The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-11-15

dolph. in the State OF Vermont, of hirhl,
respectable parentage, December lst
1917, and there he remained, under III,
old ancestral roof, until he was nearly eight
cen years of age. Thus far, his life WA
mainly devoted to the acquisition Of sucf
nm education as the common schools of hi,
native state afforded. And here let il bc
remembered that a common school edu
cation in Vernon. third OF century
ago, was one thing. and such an educa
ilon in our Western States, now, is quite
another thing. The common school sys
TEN, in Vermont, then and now, was who'll,
practical was based on no fine. spun the
ories of modern education. .mongers. ou
had for its foundation a scand morality, ,ar
enlightened conscience, settled fixed
habit OF industry and economy, full and
thorough understanding Of the element,
OF all education and thus prepared il.
students, not only for all the duties and
responsibilities Of life, but furnished then
with broad and comprehensive founda
tion, on which each, il he would, migh
rear superstructure of learning well pro
portioned and ornate. In such a school
under such system Of education, our friend
was no dull scholar, and hence made nc
failure in deriving all their advantages.
In his eighteenth year, Mr.. French grad.
uated at the Academy at Randolph, where
he had been under the instruction OF Pro.
lessor Long, and found himself drifting
on the huge wave of Western emigration
which, in May, 1885, bore him 10 your
pleasant village. He arrived here literally
poor in all things save his education, the
love of friends, an in,grily that held nc
parley with temptation, sound mind ia
a sound body. willing heart and strong
hands. Here he made his home, here he
lived. here he formed his character, and,
alas here he died.
Sometime after his arrival, Mr.. French
entered into the employ of Mr.. Charles
II. Foote, then doing An extensive mer.
camille business 10 this. village, as book
keeper, where he remained until 1887,
when he joined the engineering corps Of
the WelsvlIle & Fairport r. r. Co., for
the purpose Of locating railroad from
Fairport to the Ohio River at Wheeling ;
and continued in the performance of the
duties Of this position until the completion,
when his invincible integrity and correct
business habit attracted the attention of
D. D. Aiken, Esq, then Clerk Of the va.
rious Courts of Record in this County,
and who made Mr.. French his deputy /;
and thereupon he entered upon the per.
formance of atl the various duties of such
office, and, in this tiglt OF labo. he cuI.iu
ued until the autumn OF 1914.
During the time our friend was Deputy
Clerk, he performed all or nearly all Of
its duties, of the labor and responsibility
OF which no one can Judge accurately, un.
less lie himself has performed them, or
his professional pursuits are such as to
bring him into daily intercourse with the
officer, or examination of his labors. For
four full years, Mr.. French performed
all these duties with rigid exatness, &C.
curacy, and TO the utmost satisfaction OF
every person interested in their perform
ance. During all this time, constant
stream of money flowed through his
hands ; now but a rivulel, into the open
hand OF some stricken widow, or the shrv.
elled hand of some trembling orphan :;
anon,in large volume, into The close. locked
safe OF some usurer; and yet, never,-I
emphasize it,-neVer a far:hing unconsci-
onabIy lodged or even fingered in his
palm.
In October, 1914, his fellow citizens
elected Mr.. French to the office Of Re-
corder of your County, and soon there,
after he entered upon the performance OF
his duties in that Office, and there he re-
mained until the autumn of 1856, having
received four successive elections 10 the
same office, maRing four full terms of
three years each, SO singularly well did
he perform its duties, and so upright was
he in all his intercourse with those who
had business with him.
This protracled official service of Mr..
French. in two Of the most important
offices of your County, threw him into
the society OF. and business connection
with all the citizens thereof, and yet SO
accurate was his business habit and un-
swervng his integrity, both of which he
carried into every transaction Of life, no
matter how minute or trivial, that have
never heard an intimation of want of ac-
curacy or honesty in single transaction
and, if any such there we're, must have
heard it. from my acquaintance with your
This eminent success WAS the legitimate
'ruit of Mr. French's early, practical, Yer
mont education.
From the arrival of Mr.. French in
your village, indeed from his early child
hood, until seized by his mortal illness,
he was close observer, diligen. stu
dent He read much and read it well,
Of history, science, philosophy. and, as
result, he became possessed OF ripe mind,
we'll stored with valuable knowledge, di-
yesied and made its own. And now
recollect no one in all the range of my ac-
luaintance, possessed Of a larger fund Of
lnowledge Of the current events of the
lay, than he. He was a calm, deliberate
thinker, logical in his mental operations,
cautious in his selection OF premises, ur-
wearied in his examination of detail and
minor propositions and his conclusions,
therefore,, were seldom at faul. or unre-
liable.
Mr.. Fronch, in all his mental operations,
was eminen.ly a practical man. This was
ruo nf him in evarU ralation and tranaactinn