About this time Anderson became intimate with John Roberts, whose acquaintance be had first made in October, l796.  He had come from Scotland in 1793, and soon attracted attention by his genius and eccentric habits.  Skilled in many branches of knowledge--in painting, engraving, mechanics, music, and mathematics--he lacked stability of character, and his irregular habits were very unpleasing to a serious mind.  Anderson, who bad sought employment with him for the sake of studying the most improved methods of engraving, soon dropped his acquaintance, having in the mean time, however, learned much that was new and important.
Orders for engraving thronged upon him, and in 1800 he prepared the wood-cuts for an edition of "The Looking Glass for the Mind," published by David Longworth, who refers to the illustrations in the following words: "Our native American genius and artist, Dr. Alexander Anderson, executed the cuts for this edition all on wood;" and " if they do not equal Mr. Bewick's, whose productions in that line have justly gained him so great a reputation, and are mentioned by the reviewers in England with an applause so highly merited, yet, when the numerous opportunities there afforded to the man