burg , ▁Pennsylvania . ▁They ▁came ▁to ▁Mer cer , ▁Pennsylvania ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 2 , ▁where ▁the ▁father ▁died . ▁The ▁mother ▁died ▁at ▁M idd les ex ▁and ▁was ▁buried ▁in ▁Mer cer . ▁By ▁occupation , ▁the ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁mill er . ▁This ▁couple ▁re ared ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁eight ▁children , ▁of ▁whom ▁two ▁were ▁sons ▁and ▁six ▁were ▁daughters . ▁ ▁Very ▁early ▁in ▁life ▁Spe ar man ▁was ▁thrown ▁on ▁his ▁own ▁resources . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁four teen ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁cl erk ▁in ▁the ▁merc ant ile ▁establishment ▁of ▁David ▁Put erb augh , ▁of ▁Wood bury , ▁Bed ford ▁County , ▁Pennsylvania . ▁Here ▁he ▁remained ▁for ▁three ▁years , ▁and ▁then ▁accepted ▁employ ment ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 1 ▁with ▁Dr . ▁Peter ▁Sho en berger , ▁a ▁prominent ▁manufact urer ▁of ▁iron ▁in ▁those ▁days , ▁at ▁the ▁Reb e cca ▁and ▁other ▁furn aces , ▁and ▁Maria ▁for ges , ▁in ▁Bla ir ▁county , ▁Pennsylvania . ▁Here ▁Spe ar man ▁gained ▁his ▁first ▁practical ▁experience ▁in ▁the ▁manufact ure ▁of ▁iron , ▁and ▁he ▁spent ▁six ▁years ▁there . ▁ ▁Education ▁His ▁early ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁education ▁were ▁very ▁limited , ▁and ▁conf ined ▁to ▁two ▁terms ▁in ▁the ▁early - day ▁common ▁schools . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁by ▁reason ▁of ▁his ▁wide ▁experience ▁of ▁business ▁and ▁by ▁m ing ling ▁with ▁men ▁of ▁letters ▁and ▁affairs ▁generally , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁by ▁observation ,