National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-06-10
THE HEAD OF THE TICKET.
General James Abram GarHeld-A
Sketch of His Life.
a Mothers Training-Struggie With Ad-
verslty--tn Education Captured by
Force of Charac cter-From the Car
penter's Bench TO the Legis-
lature, Congress aud l. tho
Presidential Oflcc.
sketch of an Eventfnl Life.

man who may truly I've said 10 have carvc,i III,
own pathway, unaidcd and aloe. rr-.fn the
lowest rank IN life to the prJaIes,. position 70
"hich an American c,i25n can aspire. He Is
i'oS Set iortv .urc years of age, aud more than
''o'i g nts life WAS spent in II courageous strug-
gle 80 gain all education, with poverty con
testing his advance inch by inch. He is an
other striking example of the tendency ofthis
republic to seek Tor her rulers among those
who come from the most humble classes of her
citizens, and TO honor those who have deserved
honors by II noble bearing in the battle Of life
General james A. Garfield WAS born in the
village of Orange, Cuyahoga county Ohio,
about twelve miles from Cleveland, November
49, 1881. His parents were both of New Eug
land extraction. His father, Abraham Gar.
field, was born in Otscgo county, N Y. but
his family had lived in Massachusetts for gen.
cratons. His mothers maiden name was
Eliza l}allou, and she was niece Of the Roy.
Hosea BallOu, n nO,ol univorsilist clergyman
of Now Hampshire, in which state she was
born. james WAS the youngest of four soDs,
and his father died in 1888, when the future
general was scarcely two years Old, leaving his
children dependent solely on their mother
Mrs. Garfield was woman OF remarkable
business qualities, aud it is from her that
James inherited his persevering nature. With
the aid of her three older boys she managed TO
support herself and the family OH tho little
farm left her by her husband. and James, from
his earliest years, was obliged to aid to the
tent of his ability In the general work about
his home But lie liked work, aud it WAS
said of him when a boy that there was mot
lazy hair in his head" lie was n poor boy,
and saw no means of making living but by
manual labor, and he applied himself 20 learn
the trade of u carpenter. During the summer
months he toiled early and late on his mothers
farm, and the winter days he passed at his
carpenters bench, doing such litLo jobs of
simple workmanship as tho neighbors required.
There WAS village school, so.callod. in
Orange, whero tho citizens met on winter
evenings to read and discuss tho books which
thcy possessed, and this young Garfield at.
tended, picking up such information as he
could in the capacity of q listener. All this
time ho had never been taught to read or
WRITE aud no observer of this thoughtful boy,
listening to the reading of newspaper at the
age of sixteen, could by any possibility have
fOresecn in him the future leader Of a great
national party.
The Ohio canal passed within short distance
Of the Garfield farm, and James discovered
that the canal-men we've paid in cash and
made better wages than he could realize by
farmingand carpentoring In his seventeenth
year ho determined to become u canal. maii,
and secured o position as driver of one OF the
boats. His care aud attention to his humble
business attracted the attention Of his SUI
periors, and he was soon promoted tn the more
digniicd post of holding the tiller Of the boat,
Hc continued in this business, saving what
little of his earnings he could, for about eight.
cen months, until tho fail OF lS4S, when he
determined TO advance % step and ship as "a
sailor on tho lakes. At this time, however, an
attack Of fever and aguo prevented his cxorut.
ing his plaus and drove him back to his
mothers house IN invalid. This sickness
proved tho turning point in his lifo, aud, as
result of it, james A. Garfield, instead of
burying himself in the fDreCaStle of :; ship,
became one of the leading men in the American
republic,
lie remained prostratel in his mothers
house for three months and during that tima
made the acquaintance OF Samuel ID. Bates
who was teaching the district school that
winter. Bates had boon attending tho "Geauga
seminary" in an adjoining county, and his
conversation so fred the ambition of young
Garfield, which had almost died away under
the Influence of his canalboat associates, that
he determined to forsIlio his idea of becoming
II sailor aud make all attempt to secure an clu-
cation. He had managed with the aid of some
friends, to learn to read and do sOmo simple
sums in arithmetic, aud with this knowledge
rs u basis he started, in March, 1919, for
Chester, where the academy YVES situated. He
|was accompanied by cousin and another
y
with them frying-pans aud dishes, as
they were too poor TO pay for board
as we'll as education. They routed a room
in Oh old, unpaintel frame building near tho
academy, and began to work. Garfield
studied hard and progressed rapidly. His
heart was in his work, and no distamCcd many
competitors who had enjoyed tar botter ad-
yAutages than himself. He worked mornings,
evenings aud Saturdays in tho carpenters'
shops Of Chester, and thus managed to earn
his living while prosecuting his studies. In
1851 he left the academy and went to the
Hiram Eclectic institute where he continued
to prosecute his studies.
In 1854, Mr. Garfield, then man Of twenty
three years, concluded that hc know enough
to pass examination for admission to college,
and the only drawback in tho way now was
tho money TO pay Tor his course, During his
five years of study and work ho had eslah
lished fund for this purpose but with all
his Industry ana economy he had not boon
able to accumulate The necessary SUN by sew
oral hundred dollars. His life Rt the academy,
however, bad established for him = reputation
for honesty and per5istency Of purpose, which
now stood him in good stead. 4 gentleman
agreed to advance him tho money, taking MS
security a life insurance policy, which tho
young man, being healthy AMI robust found
no difficulty IN securing. Pecuuiary diiticul
Ties being thus disposed Of he was ready TO
start, and, aitor CauVassing the merits Of sev.
erul colleges, he settled upon Wilianls, NJ
Willanstown, in Massachusetts and in the
fall of 1854 he was admitted 20 the junior
class Of that institution, and in 1856, two
years after his admission, he WAS graduated,
boarngof the metaphy !iGal honor of his class,
which is esteemed at Williams as among the
highest within tho gift Of tho institution 10
the graduating members
Garfield WAS now twenty-five years Of age
aud had, as tho result Of his twenty years
labor collegiate education, his clothes, his
books, his diploma and debt of 1850. lie
liad no timO for leisure. His business now WAS
to lnd something to do and free him self from
debt Before going 30 college he had joined
the sect of the "DscipleS," bottor known as
"Campbellites, =" from their founder Alexander
Campbell This sect had a mum eguus mcmber.
ship in Ohio and all the Garfield family were
connected with It. Tho "Eocctu institute"
in Hiram, WAS tho college of this sect aud it
WAS natural that Mr.. Garfield should turn his
eyes To- lhe struggling little college Which he
had left ~ a pupil but two years before, He r.
turned to Hiram, whore he WAS male professor
OF Latin and Greek iu the institute, and after.
ward president. According to the creed of the
Disciples" any person having the power was
entitled to preach, and tho president of the
college was expected 10 deliver s,rnoa
every Sunday MS part Of his Official duty.
President Garfield preached with Yruat turco,
aud his fame spread all through the Camp,
bgllito attlpinCnt IL Oras this fnct that gn o.,