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© 1998, Peter Binkley
William McCoy Wheatley made his living at various times as a shoemaker, bookkeeper, farmer, manager, iron company owner, rancher and canal boatman, but his formal training was as a surveyer. In his sixteenth year he worked through Gummer's Surveying at the Northumberland Academy, where (William notes) William B. Mendenhall was the principal. William's exercise book survives; it includes problems in plane trigonometry, some dated, from 1843-44. William also used various blank pages in the exercise book to copy verses (probably his own), a brief journal, and literary compositions.
The physical make-up of the exercise book is interesting. It is homemade, being made of double-foolscap sheets folded and sewn to make a book. In its present form it has 29 leaves. It had a cover of rough heavy brown paper (only the front cover survives). It was originally made up as two booklets: The outer booklet, comprising fol. 1-9 and 22-29, and an inserted inner booklet, comprising fol. 10-21. The outer booklet was originally one gathering of 11 sheets, making 22 leaves; five leaves have been cut out, all in the second half of the booklet (leaves are missing after fol. 24, 25, 28, and two after 29, at the end of the book). The leaf after fol. 24 was cut out before the text on fol. 24-25 was written, so it seems the cuttings were made before William started to use this part of the book, whenever he needed a piece of paper. The inner booklet is made up of different paper, which has not darkened as much as the outer booklet. It comprises a gathering of three sheets, making six leaves (fol. 10-15), followed by six single leaves (fol. 16-21). Various dated items in the outer booklet all date from 1843; all the dates in the inner booklet are from 1844. It seems that William used the outer booklet for his school exercises until the end of the school year on April 4 1843 (fol. 9r); he then used the rest of the book for other purposes during the summer and fall of 1843. When he took up Gummer's Surveying again in the fall of 1843 or winter of 1844, he carried on where he had left off, but he needed a new exercise book, which he sewed into the old one at the appropriate point.
The extracurricular items that William wrote on the unused pages of his exercise book are of some interest. From Nov. 30 to Dec. 7 1843 he kept a journal, which provides a glimpse of his life as a teenager in Northumberland. His time was divided among school, his father's shop, and the outdoors, where he spent as much time as possible. His romantic attachment to nature is evident in the many verses he wrote on the seasons (which foreshadow the poem he wrote for his wife Mildred during his trip on the Missouri River in 1865), and in the long essay "Beauties of Nature", as well as a shorter one entitled "An Afternoon Walk". On fol. 28v are some renderings in watercolours of some leaves and flowers; the bluebells are each whimsically labelled "Pine Apple".
A notable feature of William's thoughts was his preoccupation with the Rocky Mountains and the distant West. In his journal he mentions spending an hour and a half in conversation in a local shop:
Talked a great deal about hunting and trapping. talking of Taking a trip to the Rocky Mountains with joyfull anticipation.
One of his poems concludes, "The rocky mountains the place for me"; and at the top of a page he scribbled: "I wish I was in Oregon / cut<t>ing up and have some fun." The West represented freedom and the abundance of nature. When at the age of 63 William abandoned a successful career as manager and then owner of an iron foundry to move to the North-West, he was fulfilling a childhood dream.
Those were William's concerns in 1843, when he was adding materials to the outer booklet. In 1844, when he had a blank page left at the end of the inner booklet, he copied a campaign song from the presidential election of that year (refering to Henry Clay's candidacy for the Whigs), and some moral aphorisms concluding: "Gather information from every correct source." Perhaps he was making an effort to become more serious and improve his moral character, as he described in his essay on the temptations of youth.
<Cover: rough brown paper. Inside:> W.B. Mendenhall / W.F. Wheatley / John Wesley
<f.1r> Problem VII ...
<f.1v> Problem VIII. ... Problem IX. ...
<f.2r> ...
<f.2v> Problem X. ...
<f.3r> ...
<f.3v> Problem XI. ...
<f.4r> ... <includes a diagram signed:> By W.M. Wheatley / 1843
<f.4v> ... Problem XII ...
<f.5r> ...
<f.5v> ... Problem XIII. ...
<f.6r> ... <bottom half of page blank; before the problem was written in ink, a pencil sketch was made of a building, probably the tower of the Presbyterian Church: see below, ff. 22r and 23r>
<f.6v> Problem XIV ... Problem XV. ...
<f.7r> ...
<f.7v> Problem XVI ...
<f.8r> Problem XVII ...
<f.8v> ...
<f.9r> ... <at foot of page:> This day April 4th School is done / Farewell! I will not leave the<e> long
<f.9v: a page of miscellaneous notes and verses>
As school is about coming to a close I will address it with the following
Come let us leave the good old school
The ambitious and the worldly wise
Tramps revels turbulent & Cool
and pleasures round us rise.
Lets seek the little tufts of flowers
Hid neath the turf from sultry beams
Nor waste lifes swift and smiling hours
In senseless joys or idle dreams.
Farewell. I will not leave thee long
Good Bye.
Bye. Bye
There was a time
When hogs were swine
And Turkey chews tobacco.
At the base of the Blue Hill
The Susquehanna rolls along
The murmurings and the echoing rill
Along the beach the sound prolong
Spring
Spring returns with blessings rich
Crowns the flowers with every hue
The reviving and the new blossom which
Sends the winter off is now(?) in view!
The little streams thus glide along
So gently sing the joyfull song
No more disturbed with ice and snow
But gently oer the pebbles flow.
Winter
The winter comes with and tempest blow
and crowns the fields with driven snow
Binds the peaceful brooks with ice
All natures crowned with Gloominess
The morn was clear fine
The sky was clear
I am bound for to go
To the Rocky Mount Oh
<f.10r> <Beginning of inserted booklet; oversized pen exercises:> Manner. Northumberland.
<f.10v> Gummer's Surveying. Key to Problem XVIII. ...
<f.11r> ... Problem XVIIII ...
<f.11v> ... <includes diagram, signed twice:> W.M.F. Wheatley. <Between ff. 11 and 12, a loose paper with a diagram and some calculations.>
<f.12r> ...
<f.12v> Chapter VI. Miscellaneous Questions. 1. ... 2. ...
<f.13r> 3. ... 4. ...
<f.13v> ... 5. ...
<f.14r> 6. ...
<f.14v> 7. ...
<f.15r> 8. ... 9. ...
<f.15v> 10 ... <includes diagram, signed:> By W.M.F.W. ... 11. ...
<f.16r> 12. ... 13. ...
<f.16v> ... 14. ...
<f.17r> ... 15. ...
<f.17v> ... 16. ... <at the foot of the page:>
Principal
Wm B. Mendenhall
By Wm M Wheatley 44
Northumberland Academy - North' Co. Penna.
<f.18r> 17th. ... 18. ...
<f.18v> ...
<f.19r> ... <some scribbles:> James / James / J John
<f.19v> ... <full-page diagram, signed:> Protracted by / William M. Wheatley. / North' County / Pa Feb 12 1844
<f.20r> ...
<f.20v> ...
<f.21r> ... <end of problem signed:> By W. M. Wheatley 1844 <rest of page blank>
<f.21v> <verses:>
Come all ye sons of fre<e>dom hear
The voice of your cou<n>try now
Ye Whigs and democrats give ear
and sound Principles avow.
A National Bank. they say we want.
To make our country poor.
Millions cry groan and pant.
Ah! Clay's the man they want secure
The ____ Banner(?) death(?) ran.
<three words scribbled out> for to plan
A way to get a _____ treasury
To pay his formen(?) at 10 $ a day.
<blue ink>
Eternal wisdom was praised by men of ages
Happy is he who is blest in the most high
How beautiful and how sublime are the works of
Nature. God to whom universal nations all ____
Should youthful days in deadly silence dwell
The flattering tales of boyhood pass away.
Memory! ___ ____. can only tell.
Of the tales of yore. preserves them from decay.
Gather information from every correct source
Gather information from every correct source.
<f.22r> <a pencil drawing of a building, drawn with some care using a straight-edge, with some measurements marked; but part of the top of the page had been cut away, so the top of the tower is on f.23r-William ignored the cut and extended the lines of the tower onto the page beneath. The building is labelled, in ink:> Plan of the Old School / Presbyterian Church. / Completed in 1843 <Other scribbles and calculations in ink obscure the drawing.>
<f.22v> <Scribbles, diagrams and calculations; four lines of the smallest possible writing:>
The boys are skating on the ice
With ___ and ______________
Then whirling spins(?) of delight
But _____________________
<f.23r>
The sun has rose above the hills
Just Ripen(?) the gentle rolling rills.
<A diagram; a scribble:> Thornton
<f.23v>
What have we gained by the war. This is a very important question to the american born individual. who is resqued from the bonds of slavery. and from those obnoxious laws of Great Britain.
Journal Commenced Nov. 30 1843.
I am about to commence a kind of memorandum or journal of the transactions which occur Daily. If I had commenced this last Spring what a Jolly row of matters and things I would have had here Today. Gracious Alive! And so now I commence now better late than never as the old saying is. now then: Go It Boots.
This morning I rose at 7 oclock, with a kind of dissiness in my head, flustered about a while then all was wright(?). Eat breakfast at 8-cut some wood went Down street looked round awhile come home attended to some business of shop got ready went to ____ school. Weather. Morning damp, and Drislly(?) 8 oclock had to continue until _____ Going to school in(?) the business in the work.(?) said grammer. Done 2 sums in Plane Trigonometry. 11 oclock. fooled around a little etc. Had a quarrel about a couple of s__ain strings with +: Opinion.
Intermission. Eat 2 apples. made the Figure to case 4 Rule 2 2d
jun. Gummer Surveying. begins to rain. school leaves out 12 oclock.
Dinner 12 ¾ School leaves takes in 1 ½
oclock. Studying ancient History. said Philosophy-said Chemistry-said
History. Done 3 sums- ½ 3 intermission. went out at 4 oclock.
to look at our snares very unpleasant out. went over to the Blue
Hill on examaining the traps we \and/ found that
we caught 1 Rabbit. 5 oclock. continues Raining. took the rabbit
of the snare tied its legs. set the snare and went on Look at
the rest but found nothing. we then proceeded on towards home,
arrived. ¼ 6 oclock <f.24r>
Got supper 6 oclock. wet down to De Rigne shop loafed(?) there about an hour and ½ - Talked a great deal about hunting and trapping. talking of Taking a trip to the Rocky Mountains with joyfull anticipation. getting tired. goes home ½ past 7 Posted 2 pages. 800 went Down wancks shop - staid 10 minutes come home went to Bed ¼ past 9. Slept fine all night rose 7 oclock took Breakfast. attended to the business of the shop. whilst there. I heard hooping and hallowing of the Boys ran to the Door. saw the street full of Boys and men. asked whats the matter. said the Rabbit we caught last evening got away then had quite a chase. caught it. - ¼ of 9 got Ready went to school. wrote awhile. weather. looks Dreary-no sun. Damp and mist. | Nothing occurred worthy of notice. Friday 1st December. This morning. snow. commences During the night. continues all. day. stayed home this morning. in consequence of particular Business. went this afternoon. said Philosophy-wrote awhile. Returned home. went to the Hill. - | Saturday 2d Rose at ½ past 6. stayed at home this morning went hunting in the afternoon. got nothing. snares stolen this morning. Sunday 3d morning cold and clear. 11 oclock went to meeting no preaching. returned home. ½ past 2 went to church-Loafed about awhile went to bed. slept. very cold all night. Monday 4 cold very cold. exceeding cold all day. Tuesday 5. Rose ½ past six went to the snares. observed that our game had been stolen. recovered our loss. with difficulty. & trouble. went at the regular hour. wrote awhile. recited grammer--afternoon said Philosophy--done 3 sums in Plane Trigonometry. towards evening got matters arranged for a Barbarceau. came of between the hours 6 & 12 oclock it was a grand festival. 12 oclock. all was over Returned home. Wednesday. 6 Nothing transpired worthy of insertion. Thursday 7 Rose 7.- and found to my great surprise that the snow had fallen to the depth of 4 inches continues untill 3 oclock. <Last 5 ½ lines blank.>
Beauties of Nature
How beautiful and how sublime are the works of rural nature. It has spread its radiance on every hand, as far as the vision can be extended the eye is constantly enveloped by natures works. How pleasant it is to retire to the margin of some refreshing stream or beneath the shade of harmless Willow. desirous of of [sic] quitting the noisy bustling street. of quitting obnoxious vapours which keep floating constantly in the atmosphere to breathe the pure and wholesome air as it flows down the clear crystal strem. When we behold the glorious sun rising in the east. adorned with more splendour and magnigicense than the human mind can imagine. whose brilliant and sering(?) rays. dispels all dantiness here below. and sheds his gentle ang [sic] congenial influence-- to illumine this \Dark/ vale of oblivion as the rises from behing [sic] those green mountains ___ the verge of the horison. and what a majestic scene is presented to our view! The whole face of creation is crowned with splendour and loveliness. the cloudy vapours strive with their utmost power to check the King of Day!! They float along the on the great expace of air. to obstruct this holy ligh<t> but all in vain.
Whose ringing power they cant forbear. And scatters them aloft
amid the spangled heavens and every wither his remote bands cheer
him with exqu exquisite beauty. the flowers assume
anew and is decorated with all hidges(?) and \charming/ paints
of nature and scents the atmosphere with their swete perfume.
And sends the prowling ____ to their dens The beast of the unexplored
forest. are no longer far(?) found within den. no longer found
wrapped in their soft midnight slumbers. all is in constant(?)
action the oer(?) the fields of unknown bounds. in quest of the
substance the wakeful \lark/ is no longer found within the shady
grove involved the in the embrace of profound
sleep but has mounted on the fresh morning air and cheers up his
sprite and clarion and pours forth his charming
and melodious notes. to salute the coming day <f.25r> elevate
in the air the the seems to say in a lonely and prophetic tone.
Arouse ye souls from your morning slumbers
And listen to my soft and charming numbers.
The whole feather tribe can at such a time be seen warbling fand
skipping from twig to twig and accompanyied with their soft and
exquisite song of praise to their maker! even
The cock salutes the coming morn
Appalling note tunes up his horn.
The green hedge is interspersed with numbers of the feathered
choristers hopping from spray to spray and insinuates for their
fellow songster to come and join in their melodious choir. Old
towser(?) is no more seen in his straw daub(?) hut. but at the
dawn of day he barks impatiently for the sound of the huntsmans
horn and hastens with to forest and there to chase the wild from
their ruddy covering. The red man of western forest is no longer
found d within his bark built uiguam but puts on his hunting armour.
and habiliments and swings the falal oer his shoulder. and with
his quiver to hold the deadly arrows. there he departs from
bidding dieu to his offspring till a happy return. now with a
cheerfull heart as he trudges along his way uttering his warlike
sentiments and occasion___ sep____ to__ peridilay(?) hieroglyphic
war song handed down frm his valiant father of his gallant deeds.
The bee hastens from his hive to ca__t the sweet and glittering
dew from the morning flowers \to lay up a plentiful store of honey
for subsistance but seldom v___ _____ do they get the opportunity
of enjoyng its delicious taste/ its whole pursuit is after that
sweet and delicious juice obtained from the flower if we would
chance to walk in _____ on a fine summer morning our ears would
somewhat be deafened by the constant humming of the industrious
bees. (If all mankind would be as industrious as the bee when
a vast change the world would be). The laborious husbandman waked
by clarion of the tuneful songsters. is no longer found within
his peaceful cottage enjoying the pleasure of morning slumber
but hastens to his plough. or swing the ruddy axe oer toil worn
shoulder to cactch [sic] the morning air. he leaves his
cottage to labour under the schorching beams of the <f.25v>
I wish I was in Oregon
cuting up and have some fun.
Northumberland June 3d 1843
<pencil> My thoughts are wandering oer the world
My mind in cares and troubles curled.
<ink scribbles:> M.D.W. <etc.> / William Wheatley
<continues from previous page> midday sun. The glorious
sun has now risen in all his glory he accends slowly till heaviness
to his utmost pinacle. The heat. is schorching. the light is brilliant
so as Dazzle our eyes. the birds retire to their shady grove the
cattle flee to soe shady cover. or labour under the heat of the
burning noon. He is now gradually decending gradually as he rose
the heat accordingly deminishes. as he arrive at the verge of
herizon. The gloden is now about to leave set.
behind yonder green mountains close the top of tallest trees.
on his departure he gently pours his declining rays of
upon elevate spires and steeples. this is his work. the only joy
of his departure. He sinks down behind yon usster(?) hall. He
bids Farewell to is world of Darkness and ___ - untill he has
performed his task on an other part of the earth all is now Darkness
in vain we cast our lanishing(?) eyes about __ing the expance
of air which one so clear and pan(?) but all in vain-all is chaos.
all undistinguishable Darkness. Untill the rising moon makes the
appearance in the heaven to imitate his master. The twinkling
star _______ the etheral(?) vaul<t> with their brilliant
lustre.
To be Continued
<Oversized pen exercises:> Belerma / Lenhart.
<f.26r> <Oversized pen exercises:> Manner. / Morrow / Marrow / Marlow / Mendon / Wilmot
<A page of various verses and notes>
The murmuring of the restless Deep.
Are formed by such small streams
That never rest or sleep
But gently dream their peaceful dreams
Time of trials tries the hearts of men
Fig. 81st Glummers Surveying
Buckwheat 5 lbs
1 Rabbit
1 lb Crackers
2 Beef stakes
¾ lb Butter
Salt & Pepper
Milk
North Bend Ohio.
Big as a horse and as strong as a buffaloe
Terrors of Swell
When we contemplate of terrors and awful calamaties of of that great Day
I wish to go far Distances(?)
The mountains west & western sea
That the place I love _____
The rocky mountains the place for me
The same old boon
That same old loon
The same old loon
I wish to go this forest \Place/ where
Deer and elk roam or the Plain
There is the Place and none but there
My mind has always wished to gain.
I wish to go to the forest woods
To aim the deadly Blow
I wish to go where health is found so bright
along the western Brooks around
Where Peace and Plenty Dwells
That the Place my hearts delight
I wish to be in some
The fields are covered oer with snow
How desolate they look
The seasons here that tempest blow
The whistling winds bound oer the brook
The streams with icy fetters bound
The icicle hangs from yon huge lock \glen/
The stormy tempests hark! The sound
That breaks amid the wasteful Diadem(?)
The lonely oak. which once so green
has bid adieu: its charming plume
The winter packs of far to his Den
The spring gives him his parting Doom.
He'l then give forth his sign of spring
With all the splendour. ____ ____
Arrayed in beauty he will cling
Till winter breaks from his lonely tomb
We must soon resign on ____
For ____ ____ _______
Sept. 24 1843
Northd.
I am now in my sixteenth year of my age. and it is <an>
age that youths are full of future calculation and notions. Build
a great many castles in the air. Imagination is the chief and
fundamental source from which these foolish throughts and opinions
are cherished. However incarnate(?) they may be they will be indulged
in(?) them untill there will be quite an excitement produced in
the foolish mind. But such as they are they will involuntarily
arrise in the source(?) of induement(?). Indolence is
natural to man is a trait in the human character prominent
and this can be seen in every variety of life. The thoughtful
mind with all capacities entertains a great ma<n>y false
hopes when at the same time \____/ that \it/ is directly opposite
to the peculiar desires of the wish.
Suppose for instance a youth of fifteen Just in the prime of Boyhood
is full of Deception and deceitfullness and generally of an e<n>vious
disposition and flattery(?) and popularity are the principle motives
by which all the the deficiencys in the character
of Boys are reared up <and> sustained.
Some are possessed of intellectual qualities and prominent requisitions
ago(?) some are ______. perhaps born of an illustrious family.
and of fortune. and from this position where envy makes his first
appearance and is gradually fostered. Theft(?) and orleng(?) he
then(?) finds himself in engulfed in pain and
misery. Envy is a boon always existed. and existing and is the
generaly the most pronounced feature of the Day. The imediate
consequences which follows it are suppressing and painfull
<f.27v>
I am about to <give> my opinion on the subject of <blot> and the deceitfulness of the human heart. I shall reason from experience as far as possible and from the rest what I have read on the subject. Did not the same all-wise hand create females that created males - then why this feeling of superiority so prevalent with the male sex. They to leisure [=be sure?]. can lay strength to boldness & resolution. But what are these composed with the characteristicks of a Lovely Female. She may possess virtue and modesty.
<Oversized pen exercises:> Frien\d/ship / Gallan\t/ry / Govern
An Afternoon walk
The afternoon was pleasant and mild but there was a gentle south
east wind in motion, which rendered the day very agreable. Toiled
with a weeks labour, desirous of \quitting/ the noisy street,
those unhealthy vapours which constantly keep floating in the
atmosphere. And for excercise and health I retired to the pleasant
\shades/ of \the/ Blue Hill. I crossed the bridge
Susquehanna bridge. there was a gentle breeze to fan the flowers,
to wave the briny waters when I arrived at the end of the bridge,
I began to accend. the lower part of the hill rises gradually
about 100 feet. above this the rocks are nearly perpendicular,
and in many places mortal feet never trod. I proceeded a considerable
distance, untill I arrived at a proper place to accend the lofty
precipices.
Those lofty rocks that nature formed
How frightfull is the sight.
<Oversized pen exercises:> Prevalent Mar / Prevalent mar / Bombard
<f.28v> <various scribbles, drawings, and watercolours of leaves and flowers; e.g.:> Painting and Drawing / Drawing taught by J.Wheatley
<f.29r> <Oversized pen exercises:> Principle / Principle / Princple / Palding / Resolution / Bomb
<f.29v> <scribbles and drawings:> N Wanck of Northd County / Procrastination / Slavery <etc.>