Having been myself a leading promoter of the society, and in consequence elected to the first vice-presidency, I was brought in contact with some few others, who have since become also my intimates. I must now introduce these friends to the reader, in connection with the different questions of discussion which they respectively took up and made specially their own.
Black was a superannuated laboratory assistant to a chemical professor; and as electricity and the spectroscope had suddenly flared out upon science just prior to his retirement, and much aroused his curiosity, he had become, in his old age, quite an enthusiast in these questions, electricity in particular. He had pretty well the whole argument to himself amongst us, and was therefore very bold and free in his views. When I had listened for ten minutes to Black, I was ready to unload again for hours upon Brown. Of course we made Black our president, an honour he has ever since maintained.
Yellowly was a skilled artisan, a sensible and thoughtful fellow in his way, an ardent unionist, and zealous in other ways for the influence and well-being of his class. He was our great authority on the future of the working classes, and of society and government in general.
Reed was a merchant of our neighbourhood, a superior sort of man, of good education, and latterly very successful in his business. But although all
