By the time he was twenty he was the most trusted employee. He was a
born trader. His brother in New York knowing that twist buttons were
scarce in that city suggested that Henry buy up all there were in Boston
before the dealers discovered the fact that they were scarce in New York
and send them on to him. They cleared $500 in a few weeks. He was an
earnest student. Not having had the advantages of an education he made
up for it by studying evenings. They imported their silks from France
which led him to study French until he was accomplished in the art of
reading and speaking the French language. It is rather remarkable that
learning the language in this way, he was able to go to France and
out-rank most foreigners in Parisian society. An Edwards did not
absolutely need the college and the university in order to be eminently
scholarly in any special line.

At the age of twenty-five he went into business as the senior
partner of the house of Edwards & Stoddard on State street, Boston. It
was the only house that made its whole business the importing of silks.
At the age of twenty-eight he went to Paris to purchase silks and
remained there many years. They did a highly profitable business for
nearly fifty years. He received much social attention while in Paris.
General Lafayette was specially friendly, and the families visited
frequently. He was also highly honored in Boston, where he was a member
of the city government--it was an honor in those days--for nine years,
one of the trustees of Amherst College for forty years, a member of the
Massachusetts legislature and received several important appointments
of trust and honor from Governor John A. Andrew and President Lincoln.
Boston had few men in his day who were more prosperous or more highly
honored.

Ogden E. Edwards was for several years at the head of one of the largest