I must now go back and give a history of myself, from the winter of 1816, to this time (1825.) As I said before, I went to work for Mr. Terry, making the Patent Shelf Clock in the winter of 1816.  Mr. Thomas had been making them for about two years, doing nearly all of the labor on the case by hand.  Mr. Terry in the mean time being a great mechanic had made many improvements in the way of making the cases.  Under his directions I worked a long time at putting up machinery and benches.  We had a circular saw, the first one in the town, and which was considered a great curiosity.  In the course of the winter he drew another plan of the Pillar Scroll Top Case with great improvements over the one which Thomas was then making.  I made the first one of the new style that was ever produced in that factory, which became so celebrated for making the patent case for more than ten years after.

When my time was out in the spring, I bought some parts of clocks, mahogany, veneers, etc., and commenced in a small shop, business for myself.  I made the case, and bought the movements, dials and glass, finishing a few at a time.  I found a ready sale for them.  I went on in this small way for a few years, feeling greatly animated with my prosperity, occasionally making a payment on my little house.  I heard one day of a man in Bristol, who did business in South Carolina, who wanted to buy a few clocks to take to that market with him.  I started at once over to see him, and soon made a bargain with him to deliver twelve wood clocks at twelve dollars apiece.  I returned home greatly encouraged by the large order, and went right to work on them.  I had them finished and boxed ready for shipping in a short time.  I had agreed to deliver them on a certain day and was to receive $144 in cash.  I hired an old horse and lumber wagon of one of my neighbors, loaded the boxes and took an early start for Bristol.  I was thinking all the way there of the large sum that I was to receive, and was fearful that something might happen to disappoint me.  I arrived at Bristol early in the forenoon and hurried to the house of my customer, and told him I had brought the the clocks as agreed.  He said nothing but went into another room with his son.  I thought surely that something was wrong and that I should not get the wished-for money, but after a while the old gentleman came back and sat down by the table.  “Here,” he says, “is your money, and a heap of it, too.”  It did look to me like a large sum, and took us a long time to count it.  This was more than forty years ago, and money was very scarce.  I took it with a trembling hand, and securing it safely in my pocket, started immediately for home.  This was a larger sum than I had ever had at one time, and I was much alarmed for fear that I should be robbed of my treasure before I got home.  I thought perhaps it might be known that I was to receive a large sum for clocks, and that some robbers might be watching in a lonely part of the road and