The Portland daily press., 1880-07-13
Garfield the Youth.

From the Detroit Post and Tribune.l
DIR. G. Henri Leonard, whose father was
for many years near neighbor of General
Garfield, relates some interesting reminiscent
ces of the Republican candidate for the Pres
idency. OF General Garfeld's early life he
has often heard his family speak, and the
General has frequently narrated to him Incl
dents of his boyhood career. On one occasion
he told how it happened that he quit the bust
ness of canal boatman and struck out for
better position in life. He brought up soon
after at the house of the grandfather of DIR.
Leonard, one Worthy Taylor, a farmer of
Aurora, Portage County, where he asked for
employment.
Mr. Taylor said he had no employment for
a boy, but young Garfield insisted that he
was able to do a mans work. Mr. Taylor told
him if he did he would give him a mans
wages. He went to work in the hay field and
was set to moving with three men. He was
given swath next the leader, and those be-
hind him thinking to "bush" the boy and
make him sick of his job, crowded him the
best they were able, but he he held his own
without complaint and let none of them throw
their swath upon him. This sort of racing was
kept up all the forenoon, and the men seeing
the boys mettle steadied down to the work
and thereafter he kept evenly along with the
rest. When the days work was done he beg
ged for a candle, and retiring to his room stud
led until far into the night. The next morn
ing he was up bright and early and ready for
the days work with the rest.
He worked for Mr.. Taylor throughout the
season, and every day did an honest days
work and every night pored over his books
long after the rest of the household were
asleep. He had fully made up his mind to
gain an education, and while others were in
dulging in idleness or recreation he was stor-
ing his mind with useful knowledge, After
ward he went to Hiram Institute and there
prepared himself to enter Williams College,
having been assisted financially to some extent
by an elder brother. From the time he left
the canal, with the high resolution to make
something better than a boatman of himself,
his career was upward. DR.. Leonard recalled
an incident which had marked influence
upon Garfeld's subsequent course in life.
When he was at tlfe institute a glib lecturer
came along and advertised lecture in which
he proposed to show that the Mosaic account
OF the creation was absurd and unscientifc.
After he had finished his lecture he said if
there was any person in the audience who
wished to ask him any questions he would be
pleased to answer them. Young Garfield,
who had been deeply interested in the study
OF geology, propounded few questions which
proved rather troublesome to the lecturer to
answer, and before they got through with it
the audience found that a very interesting con-
troversy was going on.
The result was that the next day the lecturer
was challenged to series OF debates with
Garfield upon the Bible and its relations to
science. The challenge was accepted and the
debate continued for week. The result OF
it was that young Garfield showed himself so
well equipped with arguments in support Of
the Bible and against materialsm, such q
keen and ready controversialist and such a
fluent and convincing speaker, that he was
urged to speak in the pulpits of the Christian
or Campbellite churches in the vicinity. This
he did with great success, and his fame as a
preacher spread far and wide, and his services
were in great demand.