Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-04-01
Miscellany.
THOMAS EWING.

The following sketch of Mr.. Ewing is ta-
ken from Watserston's Gallery of American
Portraits. The sketch was written in 1886,
when Mr.. Ewing was in the Senate of the
United States. 1t will serve to give the read
er some idea of the character and intellectual
power of this gentleman, who has been APP
pointed Secretary of the Treasury under Gen.
Harrison:
Mr. Ewing was born ia Virginia, in 1899.
Ills father was revolutionary soldier, and
soon after the birth of young Ewing, remov-
ed to the State of Ohio. Mr.. Ewing is in
debted for his elements of knowledge, to the
care and attention of his eldest sister, who
taught him to read, and the only additional
education he received till he was % years of
age, W as two quarters tuition, under two sue
cessive teachers. But he had acquired a
love of reading, and all his leisure hours were
devoted to it. His father being in humble
circumstances, young Ewing's life was ne
cessarily laborious one; but obliged as he
was to tot. daily, he nevertheless availed him.
self ofevery opportunity toimprove his mind,
and to be what his highest ambition then led
him to become-a scholar. But poverty
seemed to oppose an insuperable barrier to
his career, and he was about yielding up to
dependency, when young man, who had
seen something Of the world, and who was
hired by his father as an assistant, reused
him from his apathy, and prevailed upon
him to accompany him 10 Kanawha Salines,
where ne procured employment as common
laborer. After an absence of three or four
months, he returned with eighty dollars in
his pocket, which he generously gave to his
father, to save his land from being forfeited.
In the following spring, MIR. Ewing again re-
turned to the Kanawha Saines, where he la
bored assiduously till November, and sue
| ceeded in realizing about four hundred dol
lars--out of which, after paying balance of
sixty dollars, still due on his fathers proper
ty, he was enabled to indulge his favorite
propensity, by spending the winter at an a
cademy at Athens, where he was encouraged
to make additional efforts to prosecute his
studies, and acquire the power which knowl-
edge bestows. He returned once more to his
former labors, and continued at them for two
years. These severe tolls affected his health;
which, however, short residence at home
restored, and he again entered the academy
which he had left about two years before,
and proceeded to labor mentally, with the
same ardor and intensity that no had labored
corporeally. His progress is said to have
been very rapid but being satisfied that
his funds, which were daily diminishing,
would BIO insufficient to enable him to complete
his education, he opened school in Galjipo-
lis, whic, in the course Of quarter he threw
up, not liking the employment, and returned
to his former occupation at the salt works.
He now hired furnace, and by extraordi-
nary labor he acquired sum in the course Of
month to enable him, as he believed, to
complete his studies. He was right /; and in
the spring of 1915 he received the degree of
A. B., and was the first to receive that acade-
mical honor in Ohio. He was now 26 years
of age, and commenced the study of law, in
the office of General Beecher, who, after he
had finished his legal studies, from high O.
pinion of his powers, took him into partner
ship, and in his new and favorite profession,
he rose rapidly to distinction. AS proof Of
his ardor and assiduity, he practised III eight
different counties in the State in which he
lived. His flial affection was again mani
feste@ in the purchase of fine tract of land
in Indiana, with the proceeds of his profess
sion, on which he placed his father and fami-
ly. He had now acquired SO high a reputa-
ton for ability and talent at the bar, that the
Legislature Of Ohio elected him, in 1882, to