The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-06-25
GEN. GARFIELD,S HOME.
Sis Family and ISIS Home Life.
MRS. Garfield ~ a Teacher Of 1ief

mrss Garfield ~ a Teacher Oh 1teR
Boys.
A correspondent of the Chicago
Tribune furnishes tile following concern
ing the Republican presidential candidate:
1t is in his quiet home at Mentor that
the general appears to take his most solid
comfort. The little town is about
twenty-six miles east of Cleveland on the
Lake Shore road, and its only popularity
outside of being the home of the next
president would seem to be its length,
which is all out of proportion to it's
width. The Mentor road is simply
continuation of Euclid avenue, Cleve-
land, and the generals house is some
thing like mile and half southwest Of
the station. The road is lined with
shade trees which give it n very attrac-
tive appearance, and walking, even III
hot day, is not altogether unpleasant.
Although retaining his legal residence at
Hiram after 1873, the general spent
most of his time ut Washington, and in
the summer nj various resorts. One or
two seasons he took his family to Ocean
Grove, and in 1876 he and number OF
Cleveland gentlemen aud their families
fitted up an inviting place on what is
walton between Chardon and Men
tor. While driving along the Mentor
road he saw the advantages in location
which Mentor residence had to offer
and made up his mind to buy the place
he now has. A cottage occupied the
ground then, but it was very comfort
able place, and made the family pleas
ant home. His original purchase of
ground amounted to 100 acres, and he
has since bought 40 more. But the
little cottage had not the desired con-
veniences, and was altogether too small
for the generals family. A Cleveland
architect was employed to enlarge and
improve it, and during the last ninety
days the walls have been raised, a couple
OF stairs added, and the exterior and in
terror finished off in modern style. The
style of the architecture is Gothic. The
house is two and half stories high,
stands on a crest or ridge, is painted
clear white, and is plainly visible from
the railroad. There are two dormer
windows-one in front and one III the
rear-and a broad veranda extending
across the entire front. The first floor
contains hall, with n large writing
table, sitting-room, parlor, dining
room, kitchen, and Mushroom, and the
upper story and half another sitting
room and the sleeping-rooms. His
library is separate little house,
off to the right. Here he does most of
his writing, surrounded by his collection
of congressional statistics and other
books of reference. The rooms are fin
ished in hard wood, and everything
about the place, while plain and unpre-
tentious, gives it an appearance of quiet
comfort The house is not entirely fin
ished yet, but when it is the general will
have decidedly pretty home. The barn
is only a short distance back of the house
and furnishes accommodations for the
two carriage-horses, the single carriage
horse, and the heavy working team. OF
the 160 acres comprising the farm, the
yard, garden, and orchard take up about
twelve. Some seventy acres are under
tiilage, while the remainder is pasture
and woodland. There are some noble
oaks about the place, and the Ak will
hardly be laid Mt the root of the tree 80
long as the present owner is i'll possession.
Gen. Garfield is, very naturally, pas
sionately fond of the country. He is a
home man, and, perhaps, never appreci-
ated the possession of home quite as
much rs he does now in his few days of
rest after the hustle and excitement of
| the past few weeks. He habits are reg
ular and methodical Rising early, he
| frequently mounts his horse and goes
over the farm directing the workmen
and studying out what suggest them
selves to him to be needed improvements
Quite as often, instead of mounting his
horse, he walks about the place, and he
| has even been known to jerk off his coat
and hold the pillow or rake hay. 1t re-
minds him of old times, and is, of itself,
invigorating exercise. At present he has
no private secretary here, and his CORE
| spondence has got the start of him in
the last few days. Most of his letters,
of course, Just Mt this time, are in the
nature of congratulation or suggestions
and advice as to the fitness of So-and-So
for anything from cabinet position to
postmastership mt a country cross roads.
He interests himself in affairs of the vii
lage, and attends the Disciples Church,
where he sometimes speaks. The liberal
people of Mentor We're very much
| pleased when, on one occasion, he was
invited TO say something anent the for
nation of n Murphy temperance society.
He is not believer in total abstinence,
and he spoke, rs he believed, cautioning
the young against the evils of immoder-
ate drinking, and earnestly urging them
to check and control their appetites.
Reference has been made to Gen. Gar
fields taste for improvements. He has
made something of II study Of farming
since his early experience as a practical
yeoman, and farms scientifically. He is
fond of showing visitors over the place,
and especially fond of taking them down
the lane back of the house to the top of
the ridge and explaining that the first
space below was once q portion of Lake
Erie before the blue waters receded and
left the sand, and the wave-washed peb-
bles high and dry on the top of the ridge.
When he bought the place this portion
below the ridge was wet and marshy. In
a short time he had hydraulic ram put
| in, and has not only succeeded in reclaim
ing the land, which is covered in spots
with rich, black loan, but in carrying
the surplus water up the house, where it
is drawn into tank and serves q variety
of household uses.
If there ever was happy family it is
home. His mother, now 70, is quick in
her movements and in full possession of
her mental faculties. She is thin, OF
small stature, white-haired, rosy-cheeked,
and has a prominent hooked nose-a
feature which in some degree has ex-
tended to the general himself. She is
great reader of the newspapers and is
posted on all topics of the day. Mrs.
Garfeld's personal appearance has al
ready been described in a previous dis
patch, but her manifold accomplishments
shine to greater advantage here in her
home than elsewhere, although she is
fitted to adorn aud does adorn the circle
of society in which she moves, both at
Mentor and at Washington. The chill
dren are five in number. Two of them
Harry A. and James II. Garfield, the
one aged IL and the other 15-are at st.
Pauls school, Concord, N. H., under the
care of Rev. DIR. Colt, but are expected
home in couple of weeks to spend their
summer vacation. The third is Mary,
or "Mollie," as the family call her, aged
10. The next is Irwin Mcdowell, aged
0, to named as a sort of protest against
the unwarranted abuse which Gen. Nc
Dowell, an old friend of the general,
received. The youngest one of the
family is Abraham, aged 6, and named
after the generals father. 1t is hardly
necessary to state that "Abe's" favorite
pastime during these hot days in June
consists in climbing cherry tree few
feet away from the veranda, and pluck
ing and devouring the rich red fruit with
boyish satisfaction.