Within eighteen months I became a competent pilot, and I served that office until the Mississippi River traffic was brought to a standstill by the breaking out of the civil war.
...

Meantime Orion had gone down the river and established his little job-printing-office in Keokuk.

On account of charging next to nothing for the work done in his job-office, he had almost nothing to do there.
He was never able to comprehend that work done on a profitless basis deteriorates and is presently not worth anything, and that customers are then obliged to go where they can get better work, even if they must pay better prices for it.

He had plenty of time, and he took up Blackstone again.

He also put up a sign which offered his services to the public as a lawyer.