County for many years, and wrote many valuable articles on men of history. His article on Menefee, already referred to, brought out the fact that Marshall had Menefee's teacher's name wrong, which has also been noticed; and a few weeks later, Reid's History of Montgomery County, a copy of which was found by the author in the great Wisconsin Historical Library, corroborated Hill's statement in this particular.

Walker Bourne lived to see five of his "boys" become celebrated men: Menefee, Lane, Harrison, Jameison and Hill. He died February 6, 1873, in his eighty-third year. He was a Democrat and Harrison and Jameison accepted his political faith, but Menefee and Lane became Whigs.

Menefee completed his first year at Bourne's school with great credit to himself. In the summer of 1822 he probably labored in the fields of some friendly farmer, and in the fall of the same year returned to Bourne's school. 'One day, in the latter half of his second year at Bourne's school, he came home and found his mother in tears. Inquiring for the cause of her sorrow he was told that she had been mistreated by his step-father, and, seizing a carving knife he made ready to repay the injury that Lansdowne had inflicted upon his mother. A relation, who happened to be in the house at the time, interfered and serious trouble was averted. This difficulty caused "the lion of his nature to first break out."

Menefee now left the home of his mother,

1L. V. Clement's speech on Menefee. Incident related by Menefee's widow.

and at the age of fourteen years started out to face the cold and uncongenial world. I fancy that I can hear him pray the prayer that a Kentucky novelist of the present time put into the mouth of the "Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come," when he, at the same age as Menefee, was turned out into the world: "God, I am nothing but a boy, but I have got to act like a man now!"

Nothing else presenting itself, Menefee accepted the position as bar-keeper at a tavern bar in Owingsville. This tavern was probably his father's old tavern which had been rented at his death. Here the young Kentuckian sold drinks at the prices fixed by the Bath County court, on April 1, 1811.1 He sold one-half pint of whiskey or peach or apple brandy at twelve and one-half cents, and one-half pint of French brandy or rum at fifty cents. He, no doubt, also assisted the tavern-keeper with his various duties, when there was nothing to do behind the bar. One night's lodging, supper, or breakfast cost sixteen and two-thirds cents; twenty-five cents was charged for dinner. Twelve and one-half cents was charged to keep a traveler's horse in the tavern barn over night, and the same amount was charged to let him graze, for twelve hours, in the tavern pasture. Richard H. Menefee and Patrick Henry are the only Americans that ever developed from barkeepers into orators, within my knowledge.

Although he was willing to stoop to conquer, Menefee was not willing to occupy such a menial position during his entire life. So, after attending the bar for about one year, he gave 'Young's History of Bath County.

it up, and at the age of fifteen years became a teacher. It was not an uncommon thing for a district school teacher, of a half century ago, to be under sixteen years of age. He drilled the principles of arithmetic and spelling, as laid down by Thomas Dilworth and Noah Webster, and as he had learned them from Bourne, into his pupils in a vigorous manner. He received probably not as much money for teaching this school as for serving at the bar, but dauntlessly he taught it for one term and then went to Mt. Sterling, to live with his father's friend, Edward Stockton.' Menefee taught in Stockton's family and attended the Mt. Sterling public school for over a year. Thus, by teaching and studying he prepared himself for the great Transylvania University which was located in Lexington, Kentucky. It was the foremost institution of learning west of the Alleghenies.

In September, 1826, when he was in his seventeenth year, Menefee went to Lexington and entered Transylvania University. He matriculated as an irregular student, we may be sure, because of the irregular manner of his preparation. Marshall is perhaps correct when he said that Menefee entered Transylvania as an irregular junior. He was undoubtedly farther advanced in the humanities than he was in the sciences. Menefee is remembered, as he appeared on the streets of Lexington, by Mrs. Dr. Robert Peter, whose distinguished husband was professor of chemistry in the Transylvania University Medical School, as a very

1 Historical Sketches of Montgomery County, prepared by Richard Reid. 1882.

bashful young fellow, dressed in jeans clothes that were probably made by his mother.

The famous scientist, Constantine Samuel Rafinesque, had left Transylvania the year before Menefee entered the University, but the most distinguished of the Transylvania presidents, Horace Holley, a Yale valedictorian and Unitarian minister of Boston, who had raised Transylvania from a high school to a leading American institution of learning, was president of the University at this time. The faculty consisted of four professors, besides President Holley. Rev. George T. Chapman occupied the chair of History, Geography, Chronology, and Antiquities; Thomas J. Matthews, A. M., was professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy; John Roche, A. M., occupied the chair of the Greek and Latin languages. The other professor, Rev. Benjamin O. Peers, an Episcopalian minister, gave up his chair to become acting-president when Holley resigned.1

Menefee was required to pay thirty dollars tuition fee, and five dollars for the use of the library and other incidentals. He lived in the dormitory and ate at the refectory, the University dining hall. Board and lodging were furnished him at one dollar and fifty cents per week, which was to be paid, as he stated in the letter to Lansdowne, quarterly. He was required to furnish his own bed and bed-clothing, fire-wood, candles, and washing. Breakfast was served at seven o'clock from spring to fall, and from fall to spring at eight o'clock. Din

'Dr. Peters's History of Transylvania University, Filson Club Publication No. II.

ner was served at two o'clock, and supper at sunset.1

The earliest extant letter of Menefee's was written to his stepfather, Col. George Lansdowne, with whom he had become reconciled. It was written after he had been at the University, several months, and is as follows:

Lexington, December 30th, 1826

Dear Col-I should be glad if you would inform me as soon as you can conveniently whether or not you intend that I should pay what remains of the money which I have to Mr. Brooks for boarding, or whether yourself and Mr. Brooks have arranged it yourselves. If you recollect, John Fletcher loaned me all the books which are necessary in College and thus far I have been obliged to purchase but one or two; Owing, however, to a different arrangement in the studies of the different classes all the books (excepting one or two) which I borrowed from Fletcher have become entirely useless; those of them which are still necessary, he has sent for, and I shall be under the necessity of purchasing. I think it is very probable that I could sell all the books which I shall buy for almost the same sum for which I buy them. I have been obliged to be at far more expense than I expected to have been by getting shirts, shoes, etc.

College will not be open for the students until Tuesday and I should like to hear your advice before that time.

If you think it advisable I will either get the books and sell them again or keep them for Jackson; I think, however, it would be advisable to dispose of them, as there is almost every year a change in books, though I

1

Transylvania Record Book from 1827-1839.