The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-12-30
FARMER GARFIELD.


The Raral Home or the President-Elect
Tho Farm, the Improvements, the
stock, and the CroPs-Ahe Hewitt's Prea-
emit OF . ThOrOughbred Alderney Bail
CalE and Now IL Got IT'S Name.
Especial Correspondence Chicago Tmes.] --
MENTOR, O., December l6.-Gen Garfield
hnds much rest and recreation in attending to
the details Of work ON his farm. Calling on him,
yesterday, I found him tramping about his fields
In rough suit of cashmere, his pantaloons
tucked into his boots, and q slouch hat, orna-
While the General was engaged in inspecting
As winter wheat, and observing the condition
of his cattle, Mrs. Garfield was standing in the
back door of the house, giving directions to the
"hands" about the shipment of dozen barrels
of cider which she wasSending away to market.
The scene led me to make some inquiries in re-
gard to General Garfeld's farm and farming,
and the facts ELECTED may be interesting to
many readers.
The farm contains one hundred and fifty-fve
acres, all under cultivation, except few acres
of timber. 1t lies twenty-five miles east of
Cleveland, fronting on the old wagon road
from Cleveland to Buffalo, and the Lake Shore
Railroad runs through it. The soil is rich,
sandy loan, and is very productive. The fences
are kept in good repair, and are the best in the
township. When Gen. Garfield purchased the
farm, about eight years ago, there were eight
acres of swamp land near the centre of it,
which were considered almost worthless. The
Generals knowledge of engineering here came
into practical use, and under his personal su-
pervision the swamp was drained. 1t is now
very valuable land. Besides the drains furnish
constant and abundant supply of pure water,
which, by means of a hydraulic ram is forced
up to the elevated site of the house and barns,
where it is used. The very simple and mex
pensiye kind of water-works is o model farm
Improvement, which might be adopted with ad
vantage by many farmers, tFr e.
When Gen. Garfield made this improvement
1t was much talked about among the farmers in
this vicinity, and many visitors came to see it.
One old farmer in Geauga County heard of the
hydraulic ram, but got a wrong idea of its
nature. He came to see the general one day,
and said: "Gen'ral, I'm told you hev q hy--
what dye call it?-hydraulic ram. Now, 1
don't know nothin' about thet breed, but I've
got some mighty fine Cotswolds and merinos
and thought as how, mebbe, as you were a
Congressman, you might a got hold of sumthin'
little high-toneder; an ! jis druv over to-day
to see thet ram O. yourn."
The old farmhouse has been entirely recon-
structed within the last year. 1t is now quaint
but slightly building, apparently new through
out and containing about twenty rooms. 1t is
plainly but tastefully furnished. The exterior
is painted white, with red roof and green win
dow shutters. There are forty windows. The
Generals public Office is small building stand
ing few feet from the northeast corner of his
house. In the rear, few rods away, are other
outbuildings and the barns-one for horses and
another for cattle-the sheds for cattle, and
sheep, etc. The barns are models of neatness,
cleanliness, and convenience. There are five
horses, a matched team of light dappled grays,
q very fine pair of matched blacks, and a Ken
lucky mare which the General bought of Orville
Grant.
General Garfield is not a very expert horse
man, and he sometimes shows q little absent
mindedness th.t amuses his neighbors. 1t is
his habit to drive to church on Sundays with
his family, unattended by a servant He will
not allow his team to stand ont in the cold dur
ing service, but unhitches and puts his horses
in friends barn near the church. Last Sun
day, after service, he hitched his span of black
colts to his wagon, and forgot to buckle the
lines to the. bits. The consequence was that
when he got into the wagon and started the
When theteam was stopped and the lines buck
led, an old farmer gravely remarked g General,
you'll have to do better than that when you
take the reins of government, or the political
| mules will git away with you.''
OF cattle there is herd of twenty-six
| mostly grade Durhams, but there are three AL
derney cows and one thoroughbred Alderney
bull. The latter was presented to General
Garfield by the Hon. A. s. Hewitt, before the
unfortunate unpleasantness growing out of the
Morey Chinese letter. 'sThereby hangs tale. !"
At the last session of Congress, after the
| hot debates on the riders to the appropria-
| ton bill, Gen. Garfield and Mr.. Hewitt were
| engaged in friendly conversation. 1t will be
remembered that Garfield had denounced the
action OF the Democrats as revolutionary. Said
| Hewitt: General have some very fine Al
derney stock, and will send thoroughbred
| bull calf to your farm on one condition. "
"What is the condition 2" asked Garfield.
THAT the bull shall be named By me" said
Hewitt. "All right" replied the General;
'and what name will you give him?'' "Revolu-
tion," said Hewitt ssWell," reioined the Gen
eral, sit shall be that, if you say SO, but ]
think more appropriate name would be Con
| gressional Rider" The calf soon came to the
farm, and bears the name that the donor gave
| him. --e -- = -. ~.
The milk from Gen. Garfeld's dairy is carted
to the railway station every morning and even
ing and shipped to the Cleveland market. Near
the barns is a small building in which is kept
| steam engine, which was manufactured by the
]. I. Case Threshing Machine Co., Racine
Wis.,, used for saving wood, cutting feed fol
the stock, etc. Besides the stock already men.
toned, there are eighteen Thoroughbred Cots.
/ and Poland China breeds. Lal..-
Notwithstanding the alleged depredations OF
visitors, very fair crops were harvested as thf
result OF the past seasons work. From ffteer
acres OF corn there was husked one Thousand
and thirty bushels; seven and one-third acrei
OF wheat averaged thirty-three bushels per acre
fourteen acres of oats yielded five hundred an6
seventy-five bushels; six acres of barley, tive
hundred and forty bushels; eight acres of rye
two hundred and seventy-two bushels; iron
seventy-five tons of hay; and two acres o
mangel-wurzes yielded five hundred bushels
There is also a small buckwheat crop, not ye
threshed. There are fifty acres Of pasture
There is q small orchard, which bore, this year
about five hundred bushels of apples. Th
farm, with the improvements made on it b
Gen. Garfield is estimated to be wort
1926, 900. e&5 - iR5igE9 uE1 III sa-8
Gen. Garfield has the reputation among hi
neighbors of being good, farmer-one Of, tn
ers abound. They tell me that he manifests
deep interest in everything pertaining to agr'
culture and stock raising. He finds recreation
in farm work, and personally takes a hand !
it whenever he can find time to do so.s A
though he has three men employed on tn
farm, and several servants about the house, b
is inthe habit of doing any little chores 9
errands that may come in his way It is nc
an uncommon thing for him to go to the pos
Office, half q mile away, on horseback, and carr
well-filled mail bag. His plain and farln-lil
manners and habits greatly endear him to tt
| country people about him. t i1 o. :
1t is unjust to n ention the other animals o
, Gen. Garfeld's farm and say nothing of h
! big black Newfoundland dog, .veto" He is
share in the genial and hospitable spirit whic
/, pervades the premises. He expects recognitit
!. from every visitor. Going into the General
office, once, after few days absence, Igreett
the gentlemen who were there, but did II,
| speak to Veto. He looked at me expectant
from the opposite side of the room for ninu
: or two, and when, still failed to speak
I him, he saluted me with o bow-wow-wow th
was perfectly comical in its peculiar tone of r
, proof, and then sprang across the room IN
laid his head on my knee for the customal
. patting. Hi 60 ~ 4
q els IT RIGHT ?"-So long. AS any pc
4 son seriousl ~ asks this question of hin
: self, in regard to all his acts, the dang,
!: of any great departure from the path
]: rectitude must. be small and we wis
t that a system of education might mai
it as common and controlling among OF
n people in after years as now appears
a be in youth. .t, 2 er.6l1ah'b 3