The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-06-23
LIVES OF THE CANDIDATES.
iEy. JAMES ABRAM GARFIELD

MalOr-General James ADrani Oar-
field. who was called to lead the Re
publican Party in the coming nation
nj campaign, is man who may tru-
" be said to have carved his own
pathway, unaided and alone, from
the lowest rank in life to the proud
est position to which an American
citizen can aspire. He is not yet
- wears of age, and more than half
of his life was spent in a courageous
struggle to gain an education, with
poverty, contesting its advance inch
by inch. He is another striking eX-
ample of the tendency of this Repub-
lie to seek for her rulers among those
who come from the most humble
class of her citizens, and to honor
those who have deserved honors by
noble bearing in the battle of life
General Garfield is the only one of
his family who has risen above
quiet mediocrity, but he has raised
the family name by a persistent
fight against all obstacles, which
must command the respect even of
his political enemies.
Gen. James A. Garfield was born
in the village of Orange, Cuyahoga
county, Ohio, about twelve miles
from Cleveland, November 10, 1881.
His parents were both of New-Eng-
land extraction. His father, Abra-
ham Garfield, was born in Otsego
county, New York, but his family
had lived in Massachusetts, for gen
erations. His mothers maiden
name was Eliza Ballou, and she was
a niece of the Rev. Hosea Ballou, a
noted Universalist clergyman of
New Hampshire, in which state she
was born. James was the youngest
of four sons, and his father died in
1888, when the future General was
scarcely , years old, leaving his
children dependent solely on their
mother. Mrs. Garfield was wo-
man of remarkable business quail
ties, and it is from her that James in
herited his persevering nature. With
the aid of her three older boys she
managed to support herself and the
family on the little farm left by her
husband, and James from his ear
liest years, was obliged to aid to the
extent of his ability in the general
work about his home But he liked
work, and it was said of him when
a boy that there was mot a lazy hair
in his head" He was n poor boy,
and saw no means of making a liv-
ing but by manual labor, and he APP
piled himself to learn the trade of a
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 little jobs of SIM
pie workmanship as the neighbors
required. There was Il village school,
so-called, in Orange, where the citi-
zens met on winter evenings to read
and discuss the books which they
possessed, and this young Garfield
attended, picked up such informa-
ton as he could in the capacity of a
listener. All this time he had never
been taught to read or write, and no
observer of this Thoughtful boy, list
ening to the reading of a newspaper
at the age of 16, could by any posi-
BILE means have forseen in him the
future leader of a great national
party.
Ready money was a commodity
of which the young farmer and car
penter saw but little, and as the am
bition 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,
could only be realized by means of
money, he naturally cast about him
for some vocation which would
bring him that article. The Ohio
Canal passed within short distance
of the Garfield farm, and James dis
covered that canal-men were paid
in cash, and made better wages than
he could realize by farming and car
pentering. In his seventeenth year he
determined to become canal-man,
and secure position as driver of
one of the boats. His care and at
tention to his humble business at
tracted the attention of his superiors,
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 earnings he could, for about
Is months, until the fall of 1S4S,
when he determined to advance
step, and ship as sailor on the
lakes. At this time, however an at (
tack of fever and ague prevented
his executing his plans, and drove
him back to his mothers house an
invalid. This sickness proved the
turning point in his life, and as re- /