Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-06-25
GEN. GARFIELD.

GEN. G1RFIELU.
AN INTERESTING CHAPTER IN HIS BoY1sH CA
BEER-THE FUTURE PRESIDENT AS SAILOR
HIS PROPERTY, HOME, AND HABITS.
tFrom the Cleveland Leaderl
At this early period the books which the
young General mostly read were tales Of the
sea. These were the only stories that could
be easily obtained The General says that he
most vividly remembers the PIRATES Own
Book" and the Impression which it made lv-
ed with him for years. He dreamed of an i'm
possible career on the ocean. At the age of
sixteen lie took the job of choppiug twenty
five cords of wood for a man in the township
of Newburg, within the present limits of the
city. Here, facing the north, he could see
the slaty blue of the Erie, and he imagined
it was the ocean, and his craze for the sea in
creased Finishing his ood-chopping, he
engaged to assist Mr.. Treat through haying
and harvesting, and with his earnings in his
pocket announced to his mother that he could
no longer restrain bis desire for the life ON
the wave, and that he had decided to imme-
diately depart Amid prayers and forebod-
ings she bade him goodbye, and he found
his way on foot TO Cleveland.
Seeking the harbor, he boarded the only
ship that lay in port and inquired for the cap
tain. His ideas Of captain were formed
from the stories he had read, and he imagin-
ed dashing, brave and gallant gentleman
capable, when the occasion required, of per
forming desperate deeds, but disposed to be,
as general thing, generous to u fault 10
the youths question q hand replied that the
captain would soon come up from the hold
The prophecy proved true. First he was
heard, then seen clearing his way, with vol
ley after yolley of oaths. The bashful youth
gently approached and dtiidently asked if he
wanted II hand. An increased flood of oaths,
turned wholly in his direction, was the only
answer received A suppressed litter came
from the men, and the coming General retir-
ed in confusion. Walking about the docks
and looking at the scanty indications of com
mcrce at that carly day, he began to coll, ct
his thoughts, aud finally reasoned that a. the
lake was to the ocean, so was the canal to the
lake and his failure in securing situation
arose from the fact that he was not sufficient
ly posted in the ways of sailors To the can
al he would 90 and learn. He went and OBJ
tanned the position of driver on the first canal
boat TO which lie applied. His disposition
and capacity to learn were such that at the
end of the first round trip he was promoted
from driver to bowsman. He steered instead
of driving.
The General says that, by actual count,
during his first trip AS bowsman, he fell into
the canal fourteen times. This was serious
The malaria of the canal region would in all
probability have taken hold of his system in
due time anyhow, but this helped it, He
could not swim stroke, and came near
drowning several times. At length he flouu-
dered in for the fourteenth time, and in his |
efforts to save himself, luckily caught hold of
the drag rope of the boat Hand over hand |
it gave out, and his hope became small Fl |
naly the rope held, and he pulled himself on |
board. Ever philosophical, he examined the |
rope and found that it had curiously enough |
drawn itself into a crack and knotted. He |
concluded that there was not more than one |
chance in a thousand of a rope thus knotting |
itself, aud he thought it was a significant |
fact As he sat there wet in the cold of the |
night his mind wandered to his mother, and |
he remembered that he had not told her of |
his whereabouts, and she imagined that he |
was upon the lake. He decided to return to |
her at the end of that trip and rest and re- |
cruit for time. This resolution was kept
Arriving in the vicinity of their hu'nble home |
at night he quickly approached the door and |
heard his mother in prayer. She prayed for
the safe return of the wandering son. At the
close he softly opened the door, and the pray
er was answered. Then for the first time did |
he fully comprehend that his departure had
crushed her.
Following this he was for six months pros
trated with ague cake in his side. The moth
er watched over him with constant care dur
ing all the terrible days of suffering, which |
only his iron constitution permitted him to
weather. He was still determined to return
to the canal, and thence to the lake and
ocean. His mother well knew that any op-
position would be useless, so she argued that
he had better attend scoool for a time. when
he was able, and thus fit himself to teach
school during the winter months when he
cOulH sail Ha hanan tba lifa nf IA c.bo1
ar at the old Geauga Seminary in Chester,
and from there went TO Hiram and Williams.
THE EARNINGS OF AN ACTIVE LIFE.
General Garfelds property may amount to
100000. 1t consists exclusively of his farm
in Ohio and his house in Washington, and
every dollar of it has been earned by his own
exertions, He has saved little every year
from his salary, and this, with an occasional
legal fee, has made up the bulk of his estate.
When he entered Congress he owned a little
house in Hiram, worth, perhaps, 81, 800.
His hospitable habits have interfered some
what with his economies 1t rarely happens |
that the family are a week by themselves in |
Washington or Mentor. Guests are always |
welcome and are made TO feel at home by
being taken into the daily life of the family.
The long table usually reaches from one end
of the dining-room to the other, and there is
a chair and plate for any chance caller.
General Garfield's district lies on the extreme |
northeastern conner of Ohio, and now en-
braces the counties of Ashtabvla, Trumbull,
Geauga, Lake and Mahoning. His old home,
county of Portage, was detached from it q |
year ago With the exception of the coal |
aud iron regions in the extreme southern
part, the district is purely a rural one and is |
inhabited by a population of pure New Eng
land ancestry. 1t is claimed that there is less
illiteracy in proportion to the population
than in any other district in the United |
States. In person General Garfield is six
feet high, broad-shouldered and strongly
built. He has an unusually large head, that
seems to be three-fourths forehead, light |
brown hair and beard, now touched with |
gray, large, light blue eyes, prominent nose
and full cheeks.
HIS APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER.
He dresses plainly, is fond of broad-brim- |
med slouch hats and stout boots eats hearth |
ly, cares nothing for luxurious living, is a |
great reader of good books on all subjects, is |
thoroughly temperate in all respects, save in |
that of brain-work, and is devoted to his wife |
and children. Among men he is genial, ap- |
proachable, companionable and a remarkably |
entertaining talker His mind is vast |
storehouse of facts, "reminiscences and anee- |
dotes He is not what is called practical |
politician. He knows little of the machinery |
of caucuses and conventions, or Of the meth |
ods of conducting close campaigns. His con-
stitutents have nine times nominated him |
without any effort on his part, and have elect |
ed him by majorities ranging from G,OO0 to
IL 200. AS a politician in the larger and bet |