New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-12
GEN. GARFTELD'S EARLY LIFE
Toll. For A COLLEGE EDUCATION.

| uIRA AM COIIEGF-CORB WIN wv
LEGE PRESIDENTS.
| tFnoMA STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBGN-l
MrvroR Ohio, July 1.-THE country schooimas-
for who helped Mrs Garfield dissuade her from
going as n sailor on the lakes in the Spring OF lS49
was a student at Gesuaa Academy, Free WIZ
B,ptist institution, IN tho village of Chester, ten
miles away from the home of the Gariiclds III
Orange The argument which finally turned the
robust lad from his cherished plan OF adventure
was dyanced by his mother, and was that, II he NJ
ted himself for teaching by few terms IN SCHOOL,
he could teach Winters and sail Summers, and thus
have employment the year around. In the month
OF March, with $17 in his pocket. got together py
his mother and his brother Thomas. James went 10
! Chester with his cousins William aud Henry bcyn-
ton The BOYS took stock of provisions along. aud
| rented room with two beds and n cook-stove IN M
old implanted house where lived a poor widow
| woman who undertook to prepare their meals ana
do their washing for an absurdly small sum. The
Academy was two-story building, and the school,
with about hundred pupils of both sexes, drawn
from the farming country around Chester, was IN
fourishing condition. 1t had a library of perhaps
! $50 voumes-more books than young Garhed hau
| ever seen before. A venerable gentleman named
| Daniel Branch principal of the school, ana MS
| wife was his chief assistant. Mrs. Branch mad IN
troducpd an iconoclastic grammar, which assailcd
| all other systems as founded on false basis main
famed that but was verb in the imperative mood,
and meant be out; that and was also
| n verb in the imperative mood and meant ddd anu
tried in other ways 10 upset the accepted etymoloPy
| Garfield had been reared in Kirkham" at the dis
trct school, and refused to accept the new system.
The grammar classes that term were a continuous
battle between him and the teacher At Chester
he first saw an algebra. What was of more impor-
| oh ba Al, know III at the time, he
| first saw his future wife. Lucreta Randolph, a
quiet, studious girl in her seventeenth year, was
among the students. There no association pc
! tween the two however, save in classes. james
was awkward and bashfu and contemplated the
girls at a distance as superior order OF beings
| FIRST APPEARANCE BEFORE THE PUBLIC.
There was a literary society connected with the
Academy and James, began TO take part IN the de-
bates but with good deal Of dfjdence. lie read
his first essay at one of the school exercises, and
was glad that there was a short curtain across the
front Of the platform. which hid his trembling legs
from the view of the audience. Among the books
he read was the auto biography of Henry C.Wright,
| and he was greatly impressed by the authors ac-
| couut of how he lived III Scotland on bread milk
| and crackers and how well he was and how hard he
| could study James told his cousins that they were
extravagant and that another term they must
board themselves and adopt Henry c .Wrghts diet.
| Al fine end of the term of twelve weeks he vent
home to Orange helped his brother build barn for
their mother. and then worked for day wages at
having and harvesting With the money he earned
he paid off some of doctors bills left from
| his long Illness When he returned to Chester in
the Fall he had one silver sixpence III his pocket
| Going TO church next day he dropped the siApehce
in the contribution box.
| He had made an arrangement with Heman Wood
worth a CARPENTER in the village, to live at his
bouse and'have lodging, board, washing. fuel and
| light for 81 OG a week and this sum lie expected TO
earn by helping the carpenter on Saturdays and at
odd hours on school days. The carpenter was build
| ing a two-story house and Jamess first work was TO
get ont siding at cents board. The first Saturday
he plancd fftyone boards and so earned 81 OF, the
most money he had ever got for days work. That
term he paid his way, bought few books, and re-
turned home with So in his pocket. He now thought
himself competent to teach country school, but IN
two DAYS tramping through Cuyahoga County
failed to find employment. Some schools had al
ready engaged teachers, aud WHERE there was still
| vacancy the trustees thought him too young. He
returned home completely discouraged and greatly
| Inundated by the rebuff lie had met with. He
! made resolution that he wOad never again ask
for a position OF any sort, and the resolution was
kept, for every public place he has since had has
| come to him upsought.
| A school. sUBDUsD.
Next morning. while still in the depths of de-
| spondency he heard man call 20 his mother from
the road, Widow Garfield Ia local corruption Of
the name Garfield. where's your boy Jimi won
der If he wouldn't like to teach our school at the
Ledge" james went ont AID found Delghbor
from a district mile away. where tie school had
been broken mp for two Winters by the rowdyism OF
the big boys lie said he would Ike TO try the school,
c.r,eult big uncle Amos
Boynton That evening there family consul
tatIon. Uncle Amos pondeied over the matter and
finally said: You 90 aud try il. You viii go into
that school as the boy jim Calf Id that You
come out as Mr.. Garfield, the schoolma.tcr." The
young man mustered the school in the school
room after hard tusse with the bully OF
the district who resented 10ggng, and tried TO
brain the teacher with a billet OF wood. No prob
len, in his after life ever took 50 much absorbing
thought and study that of making the Ledge
school successful lie devised all s0rts OF plans FOR
making study interesting to the children joined in
the outdoor sports Of the big boys, read aloud
evenings 10 tic parents where he boarded and won
the hearts OF old and young. Before Spring he got
the name Of the best schoo.master who ever taught
at the Ledge. His wages we're $40 a month and
hoard. and he boarded around IN the families of
the pupils.
FIRST THOUGHTS OF COLLEGE.
lie had $46 in the Spring-anore money than bad
ever been III his possession before. Before return
ing t. Chester he joined the Disciples Church and
his religious experience together with his new IT,
terest in teaching caused him to abandon his boy
hood ambition of becoming a sailor. During his
third term at the Academy b. and his cousin Henry
boarded themselves AID pat IN Practice Henry G..
Wright's cheap dietary scheme. At the end OF Blk
weeks the boys found their expenses for food had
ba,u inst SI CENTS Der week apiece. Henry thought
they were living too poorly for good health, AMI
thew agreed to increase their outlay to 80 cents a
week apiece. James had up t. this time looked
-.- a .ollo.., cnu.an a. ..hnLlu haHnni hi. reac h.