Nebraska advertiser., 1880-12-23
Our Next President and his Family.

From Mr. 7. L. Nichols sketch
Gen. Garfield likes books and music
and pictures. He is withal very versa
tile. He sings songs and reads poetry,
studies mathematics, problems, and
translates 'knotty'' passages of the
Greek testament with equal interest
and relish. l remember once seeing a
gentleman showing him what is called
..trick with cards" After trying il
few times, Mr.. Garfield said: That is
no trick-it is the result of some law of
numbers; it's a mathematical problem,
depending on the number of cards, spots,
etc" That night he determined to
solve the problem. | went to bed at
midnight and left him working at it.
In the morning he said he had set up till
after three, but, like Archimedes, he had
found it." and he had covered a dozen
sheets of paper with algebraic formulas
in operation.
think Garfield would like to be rich
at least better off than he is; but ne
could never endure the kind of life that
makes men rich-the continued and mo-
notonous routine and attention that is
required in mere mOney-getting. That
kind of mental food wouldn't nOuriSh
his intellectual nature. He is ambitious
and in a laudable sense proud. He likes
to excel. He told me the evening the
nominations were made in Chicago that
he would rather have the credit OF max
ing the best speech before such an audi
ence than to get the nomination. Peo-
pie may not readily believe it, but Gar
fields speech nominating Sherman was
very nearly an impromptu speech.
Garfield is a temperance man, though
not total abstinence man." / have
seen wine on his table twice in Washing
ton, once at a breakfast, once at dinner
party. know that liquor is not habit
ually used about his house, and that he
very rarely touches il himself. He is
not at all sensitive on the subject of
temperance, nor DESTROYS of concealing
his views and practice.
Gen. Garfield is fond of his home and
his farm. He walks his visitors around
and shows them all the improvements
he has made and explains those he con-
templates. He shows his stock, machin-
cry and crops with rs much enthusiasm
as Horace Greeley used To display on
the same subjects. He finds the farm a
source of perpetual pleasure and interest.
One cannot be about Mentor long.
without finding out that Garfield likes
his neighbors and that they like him.
Mrs. Garfield is very pleasant but
not a administrative woman. She is
well educated and appreciates the good
things in literature and art. She reads
.sS,l;I'f hooks aud tho N, u ,ra zino-. Looks
well after the house, and teaches her
own children; she is a ''help-meet" and
an entertaining companion for her hus-
band, and abundantly able TO en-
terrain his most intellectual friends and
visitors. Ishould think her most marked
characteristic is that of perfect attention
to her business, and no medding with
other peoples. She is transformations
She refused to allow her photograph to
be sold or her picture to be engraved,
though earnestly pressed to do so by
photographers. engravers and by many
friends. | suspect she don't care TO be
written about much, either, and l don't
wish to do violence to her desire in this
respect by extended comments
The children are two boys, one girl
and two more boys. Their first child
was a girl, which died when a few
months old. The last was boy, which
died when about years old. Harry,
the oldest living is 10; Abram. the
youngest, is s; Jim is IA: Molly y,
and Irwin 10 years old. Harry is a
quiet, steady boy, very obedient and du-
tiful, particularly respectful towards his
parents. The writer had an opportuni-
ty of seeing characteristic letter which
he wrote to his mother shortly after the
Chicago convention, he and Jim being
in school at Concord, n. H., at the time.
Hsspoke of the fact that some Of his
schoolmstes had manifested great deal
more interest in himself sfid fisn ssucs