speaking and composition, existed in the neighborhood, which he joined upon invitation. A
piece of composition read by him in the club, attracted attention, and
produced solicitations that he would write for the village newspaper. His
productions attracted attention, and led to an invitation to purchase an
interest in the State paper at Frankfort, called the " Argus of Western
America." After some hesitation he made the purchase, and in the fall
of 1817, became in effect the sole editor of that paper. It was not his
purpose to abandon the practice of law, though by no means pleased with
it; but one exciting question after another arose in State politics which
engrossed his mind and weaned him from the law altogether.