The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-06-16
CARTEL diana.
The Candidates Boyish Craze for the Sea.

Garfeld's early craze was for the sea, and it
was stimulated by all the appropriate tales he
could get hold of. He says that he most vivid
~ remembers the PIRATES Own Book and
that the impression which it made upon him
lived with him for years. At the age of 16 he
took the job of chopping 25 cords of wood for
man in the township of Newberg. Here,
facing the north he could see the slatey blue of
the Erie, imagined it was the ocean, and his
craze for the sea increased. Finishing his
wood chopping, he engaged to assist Mr..
Treat through hayiDg and harvesting and
with his earnings in his pocket, announced to
his mother that he could no longer restrain his
desire for the life on the wave, and that he
had decided Immediately to depart. Amid
prayers and forebodings she bade him good
bye, and he found his way on foot to Cleve-
land. Seeking the harbor, he boarded the only
ship that lay in port and inquired for the cap
tain. His ideas of a captain were formed from
the stories he had read, and he imagined
dashing, brave and gallant manageable,
when the occasion required, of performing
desperate Deeds but disposed to be generous
to a failing. To the youths question hand
replied that the captain would soon come up
from the hold. The prophecy proved true.
First he was heard, then seen clearing his
way with volley after volley of oaths. The
bashful youth gently approached, and diff
IDENTIFY asked if he wanted a hand. An in
creased volley of oaths turned wholly in his
direction was the only answer. A suppressed
litter came from the men, and the coming
general retired in confusion. Walking about
the docks and looking at the scanty indications
of commerce at that early day, he began to COL
lect his thoughts and finally reasoned that as
was the lake to the ocean, so was the canal to
the lake, and that his failure in securing
situation arose from the fact that he was not
sufficiently posted in the ways of sailors To
the canal he would go and learn. He went
and obtained the position of driver and ON the
first canal boat to which he applied. His dis
position and capacity to learn was such that at
the end OF the first round trip he was pro-
instead of driving. The first trip saw his first
fight and his first victory. He was holding his
setting pole" against his shoulder. Dave, a
good natured hand, was standing short dis.
tance away, when the boat took a sudden
lunge, the pole slipped from the young mans
shoulder and flew with terrible force toward
Dave. A loud call of "Look out, Dave" was
not in time to warn him, and he was struck a
painful blow on his ribs He was furiOuSly en-
ragged and threatening to thrash the offender,
rushed like mad bull with his head down,
toward Garfield. The latter took in the situa-
tiOn in an instant and awaiting his approach,
dealt him fearful blow under the ear. This
felled him into the hold of the boat. In an
instant more Garfield was upon him with his
clenched fist appraised to strike. Pound him,
d-n him." called out the captain. I'D if
I'll interfere. A man who'll git mad at an
accident orto be thrashed." But he didn't
strike. He saw his antagonist was helpless
They both arose and shook hands, and ever af-
ter were stronger friends than before The
general says that, by actual count, that first
trip as bowsman. he fell overheard IA times.
This was serious. The malaria of the canal
region would in all probability have taken hold
OF his system in due time anyhow but this
helped it. He could not swim stroke, and
came very near drowning several times. At
length he houndered in for the 14th time, and
in his efforts to save himself, luckily caught
hold of the drag rope of the boat. Hand over
hand it gave out, and his hope became small.
Finally the rope held and he pulled himself
on board. Ever philosophical, he examined
the rope and found that it had curiously
enough drawn itself into crack and knotted
He concluded that there was not more than
one chance in thousand of a rope thus knot
ting itself and he thought this significant
fact. As he sat there wet in the cold of the
night his mind wandered to mis- mother, and
he remembered that he had not told her of his
whereabouts, and she imagined that he was
upon the lake. He decided to return to her
at the end of that trip and rest and recruit for
a time. This resolution was kept. Arriving
in the vicinity of their humble home at night
he quietly approached the door and heard his