The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-07-03
Lives of the Candidates,

Gen. James Abram Garfield.
The Choice Of the Chicago Convention
for the Presidency His Early strug.
giles with Poverty -Oanal-B Boatman
School Teacher, and State Senator
His Services on the Battle -Field-Hia
Congressional Record.
Gen. James A. Garfield was born
in Orange, Cuyahoga County, Ohio,
about l2 miles from Cleveland, Nov.
l9, 1881. His parents were both Of
New England extraction. His father,
Abraham Garfield, was born in
Otsego County, N. Y, but his family
had lived in Massachusetts, for gener-
ations. His mothers maiden name
WAS Ellen Ballou, and she was niece
of the Rev. Hosea Ballou, noted
Upiversalist clergyman Of New
Hampshire, in which State she was
was born. JJasnes wass the -ronngrst
of four sons, and his father died in
1888, leaving his children dependent
solely Oh their mother. Mrs. Garfield
was woman Of remarkable business
qualities, and it is from her that
James Inherited his persevering ma
ture. With the aid Of her thee older
boys she managed to support herself
and the family on the little farm left
by her husband, aud James, from his
earliest years, was obliged to aid to
the extent Of his ability in the gen
eral work about his home. But he
liked work, and it was said Of him
when a boy that there was "not a
lazy hair il his head" He was IL poor
boy, and saw no means Of making a
living but by manual labor, and he
applied himself to learn the trade of
carpenter. During the summer
months he toiled early and late on
his mothers farm, and the winter
days he passed at his carpenters
bench. There was village school in
Grange, where the citizens met on
winter evenings to read and discuss
the books which they possessed, and
this young Garfield attended, picking
up such information as he could in
the capacity of a listener. No observ-
er Of this thoughtful boy, listening to
the reading Of newspaper at the
age Of Is, could by any possibility
have fOreseen in him the leader Of
great National party.
Ready money was commodity of
which the young farmer and carpen-
ter saw but little, and as the ambi-
tion to secure an education, which
had been growing on him as his mind
was opened to the events of the world
in the village "school,n could only
he realized by means Of money, he
naturally cast about him for some
vocation which would bring him that
article. The Ohio Canal passed with
in short distance of the Garfield
farm, aud James discovered that the
were paid in cash, and
made better wages than he could re-
alize by farming and carpentering. Ii
his seventeenth year he decided to be-
come a canal-man, and secured po-
sition as driver Of one of the boats.
His care and attention to his business
attracted the attention of his superb
ors, and he was soon promoted to the
more dignified post of holding the
tiller Of the boat. He continued in
this business, saving what little of his
he could, for about eighteen
until the fall Of l848, when
he determined to advance a step, and
ship as a sailor on the lakes. At this
time, however, an attack of fever
and ague prevented his executing his
plans, and drove him back to his
nothei's house an invalid. The sick
ness proved the turning point il lis
life, and rs result of it, James Gar
ieid, instead of bnrying himself in
the fore castle of ship, became one of
the leading men in the American Re-
public.
He remained PROSTATE in his moth
er's house for three months, aud du-
ring that time made the acquaintance
of Samuel D. Bates, who was teach
ing the district school that winter.
Bates SO fred the ambition of young
Garfield, which lad almost died away
ander the influence of his canal boat
associates. that he determined to for
sake his idea of becoming a sailor,
md make an attempt to secure an
education. He was accompanied to
he Chester Academy by cousin and
mother young man from his village,
md the three took with them frying