Henry A. Harman was born May 6, 1845 at Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont. He was educated at the Bennington public schools, Burr and Burton Seminary, Manchester, Vermont, Schenectady Union School; Williams College, A. B. 1867; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Harvard University, LL.B. 1871. He was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1871, and to the Vermont Bar the same year. He followed his father, George Washington Harman, into the Law.  He practiced law in Bennington and Rutland and was county clerk of Rutland County.

      The diaries contain Harman's observations and record his impressions of college activities, his personal and social life as well as historical events. While at MIT Harman was evidently studying engineering and spent time in the Lowell, Massachusetts area working in the field. The entries record his travels, including survey work and trips back home, associations with Civil War General Butler, Charles Dickens speaking, etc.

      May 23, 1867

      "Slept until 6:30, read National Theology, 2 lessons after prayers. Exercised in gym. Went to Al's procured Nautical Almanacs & set the telescope but an unlucky class meeting prevented me from getting a transit. P. M. read more or less, principally less. Went down on the ball ground. At supper Frank Stetson brought Prof. E. Y. Hinckes of Yale. We had a little music in the parlor, about which time a strange feeling seized me & my memory became confused..."

      May 29, 1867

      "... Directly after dinner I changed my clothes & started on foot for No. Adams. Arriving there without accident I met Ford Brown. Visited various places of interest & finally went over to the tunnel. Descended the West shaft & covered myself with mud. Returned to the village, took tea at the Berkshire. Met. Mr. Wilkinson, Mr. R. Clark, Moses & Bob. Visited the R.R. & the Y.M.C.A.. Left about 9:20 & walked through mud & water to Williamstown."

       June 23, 1867.

       "Rose at 6 & read some astronomy. The day has gone foolishly enough

        I read some astronomy & in fact have finished it. Tried to study Greek... I played croquet after dinner & tea. Spent the afternoon rather aimlessly in attempts at grubbing. In the evening I took a solitary walk with a view to thought but it did not come. So has gone the last Saturday of my college course. Begun in misfortune, ended in insignificance. What has it amounted to? Wasted opportunity, ruined talents, a heart full of upbraiding, a future full of uncertainty, hopes mushed, purposes bewildered."

      July 8, 1867 (back home for the summer).

      "Commenced today with a little reading before breakfast but my enthusiasm for knowledge grows less & less. Looking back I call this a wasted day. I can think of nothing which I have done to redeem myself, the demon has possessed me. I am powerless to resist. I worked for father some. Drew a lease. In the evening wandered off through the fields in search of thought. Did not find it..."        

      September 3, 1867

      "This day the great day of Vermont election commenced inauspiciously for as I lay in bed I heard the patter of the rain upon the roof beside me. But it soon cleared off & going early down I found my way to the polls & after an hour or two of waiting & jamming, deposited my vote. I came slowly down stopping at the cemetery & RR cutting. In the afternoon made copies of some bankrupt papers. About 5 came the results of the election, Park 244. In the evening the enthusiastic villagers built a bon fire & later amid fireworks & cannons repaired to the hall where they held a jubilee & listened to speeches from Cushman, Hall, Park & Flagg."

      October 5, 1867 (upon arrival in Boston).

      "Rose this a.m. at U. S. Hotel in Boston. Shaved off my sides. After breakfast sallied forth into the street. It was raining a trifle & continued harder. I went first over to the Institute of Technology. Saw the Profs. & made all arrangements. Then I went to Washington & State Sts., Quincy House, etc. Before 12 I came to U. S. Hotel where I spent the rest of the day reading. Have not seen a soul that I ever set eyes on before..."

       November 18, 1867

       "I went over to school & plunged at once into the turmoil of Geometry. I had the good fortune to recite the only thing I knew of the lesson. I spent the forenoon mainly in drawing with such success as may attend one with only chips for instruments. I wrote Dr. Brieke about my new set. This is a cold day. I have nearly froze & have taken some cold. I went today into Prof. Allen's blowpipe class. The evening I spent at home toasting my things by the fire."

       February 24, 1868

       "I was at work the same as always. Schubert set me again to drawing cylinders of which I am heartily tired. But in the laboratory I found my element. Child & I engaged in the manufacture of Permanganate of Potash. So for an hour or so we weighed & pounded, ground & boiled the biting stuff till at last a huge beaker full of the muddy liquid rewarded our pains. Then other things till night when with a thick head & excoriated throat. I sought my home..."

      March 31, 1868.

      "Drew this morning still upon my pet machine. I am almost disgusted with drawing but since I expected it to be for a long time my vocation I check my discontent. There were no Physics. In the afternoon we were invited to sail down the harbor in the island City to test Petroleum as a fuel. Came home for my overcoat. The trip was a cold one but entertaining & instructive..."  

       April 1, 1868

      "... In the evening I went to Tremont Temple & saw the great novelist of the age (Charles Dickens) while with the admirable yet demeaning art of the comedian he personated Scrooge, Bab Cratchet, Mr. Winkle & Sam Weller..."

      June 8, 1868

      "This morning after bidding all the family good bye I took my bag & made my way to the Lowell Station. Here I met Monsieur Gelett & Herrshell & rode to Lowell as soon as the cars could carry us. We were soon in the office of Locks & Canals, whither we were bound. Met C. A. Smith there who showed us over the city. Coming to the office we learned that a boarding place was engaged which presently we went to see. It is horrible beyond description. We dined there, Spent the p.m. reading & figuring about the office. Went to Tremont Mills after tea and saw the gauges. Came home to our horrid quarters & retired."

      July 1, 1868

      "This morning we continued our turbine computations & just before dinner Southworth & I had completed the figures for Tremont & Suffolk. After dinner I went over & saw Whitaker then worked all the afternoon at tabulating the coefficient of contractions for experiments at Tremont Gates. In the evening at Mr. Smith's invitation we all went to the first church Rev. Horace James, where a strawberry festival was in progress. I was introduced to all the homely girls in the room but none of the pretty ones, nearly all of whom were behind the scenes or waiting upon the tables."

      November 13, 1868

      "I was sent to J. B. Fieldings to give instructions about our gauges. Spent an hour in showing the painter what we wanted done. When I returned to the office I found the Moulinet arrived from Templer's. In the afternoon we started for Appleton Flume. We tried a measurement but our rod was too short by some feet & it had to be abandoned. I had a chance to examine Appleton's Turbines etc. After this we tried the Moulinet in its native waters by means of a chip. I saw general B. today & made bargain with me..."

       References:

      Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography: A Series of Authentic Biographical Sketches of the Representative Men of Vermont and Sons of Vermont in Other States.

      Burlington: 1912, p. 212