▁nine ▁children , ▁six ▁sons ▁and ▁three ▁daughters . ▁His ▁father ▁instruct ed ▁him ▁in ▁languages , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁common ▁schools ▁of ▁Her k imer ▁County ▁he ▁learned ▁English ▁grammar , ▁reading , ▁writing ▁and ▁arithmetic . ▁His ▁father ▁required ▁Sp inner ▁to ▁learn ▁a ▁trade . ▁Francis ▁elected ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁merchant , ▁and ▁for ▁about ▁a ▁year ▁was ▁employed ▁as ▁a ▁cl erk ▁in ▁a ▁store . ▁The ▁store ▁failed , ▁and ▁Francis ▁was ▁app r entic ed ▁to ▁a ▁con fection er ▁in ▁Alb any . ▁ ▁In ▁Alb any , ▁Sp inner ▁made ▁the ▁acquaint ance ▁of ▁some ▁educated ▁men ▁who ▁took ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁his ▁w elf are . ▁ ▁Peter ▁G anse vo ort ▁allowed ▁him ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁his ▁library . ▁ ▁Two ▁years ▁after ▁his ▁arrival , ▁when ▁his ▁father ▁found ▁he ▁was ▁being ▁employed ▁as ▁a ▁sales man ▁and ▁book keeper , ▁Sp inner ▁was ▁removed ▁from ▁that ▁situation ▁and ▁app r entic ed ▁to ▁a ▁s addle ▁and ▁har ness ▁mak er ▁in ▁Amsterdam , ▁New ▁York . ▁Here ▁Sp inner ▁became ▁a ▁share holder ▁in ▁the ▁circul ating ▁library , ▁and ▁studied ▁its ▁volumes ▁when ▁he ▁wasn ' t ▁busy ▁learning ▁his ▁trade . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 4 , ▁Sp inner ▁moved ▁back ▁to ▁Her k imer ▁County , ▁where ▁he ▁engaged ▁in ▁merc ant ile ▁purs uits . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 6 , ▁he ▁married ▁Caroline ▁Cas well ▁of ▁Her k imer . ▁He ▁entered