The New York herald., 1871-10-07
SEWARD'S CAREER
His Birthplace, Family and ReminiS-
cenceS Of His Early Life.
WILLIAM AS A PRECOCIOUS BOY.
His Education, Law Studies and
Start in Politics.

Start in Politics.
FLORIDA, ORANGE Co., N. Y, Oct. O. 1871.
Among the many pleasant villages tnat are
thickly nterspersed amid the green pastures and
beside the peaceful waters In Orange comfy is the
unassuming and hospttable little village OF Florida,
distant ave miles from Goshen on the Pine Island
branch OF the Erie Railroad. The village contains
about sixty dwellings three churches. the s. s.
seward Seminary (of which Wm. II. Seward Is presi-
dentl an academy, i've stores and an excellent
hotel for summer bOarders
short distance from the depot on the main
street. In the heart or the village, is little low,
one story, gambrel roof wooden house. fronting the
street, with two small windows each side, narrow
door, ana IN each end s like number OF windows
above ana below. Overhanging this structure is
an immense butionwood tree In this build
ing seventy years ago on the 10th OF
last May, born william II. Seward.
Samuel s. Seward, his father, married Mary
Jennings, the daughter OF John J. jennings of
Goshen, and in 1895 removed from New Jersey TO
Florida and entered into the mercantile business,
besides practising his profession as physician. In
1904 he elected to the State Legislature, AMI in
1915 was appointed County Judge OF Orange county,
which Office he held for seventeen years. until 1888,
when, in consequence OF i'll health, he resigned.
business, only managing his own estate, which had
at that time become very large In 1888 ne visited
Europe for few months for his health. taking
William with him, during the recess OF the
state Senate, OF which william was then memDcr.
In lS45 ne established the s. s. Seward Seminary
In Florida by donating appropriate buildings for
the same and an endowment of $50 coo. the annual
income OF which is for the purpose OF keeping the
same in repair, &c. The female department OF this
4 81
Mrs. G. w. Seward the wife OF son OF the donor.
| In 1s49 s. s. Seward died. leaving an estate worth
| about $4oO, 00o leaving his son William and his
| friend Major Greer, Of Goshen, executors Of his
estate.
Ex.sEcRErARY sEwARD's NURSE.
| Seventy years ago slavery existed In New York
State and DR.. 8. s. Seward was then the owner OF
dozen or more negro slaves. Hts chndren's nurse
"Aunt Cloe" as she was iamlllarly called, took
OF william. as she had OF his elder brother. Aunt
| Cloe' is now upwards or nncty-1ve years OF age,
and resides near the Old homestead In respectable
cottage gwen her by the will OF 8. s. Seward, and
| she is we'll cared for in every way.
| william II. Seward was one OF i've children and
| the second child OF his parents, and OF his three
brothers ia dead and two are still living In the
| village Of Florida. Edward p Is the senior OF VIII
| liam by about two and One-han years, and IL in
good health. and Is the owner OF the old home
resembles his brother William In features and gen
| eral demeanor, but how different their livesl
| Edward Is an unassumlng kind and good neGhbOr,
and o respected member Of the Presbyterian Church
| In Florida. These two brothers have always been
devOtedly and aHectonatcv attached to each other.
| WILLIAM PREcocIoUs CHILD.
During the first few years Of life the tastes and
habits Of these brothers wero observed not to dir
fer Tney were both taught for some time by their
/ fo4h hut "a vUna IN rnadh M
father saw growing thirst for knowledge. vii
ham one day ran away from home and went 10
schoOl-a very strange act for boy. He became taci
turn and studous, and. although at times he Joined
heartily in some OF the boysh sports OF his Fellows,
he would soon seem wearied @ % ana a would Quietly
! some useful book or in deep thought.
| When about twelve years OF age, while returning
near sntghtall from pasture on his fathers farm,
driving home the cows, ne was reading book as he
| walked. giving occasional look at his charge.
pes at oSfs we ns ad ResoSns nov g
break OF his leading he turned his BACK towards
them and walked backwards, still reading, until he
should get past them. In O short time no acciden-
tally dverged from me path, and missing the bridge
elder brother drew him from the stream In state
or unconsciousness, but he was not seriously in.
jured. The independence industry and pcrsaver-
ance illustrated by tnis incident have been character
| ist.c OF him during his entire llic
i III rcn HIS EDUCATION.
1t was resolved upon that William should have
an education, and al the age OF nine years he was
e sanar At m ha @ re pscer Of h
| "Classcal Society" OF Goshen and OF the Goshen
Se he was an active member eacn the consatu
ton and minutes OF proceedings being mostly In his
societies we're defamation debates and compost
tiOnn nearly all OF which It Is noticed that nc LOOK
part. ii pursued his studies at the academy after
wards established in Florida (Which is still stand
| ing) until 1916 when he entered Union College at
schenectady His iavorite studies at TINS time were
| rhetoric, moral philosophy and The ancient
| classics. He would rise at four IN the
and al MS sro OF the day
ready the exercises oil the next morning he devoted
his time to general reading and literary compost
tlons for class defamation or debates In society
meetings. In 1919 he Withdrew from college ior
ABOUT year, passing six months Of that ume as q
and continued his studies One OF the college socic
/ ties-tne Adelphic-or which he was a member was
pU &c Was fn Of
grafton on this occasion was THE Integrity Of the
| American Union" 1t was regarded as an able
effort, and he graduated among the most distn
| guisned OF his class. n, -. f-
| Soon after taking his degree at Union College he
entered the ONCE OF John Anthon, prominent
purseS IN sa sSme Ss o ~ ea
rising and faithful application TO his professional
lie snoromgny uIn s haeSs evsy a mass
written analysis OF It's contents He completed hls
os y ccn Of New na 6sas
HOFFMAN, afterwards Attorney General both OF
sna n at a %s ~ss paSmea to ns a &
/ six months previous to his admisson he
| had been associated with ogden li9%ap
| IN the practice OF the law az Gvshch.
Al that time Goshen was far ahead or what 1t IS now
in business point OF view. The population OF that
town IN 1910 was 1854, being nearly SIX hundred
persons more than In 1925 when IL contained only
population Of 3.o22 In ls65 the population was only
1893, but portions OF the town had been taken on iii
forming the towns OF hamptonburg, in 1880. anu
Chester, In lS45. -. ~ = - Il
| Auburn, Cayuga county, and formed % connection
win Elijah Miller, q distinguished member OF the
bar and first judge of Cayuga county and was very
wealthy and was about 10 retire from his profession.
Al that time Auburn was growing western village,
| but was not SO large as Goshen. In 1925 it con.
| tanned only 1889 inhabitants; but In 1923 II con.
| tanned the Auburn Academy, the theological Semi