But how to become an electrician?
I hadn't the money to go to a technical school or university; besides, I didn't think much of schools.
I was a practical man in a practical world.

Also, I still believed in the old myths which were the heritage of the American boy when I was a boy.
A canal boy could become a President.

Any boy who took employment with any firm could, by thrift, energy, and sobriety, learn the business and rise from position to position until he was taken in as a junior partner.
After that the senior partnership was only a matter of time.

Very often--so ran the myth--the boy, by reason of his steadiness and application, married his employ's daughter.

By this time I had been encouraged to such faith in myself in the matter of girls that I was quite certain I would marry my employer's daughter.