M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-07-12
]oIitttat
Sketch cG tna HE az Stephen A
DOugLaS.

We copy from Apploions' New Cy-
clopsdja the following biographical
notice OF the distinguished man who
has been selected as tho standard
bearer Of the National Democrat par
ty in the political canvass Of 1860
1t comes from q eougCe intended to be
fair and impartial, and % ito editors
ore Republicans, its notices of their
political opponents are free from par.
tizan bias and favor. The notice Of
Mr.. Douglas, as we understand, was
written by Republican who has be-
come eminent in the service Of his
party. We mention this fact as an
explanation Of any want Of friendly
feeling that the reader may observe in
the composition. It is an article De,
signed for use in history, Gketching
the life of q statesman Of positive
views, by partizan Of al opposite
OaeAoe! As sueh, we commend it to
the candid attention Of the public,
What will strike the intelligent
reader, will be the entirely different
tone aud spirit Of this article from the
diatribes Of the selfish and malignant
conductors Of the Republican press
generally
DoUGLAs, STEpuEN ARNOLD, an
American Statesman, bora at Bran
don, Rutland county, Vermont, April
%, 1918. His father wa5 a native Of
the State of New York, and q plyei-
clan of considerable reputation, lie
died suddenly Of apopIexy, when his
sou, Stephen Arnold, was but little
more than two months old. The wid,
ow, with her infant and a daughter on
ly eighteen months older, returned to
u farm, which she had inherited con.
Jointly with an unmarried BROTHER.
At the age otfitteen, horsou, who had
received a good common school edu.
cation, desired 70 prepare for college;
but his family, proving unable to bear
the requisite expense, he LETT the farm,
determined to earn his own living,
and engaged himself as an apprentice
to the trade of cabinet making, at
which he worked year and a hall,
partly at Middlebury, and partly at
Brandon, when his health became SO
impaired by the severity oflabo. that
he abandoned the occupation atogcth-
er. He has often since said that the
happiest days of his lie were passed
in the work shop. He now entered
the academy at Brandon as a student,
and remained there q year. His
mother was married about this time
to Mr.. Granger, OF Ontario, N. Y, to
whose son her daughter had been pre-
.viously married. Young Douglas re.
moved with his mother TO Canandai.
qua, and entered as a student, the
academy of that place. in which he
continued till 1882. He studied law
in the Office of the Mesers. Hubboll,
at the same time he pursued his aca-
demical course, having finally adopt
ed that as his profession. In the
spring OF 1892, he went to the west in
search of an eligible place in which to
establish himself as q lawyer.
At Cleveland he was detained the
whole summer by severe illness, after
his recovery from which he went to
Cincinnati, st. LOa5, and Jacksonville,
Illinois. AT Jacksonville he found
his funds reduced to thirty,soven and
half cents, and accordingly walked
to Winchester, a little town sixteen
miles distant, where he hoped to aes
, employment as q school teacher. lie
found there great crowd assembled
10 attend the auction sale Of the stool,
of deceased trader. The auctioner
was without q clerk to keep the ac-
count Of the sale, and he perceivinc
that Mr.. Douglas, who stood among
Che spectators, looked like q man
who could write and keep accounts,
requested him to serve in that capaci,
ty. Mr.. Douglas consented, and act.