Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-08-10
GARFIELD THE YOUTH.
From the Detroit Post and Tribune


was for many years near neighbor Of
General Garfield, relates some interesting
"reminiscences of the Republican candi-
date for the Presidency. OF. General
Gar6eld's early life he has often heard his
family speak, and the General has fire.
quently narrated TO him incidents of his
boyhood career. On one occasion he told
how it hab opened that he quit the business
of canal boatman and struck out for q
better position in life. He brought up
soon after at the house of the grandfather
of DR.. Leonard, one Worthy Taylor, a
farmer of Aurora, Portage County, where
he asked for employment.
Mr.. Taylor said he had no employment
for boy, but young Garfield insisted that
he was able to do a mans work. Mr..
Taylor told him if he did he would give
him a mans wages. He went to work
in the hay field and was set to moving
with three men. He was given swath
next the leader, and those behind him
thinking to bush the boy and make
him sick Of his job, crowded him the best
they were able, but he held his own with
out complaint and let none ofthem throw
their swath upon him. This sort of
racing was KEEP, up all the forenoon. and
the men seeing the boys mettle steadied
down to the work and thereafter he kept
evenly along with the rest. When the
days work was done he begged for a
candle, and retiring to his room studied
until far into the night. The next morn
ing he was up bright and early and ready
for the days work with the rest.
He worked for Mr.. Taylor throughout
the season, and everyday did an honest
days work and every night pored over his
books long after the rest Of the house
hold were asleep. He had fully made
up his mind to gain an education, and
while Others were indulging in idleness or
recreation he was storing his mind with
useful knowledge. Afterward he went
to Hiram Institute and there prepared
himself to enter Williams College, having
been assisted financially 10 some extent
by an elder brother From the time he
left the Canal, with the high resolution to
make something better than boatman Of
himself, his career was upward. DIR.
Leonard recalled an incident which had
a marked influence upon Garfield's sub
seouent course in life. When he was at
the institute a glib lecturer came along
and advertised lecture in which he pro-
posed to show that the Mosaic account of
the creation was absurd and unscientitic.
After he had finished his lecture he said
if there was any person in the audience
who wished to ask him any questions he
would be pleased to answer them.
Young Garfield, who had been deeply In
terested in the study Of geology, pro-
pounded d few questions which proved
rather troublesome to the lecturer to
answer, and before they got through with
it the audience found that very inter-
esting controversy was going on.
The result was that the next day the
lecturer was challenged to series of de-
bates with Garfield upon the Bible and
its relations to science. The challenge
was accepted and the debate continued
for week. The result of it was that
young Garfield showed himself so well
equipped with arguments in support Of
the Bible and against materialish, such a
keen and ready controyersialist and such
fluent and convincing speaker that he
was urged to speak in the pulpits of the
Christian or Campbellite churches in the
vicinity, This he did with great success,
and his fame as preacher spread tar and
wide, and his services were in great de-
mand.