The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-07-04
From the Chicago Times.
Hon. Stephen A. Douglas.
BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH or OUR CANDIDATE

|
The subject Of this sketch, Hon. Stephen
Arnold Douglas, is q descendant Cf the great
Scotch family Of the same name. Two bro
thers Of the name Of Douglas emigrated to
| America at the same time one went 10
Marylond, and his descendants are to be found
on the banks Of the Potomac, in Virginia.
North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and
perhaps other Southwestern States; ; the
other brother remained at New London in
Connecticut, and from this latter brother
proceeded the ancestors Of Stephen A.
4 Douglss. The family of Douglas intermar'
ried with that of Arnold-she family Of the
Arnold who was associated with Roger Will
liams in the settlement OF Rhode Island, and
whose son was afterwards Governor Of that
province. Hence the name OF Arnold,
which was borne also by DR.. Stephen A.
D Douglas, the father Of the statesman OF the
present day. Dr.. Douglas was born in
, Rensselaer, county, N. Y, and removed to
Vermont, where he graduated at Middlebury'
studied medicine, and soon after becoming
Of age, entered upon a good practice as
e physician. He married Miss Sarah Fisk,
il The daughter of farmer, and in July, 1913,
while holding Stephen in, his arms and his
o little daughter on his knees, died suddenly
. Of disease of the heart.
n Mr.. Douglas was born at Brandon, Yer.
;. mont, on the 23d Of April, 1918, and on the
# day of the meeting of the Charleston Con-
r. veDtion completed the forty-seventh year OF
his age.
70 His earlier days were spent with his mo.
ther and sister upon fOrm-the joint pro-
ID perty OF his mother and her brother, bach
elor, Just about the time fixed upon for
70 young Douglas to enter College, Mr.. Fisk
70 married, and the cares of young family
of rendered him unable or unwilling to take
10 upon himself the expense Of giving his nePh'
l. ew a collegiate education. The man who
,o has since then faced two armed mobs of abo
of Iitionists, in defense of the constitutional
40 rights of the Southern people, was even III
Cd boyhood gifted with an energy and vii
49, that rendered him able TO cope with. the
nd most disadvantageous circumstances. In
in stead of repining and weeping over the bit
Ia. ter downfall of his expectations, he packet
~ up such necessary clothing as he could con
.od venien,ly carry, and, with his bundle on hi
ito back, left home, and on foot proceeded t
the nearest town and indentured himself q
N. an apprentice to cabinet maker.
i'm For two years he worked assiduously
:, this business, in which he became most pre-
s,s fcient; but i'll health aud small physict
i'd frame rendered it impossible for him
endure the severe labor which was n
ouired of him. He therefore left the shoI
,ed intending to return to it after he should ha'
a.. recruited his health and in the mean tim
of entered school at Middlebury. After he hi
,n been at school year or more, his moth
on and sister both married, and removing
m; Cauandagua, N. Y, induced him to acco'
low pany them.
A. AT CaDandupua he entered q classic
,rlv academy, and also read law in the otflce
;on Mr., Hubbell. During this period he ma
zen. great progress in his classical stud'es' q
1ich also in his legal requirements. AS on OIL
,;o. tor, even at that early day, he was noted
y the force and power Of his logic. He "
d ot particularly conspicuous in the discussion
,ods political questions was an active supper
AN. of General Jackson !; and in the contest
tween Marcy and Granger, was wa
,usa friend and advocate OF the former.
no i, In June, 1888, he left Cunandagua for
80 If Western country. He reached Clevela
our but being under twenty one years OF
tru,h and the law requiring him to have bee
,,est resident of the State one year before adj
chor. sion to the bar, he accepted the position
, tbe clerk in the law Office of the Hon. >. J. !
q he drews, with promise of partnership in
IN ;,s future. A severe attack of illness, prot
s,;,u. ted for several months, however, destro
, md this arrangement; and in the tall Mr.. u
las left Cleve eland, in search of some elle
" cit. point where he might engage in the pra'
od hv of the law. His ambition was to aPpe
IN ot the bar, having no doubt Of his success
- h. nroceeded bv canal boat from CleVelaH
"a fed. the Ohio River, and thence BY steam
in ,o,. Cincinnati. He was feeble in health
ui,h verv few dollars in money. his
,,;ous cessities demanded immediate employn
,hes . and he canvsssed Cincinnati and Louis
pl seeking that employment, but failed to
looks any.
.on, He then left for st. Louis--an unde
iotism impression tha' A'''"o'' ".'
, found mate destination leading him on toward
;oh NO region. Arrived at st. Louis, the
,l;. At Edward Bates, recent aspifans for the
,.h;rc. uublican nomination for the PresId'
!. .Iso rendered Mr.. Douglas the free use o
no AZ. Office and library until he could do De
r;.s to but Mr.. Douglas necessities required
- tho ulovment from which he could derive
fAn. euue, and failing to obtain such in st.
he pushed on to Jacksonville Illinois,
;nds. he arrived in December, 1888. III
!. work equally unsuccessful at Jacksonville in
ustruc. ing employ msnt so he proceeded OIL
, uh;cb to the town of Winchester, sixteen
Frank. distant. ne nsu Ou' s."9 80
Wash. money. and knew not where he was
mories more. The next day he encounter
might. crowd on the public square. who had