New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-11


A MINIS WAGES AT SIXTEEN.
! James often got employment in the hayng an
) harvesting from the farmers of Orange
When he was sixteen he walked ten miles to Aurora
in company with q boy older than himself, lookin
for work. They offered their services 10 farme
who had good deal of hay to cut. :" What wage
: do you expect 7" asked the man. MANS wages
dollar day. replied young Garfield. The farme
thought they were not old enough TO earn full
wages. Then let us NOW that field by the acre,
said the young man. The farmer agreed
the customary price per acre was fifty
cents BY O'Clock in the afternoon the hay wa.
down and the boys earned dollar apiece. Then
the farmer engaged them for fortnight. James,
first steady wages were earned from merchant who
had an ashery where he bleached ashes and made
black salts, which were shipped by lake and canal
to New-York. He got nine dollars month and his
board, and stuck TO the business for two months at
| the end of which his hair below his cap was
bleached and colored by the fumes until Ii assumed
lively red hue Afterward he went to Newburg,
| where an uncle lived who had piece of oak
tmbered land to clear on the edge of Independence
| Township. James agreed to chop 100 cords Of
| wood for so cents a cord. He boarded with Of
his sisters. who was married and lived near by. He
was good chopper and easily cut two cords day
Near him worked n German who was neither quick
two cuts through log while the German was max.
| ing one, and he was disposed to discharge the
clumsy fellow, but at the end of a week he found
the slow chopper had many cords piled up as he
This set him to thinking and observing. and he no
tlced that the German never stopped as be did to
look at the blue lake and the distant sails sat
his log TO rest and mediate but kept steadily at
his work like machine The boy learned a lesson
of persistence and application. 1t the story of
the hare and the tortoise in new form.
The view Of Lake Erie and the passing sails
stirred afresh in him the ambition to be sailor
which almost every sturdy farmers boy feels who
reads tales of fights and adventures in the quiet
mOnotoDy of his inland home. He resolved 10 ship
on one of the lake craft, and with this purpose
walked 10 Cleveland and boarded schooner lying
at the wharf, and told the captain he wanted TO hire
Out as sailor. The captain, a brutal drunken
fellow. amazed at the impotence of the green
country lad and answered HIM with "a torrent OF
profanity. Escaping quickly rs be could from
the vessel the lad walked up the river along the |
docks Soon he heard himself called by name from
the deck OF canal-boat, and turning around recOg-
pized cousin, Amos Letcher, who told him he
manded the craft and proposed TO engage him to |
drlNe horses on the tOWpaih Inc would-be sailor |
thought that mere was n chance to learn some |
thing of navigation in humble way, preparatory |
10 renewing ms application for service Oh the |
lAkes lie accepted the uiiar ana the WAGES OF " ten
dollars month and iOand' and next day the boat
started for pttslVrg with cargo of copper ore It
was called the Evening Star, was open amdships
and had cabin at the bow for he horses and one at
the stern FOR tue men Al Akron it l-ft tine main
line oi the ONO Canal, and following the PennSyl-
wanna 0rdEcl took the young driver through the
edrf OF the district he afterward to represent
IN Congress, past the towns of Rivenna Warren.
Mics AMI Youngstown 10 the Beaver River: thence
by siackTater 10 the Odio ut Beaver village where
the boat Was taken IN tow by The s'ernw6eeler
Michigan and pnlod mp to P.ttsburg. Some OF the
stories t0ld OF Gmn@ids canal adventures are iic-
tnOHS. That of. his victory over the hnry boat
man aI the mouth Of the Beaver is true. and also
that of his morrow escape from drowning. He fell
ae = t'renl
near Kent. Ohio (tncn Franklin Mlil-l. while pull
ing in the bpw-liue ana was saved from going under
the boat by a lucky twist in the rope which caught
between two plaDks and held till he pulled himself
hand over haud up to the deck. On the return trip
the Evening Scar stopped at Brer Hill, on the Ma
honing kiyer, and loaded with coal at the MINES Of
David Tod. afterward Governor Of OHIO and warm
TREND OF Garfield. the Maior-General and member
Df Congress. The boating episode Garield's life
lasted through the season OF 1S48. After the first
Zip to Pittsburg the boat went back aud forth be-
-ween Cleveland and Brier Hill with cargoes of coal
lud iron.
FORTUYATE SICKNESS.
Late i'll the Fall the young driver, who had risen
o the post OF steersnaa was seized with violent
ttack of ague, which kept him at home all I
Winter and in bed most of tho time. All his SUM
ne's earnings went Tor doctors bills and med cnes
When he recovered his mother, who had never APP ,
rOved his canal adventure, diSsuaded him from :
arriving ont his project of shipping on the lakes
o master one passion she stimulated another-that
studv. She brought 10 her help the district /
excellent, thoughtful man 1
AIMED Samuel d. Bates. who fred the boys Y
ind with a desire Tor q good education, f
nd doubtless changed the of his life. he
rent to the Geauga Academy at Chester. village 4
few miles distant with $17 given him by his T
other. and began q new career. r
Dnring the boyhood period above described Gar &
eld had no political impressions. He remembers f
tending but political meeting; that was in !,
10 Harrison campaign Nor did he experience CT
~ deep religious emotions. He went regularly n
hen at home to the Disciples meetings first at is
enteyvi!le and later at the schoo-house near his "a
,me, where his Uncle Boynton had organized W
ngregation There was no Sunday-schooI In the il
ghborhood. The polemcs of rei gon interested II
IN deeply at that time, but his heart was a
1t touched. He familiar with Bible ty
KITS, and was often a formidable disputant One | III
", when about fifteen, be was digging potatoes | A.
u farmer In Orange ana carrying them in a bas N
It from the patch to the cellar. Near the cellar ~
,or sat n neghbor talking to the farmers grown ca
daughter about the merits of the sprinkling and fa
mersion controversy and arguing that sprnkng 49,
mes overheard him say that drop was as good nc
fountain. He stopped on his way to the field ii,
d began to quote this text from Hebrews: Let DO
draw near with true heart in full assurance of ny
it'll, having our hearts sprinkled from evil be
Ah you .s said the man. lit sir
It." replied james and our bodies washed 5ng tn
tn pure waterl Now how can you wash your ha
dy in a drop of waterw Without waiting for VII
by he fastened off to the potato field. tb,
lie repused all efforts to persuade bm to Join the
irch, and when pressed hard stayed away from ov
etings for several Sundays. Apparently he ext
nted full freedom to reach conclusions about re- rec
ion by his mental processes. II was not e
til he was eighteen and had been two terms at ff
Chester school that he Joined his unclcs congre hei
ion. He was baptized IN March, 1850. ID q little NJ
cam putting into the Chagrn River. His con- h.,
sion accomplished by quiet, sweet-tem- o,'
ed man who held q series of meetings in the OF
dollhouse near the Garfield homestead and told par
ne p,aa ~ sha nest etTaigntiorward manner SUIT
ks Course of Time" ba d made deep impression 4
n him and turned his thoughts TO religious sub its
IS. EVs hro