He earned a living by selling newspapers and working as a cabin boy, and was considering going to California during the gold rush of 1849, when a New London man named Robert Waller offered to provide him a home and an education in Connecticut.

[1] After his graduation from Bartlett High School, he studied law and he gained admission to the bar[clarification needed] in 1861, the same year that the Civil War began.

As Governor, Waller was notable for his support of civil rights legislation on the state level, helping trigger a shift in the Connecticut Democratic Party.

Waller gained attention at the 1884 Democratic National Convention when he made the seconding speech nominating Thomas A. Hendricks for vice president on the ticket with presidential nominee Grover Cleveland.

At the 1896 Democratic National Convention, he was an articulate spokesman for the gold faction supporting Cleveland's policies and opposing William Jennings Bryan.