Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-04-26
james A. Garfield.
Unpublished Notes OfHi' Early Life.
MOS. in Washington Republic.

! pected of being grand possibilities,
| but who are, nevertheless, actual
facts. Darwin's principle of the
auryival of the fttest is true here,
If nowhere else. These 6e they who,
however rude and unlovely, have
come up through great political trib
ulation, through caucusses many and
bargains not a few. Though among
the least of three hundred in Wash
ington, they are each the chiefest of
ten thousand at home. 1t is surpris-
ing, too, how many of them are self
made men and how few have taken
college prizes.
Probably there is no man in Con-
grsss who has risen from a more OBJ
scure origin, or to whom late in early
life was fortune so unkind as to Gen.
James A. Garfield, of Ohio. I well
remember how, when l was student
in grammar school, Garfeld's earliest
patron, a Mr.. Patrick, was invited to
address the school and told us the
story of his early life. 1t was like a
wild romance.
''Now boys" said Mr.. Patrick, 81
want to tell you about young man
who came to my farm house a few
years ago from the canal. He had
been a canal boat driver, and as the
canal had just frozen up he wanted
to do chores for his board during the
winter. james, for this was his name,
was stalwart, honest-looking fellow
and so / took him in. My own chill
dren soon began attending school, and
! asked James if he did not want to
go to school with them, but he de-
clined. / soon noticed that he seem
ed to be quite respondent and asked
him if he was troubled about any
thing; and he then confessed to NE
that, although he was nineteen years
of age, he could neither read nor
write, and lie was in much mental
distress because, as he thought, it
was too late for him to begin. l as
sured him it was not too late and
urged him to commence at once,
which he did, with SO much energy
that within year from the time he
commenced teaching school, him.
self"
Mr.. Patrick followed his hero
through his educational course and
then told us that he was speaking of
no other than james A. Garfield,
who was then President of Hiram
College and also candidate for State
Legislature. He predicted a brill
liant future for him and bade us all
go and do likewise.
One of the traditions current in
that region was that when Garfield
was canal boat driver he was a reg
ular shoulder hitter. He was usual
ly very quiet and unobtrnsive in his
manner, but when he fancied himself
insulted he usually knocked his man
down by way of preliminary, and
then threw him into the canal. But
to return to the narrative: After
teaching school for some time Gar
field went to Hiram Institute, Port
age county, Ohio, and made rapid
advances in his studies. He went
thence to Williams college, and in
due time earned his way through it.
He then returned to Hiram College
and was promptly made its president.
This was ''Disciple" or "Campbell-
ite" institution, and our hero having
mastered the theological subtleties Of
the sect, was accustomed to preach
in the various "Disciple" churches
which abound in that region. He
also mastered the legal profession,
but seldom practiced it. About the
time Mr.. Patrick told his story it was
the custom to hold the Hiram Col
lege commencement" exercises in a
large tent. On one occasion a couple
of local bullies planted themselves
within the inclosure, creating a dis
turbance, and daring any one to put
them out. The stalwart young presi-
dent shook his tawny main, descend
ed from his perch, and grasping one
of the roughs in each hand, marched
them to tie door of the tent and
kicked them out. He then resumed
his seat amid great applause. have
often been reminded of the occurrence
when I have seen Garfield charge
upon his enemies in Congress.
When the subject of this sketch
made his entrance into politics in the
district which he now represents, he
encountered the most bitter opposi-
tion from a coterie of fourth-rate
lawyers, who had grounded them
selves on the diYinely reasonable
principle that craftsmanship is fair
divide. The states had all been
made up and Gar6eld's name was on
none of them. He fought them,
unaided, however, except by the
popular admiration to which his
physical prowess contributed no lit
tie. When he had conquered the
small politicians, they began to
"boest" him, and to-day there is no
man who comes to Congress with
larger majority.
Every man has his peculiar failing
and Gar6eld's is found in over-sensi.
tiveness-a certain chronic solicit
tude as it were. But for this fault
he might have had John Sherman's
place in the Senate, or possibly that
of Hayes. Some one describes Gar
field as having the strength and i'm
petuosity of lion, and the tender
skin of a rabbit. Old Judge Poland
said that his committee were salts
fed of Garfeld's entire innocence of
the Credit Mobilier charges, and IN
tended to so report, but that Gar
field was unnecessarily anxious. Said
Poland: Garfield is like man who
tries to help the barber to shave him
by twisting his mouth"
This behavior has caused certain
Journalists to doubt his honesty,
which they would never think of do
ing if his skin were thicker.
The Erie Railroad with its various
branches has been bid off under the ham
mer for SO, 900, 900, the original line bav-
ing cost $40, 600, 900. 1t was knocked down
Il l.