a young man he began to teach school, and in this occupation continued for eight years. While boarding around in the farmers' houses, in lieu of salary, as was then the custom, he found the opportunity of his life in learning the whereabouts of those rare old tomes, long since neglected and forgotten, which the religious enthusiasts who settled Pennsylvania brought with them across the Atlantic, or reprinted here for their spiritual delectation. In early youth he began to invest his spare earnings in books, and now, at the age of fifty-eight, he has a library of over ten thousand volumes, which is in some respects one of the most remarkable in the world, and in its own particular specialties stands entirely alone. It would be impossible within the limits of such a notice as this to give an adequate idea of his valuable collection. It is in the main a theological and historical library in English and German, though not confined to those subjects or languages. In the works of the fathers of the Church of the Reformed of the sixteenth century, and in early printed Bibles, it is particularly rich. The literature of the Dunker church, specimens of which are difficult to find elsewhere, is here seen entire. It contains much literary bric-a-brac, such as a copy of the works of John Bunyan in folio, 1736, having on its title-page the autograph of George Whitefield; a ponderous folio Bible, which was chained to the pulpit in the parish of South Cowden, England; the marriage certificate of Henry Frey and Anna Catharine Levering, dated Second-month (April) 26th, 1692; manuscripts in the handwriting of Francis Daniel Pastorius, the "Pennsylvania pilgrim"; and of Johannes Kelpins, the learned "Hermit of the Wissahickon."

Here also is the celebrated proclamation of Washington, issued in 1777, directing the farmers to thresh out their grain. Its chief value to the scholar, however, and its principal interest for the man of general culture, consists in the fact that it is a substantially complete and almost the only collection of the early German publications of this country-books, pamphlets, and ephemera. Here, and here alone, may be found all of the rare imprints of Christopher Saur, of Germantown, including the three quarto Bibles of 1743, 1763, and 1776, and

about one hundred and fifty other volumes and pamphlets: the Geistliches Magazin, which was the first religious magazine of the country; files of the newspaper which was also the first of the country; and a complete set of German almanacs beginning with 1738 and reaching down to the present date. Here is also the fullest collection in existence of the still more rare Ephrata imprints, and among them an unusually fine copy of Van Braght's Martyrer Spiegel, the noblest specimen of American colonial bibliography, and a lasting monument to the religious zeal of the Mennonites. Franklin, Armbruster, Miller, Leibert, Billmeyer, and all of the early Pennsylvania printers, have alike contributed their abundant volumes and pamphlets. In fact, it may be said with substantial truth that to the patient research and unwearied enthusiasm of this unassuming man, we owe the preservation of the history of the Germans of Pennsylvania.* Seidensticker, Rupp, Jones, Harbaugh, Weiser, and others, have written meritoriously and ably, but away back at a farm-house near Harleysville, in Montgomery county, is the well from which the waters have been drawn. It would be unjust to Mr. Cassel to call him technically a "collector," a name generally given to a man who pays a large price for the privilege of transferring a rare book from a shelf where it is of no use to another where it is equally valueless. His work has been largely creative, and his volumes have in many instances been saved by him from destruction. From garrets, in which they were lost; from spring-house lofts and granaries, where they were the prey of the storm; and from the waste packages of the country grocer, his materials have often been rescued. In the search for his treasures he has traveled thousands of miles, and ofttimes a book has only been made complete by putting together fragments found in widely separated localities, and when secured they have not lain idle, but became the subject of his deepest study and the source of his greatest delight. To him the humble emigrant of the time

*The author makes no apology for here suggesting to the curious in literary remains that wherever in our locality rare old books, pamphlets, or manuscripts are in the hands of persons who do not value them, or where such are likely to be destroyed, that such books or documents be presented to Mr. Cassel, who will treasure and preserve them. His collection will doubtless be handed down to posterity entire, as it should be. This note is added without the knowledge of Mr. C., and is dictated alone by a love of letters as such.

of Penn, sallying from his log cabin to reclaim the forest whilehis thoughts were busied with the trials of that long journey from the Rhine, the forgotten pastor who tended his little flock a century and a half ago, are as familiar in the events of their lives as is the present owner of the adjacent fàrm. Το him the past, like the sea of which we are told, has given up the dead which were in it, and with a generosity as unselfish. as it is rare, his information is at the service of all who care to seek it.

Mr. Cassel's reputation has extended to all parts of the world wherever men are enlightened enough to take an interest in books. He has been a member of the Pennsylvania Historical Society since 1858, and has contributed valuable articles to its publications. On the 1st of April, 1843, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Issachar and Elizabeth Rhodes, and they have had eight children. In addition to his library he owns a farm of seventy-five acres, and by industry and frugality has accumulated what is considered a competence by the unpretentious people among whom he lives.

His descent from the emigrant, Hupert Kassel, is traced thus*: From Hupert to Yellis, and from the latter to Hupert again, and from Hupert of the third generation back once more to Yellis of the fifth, who was the father of Abraham H. Cassel' of the sixth. Abraham H. and Elizabeth Cassel's eight children, of the seventh generation, are named as follows: Yellis, the eldest, is married to Sarah Harley, and they have two children living, Edwin and Elizabeth, they occupying the homestead and farming the place; Henry, the second child, died when only seven years of age; Sarah, the third, is intermarried with. Daniel Boorse, and now (1879) resides at Lanark, Illinois; the next, Mary Ellen, died in her fourth year; Priscilla, the fifth, is the wife of Levi Stauffer, and they have five children, Abraham, Yellis, Elizabeth, Clayton, and Laurence; the sixth, seventh and eighth are Amanda, Hannah, and Rosalinda, respectively. Hannah received a liberal education at a normal school.

*The author adds this record of the offspring of Abraham H. and Elizabeth Cassel..

HON. JOHN WOOD.

Civilization is symbolized by one word-Labor!

John Wood, son of James and Ann W. Wood, was born in Philadelphia on the 6th of September, 1816. His parents being members of Friends' meeting, he received a moderate education at their school in New street, after which, at the early age of fourteen years, he entered his father's store as bookkeeper. He had, however, during this brief period, made such good use of time as to be able to assume almost the entire charge of the books of the concern-quite a responsibility for a youth of that age. His father being at that time extensively engaged in the manufacture of spades, shovels, agricultural implements, and the like, the factory in Philadelphia proved inadequate to the rapidly increasing business. It was decided, therefore, to erect larger and more complete works at Conshohocken, which were finished about 1832, with additional machinery for manufacturing sheet and boiler iron, a branch of the iron trade then in its infancy in this country. Under the energetic direction of Mr. Wood, then a young man of twenty years, the business was in a short time more than doubled.. He was also connected at that time with Lewis A. Lukens in the manufacture of blooms at New Market Forge, Lebanon county, Pennsylvania.

In 1840 he married Miss Elizabeth K. Wells, a highly accomplished and estimable young lady, daughter of James Wells, ex-Sheriff of the county, with whom he lived happil until her death in 1864.

In 1841, in connection with his brother, William W. Wood, he leased the old Delaware Iron Works, on Red Clay creek, State of Delaware, at which place, however, he only remained a few years, returning to Conshohocken in 1844 to superintend the building of the new mill, the other having become. old and dilapidated. By his able management it was entirely built in a few months, and filled with new and improved machinery. This more than doubled its previous capacity, and