Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-06-10
GARFIELD-ARTHUR.

eTAhEIELlyssAE n - Ii u He
JAMES ABRAN GARFIELD, nominee O.
the National Republican Convention for
President, was born in Orange, Cuyahoga
county, Ohio, November 10, 1881. He was
at first day labofer and then driver
and afterward boatman on the Penn
sylvania and Ohio canaI. In 1879 he at
tended an academy, and taught district
school the following winter. In 1854 he
entered the junior class of Williams Col
lege, Massachusetts,, where he was graz
uated in 1856. Immediately afterward
he was appointed teacher of ancient Ian
guages in the eclectic institute at Hiram
in Portage county. The next year he be-
came President OF that institution, which
office he held until the war of the rebel
lion broke out. In 1859 he was elected to
the Senate Of Ohio, and while member
of that body delivered the address Of well
come to the Kentucky Legislature, on the
occasion of its visit to Columbus. 1twas
this address, full of love of country and
its institutions, delivered when the first
mutterings of the storm that soon after
ward burst upon the country were heard,
that first attracted public attention 10 his
power as an orator. In 1861 ne was ad-
mitted to the bar, and in the autumn OF
that year took the field as Colonel OF the
Forty-second Ohio infantry, was sent to
Kentucky, where with his own and an
other Ohio regiment he soon afterward
defeated Humphrey Marshall. January
II. 1862, he was commissioned Brigadier-
General of volunteers, and in October of
that year was elected to Congress from
the Nineteenth District of Ohio, which
seat he has filled continuously since the
9Th of March, 1868. General Garfield re-
mained with the Army Of the Cumber-
land until December, 1868, and IN the
meantime rose to the rank of MaJor-Gen-
eraI of volunteers. Soon after his entry
into the House of Representatives he
stepped into the front of the Republican
benches, and is to-day the recognized Re-
publican leader in that body. Last JAN
uary the Legislature of Ohio elected him
to the seat in the United States Senate
now occupied by Senator Thurman.
In" "Ohio in the War;" written by Mr..
Whitelaw Reid. now editor of the New
York Tribune, we find many interesting
facts connected with the early life of
Garfield. about which there is halo OF
romance. The death of his father, IN
1888, left the widow and her four child
rem. of whom James was the youngest,
without fortune, in the backwoods. Eut
there was a little farm, and on this they
worked, attending the village school in
the winter. with the limited supply of
books obtainable by persons of their
means at that early time in that section.
James was compelled to abandon the Ca
nal because of fever and ague. Up to
that time he had no ambition beyond the
humble and toilsome life he had been
pursuing, but his district school teacher
persuaded him to become pupil at the
"Geauga Seminary" He had intended
to become sailor on the lakes, but de-
termined to attend the high school one
term, and postpone sailing until the next
fall. That resolution made a scholar,
Major-General, Congressman, and will
make President of the United States.
Too poor to pay for boarding, he carried
with him frying-pan and dishes, and
renting room in an old, unpainted -rame
building near the academy, boarded him.
self while he pursued his studies. His
mother had scraped together little sum
of money to aid him at the start, which
she gave him with her blessing when he
left her. After that he never had dol
lar which he did not earn. While at this
school he worked mornings, evenings and
Saturdays to pay his way.
General Garfield is man of command
ing presence, in the prime of life, OF
vigorous constitution, one of the sturdl-
est of our old-t time Ohio Republicans, ard,
elevated from the humblest walks of life
to influential and distinguished positions
in the public service, retains the plain
manners of an American citizen. Ever
since entering upon public lie he has
been lucky man. and we are sangulne
his uniform good luck will be with him
in this supreme event of his life.
Garfeld's nomination was a surprise
to Republicans of our town, and at Fl st
there was tinge of disappointment, but
this soon gave way to the sentiment that
the convention had acted wisely, and
that a nomination had been made upon
which all Republicans can cordially
unite.
General CHESTER A. ARTHUR, nomi-
mated for Vice-President, represents the
young Republicans of New York. 1t
will be remembered he was Collector OF
the port of New York under the admin
istration of President Grant.