The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-06-16
GARFIELDs AsPIRAfIoxs.
Declaring. Whea . NounE Man. THAT
NE Would be President.

The following sketch Of Gen. Gar
held's early history has been furnished
by one OF his constituents:
My first recollection Of Gen. James
A. Garfield dates back TO 1859, when as
a student Of M Of the public schools
In Portage county, Ohio, a gentleman,
BY name Mr.. Patrick, was introduced
TO address the school.
Boys" said he / am going to tell
you . story-a true story-whieh will
show you what one boy has done and
what other boys may do. One fall,
about eight years ago, when the canal
froze up. a big. oyergrown. tow headed
canal boat driver came TO my farm
house and said he would like 10 do
chores for his board during the winter.
Well. ! took him, ami he was very
faithful about his work, but | observed
that he seemed somewhat moody and
depressed. When l questioned him
about IL he said, \ have good reason 10
he sad; here are your children, much
younger than myself, who are well
along in their hooks, but | am too old
for these things. I barely know how to
read. 1 have had great aspirations,
but ms OF no use; I am too old :
James, said |, you are not TO old; there
IS hope for you yet. II yon really de-
sire 10 earn | will see that you have
the means Of doing SO. Upon this he
frightened up very much and grasped
my hand. but could not say a word"
Mr.. Patrick then gave US an account
Of the In which James mas
tered all the elementary studies, and
was lifted to teach school in an almost
incredible short space of time. In a
very few months he went TO the Hiram
institute, and swept the halls and made
the fires TO pay his board and tuition.
When he began there he was larger In
size than most OF the students, but In
two years time he vas prepared TO en-
ter college. lie then went east, TO Will
liams college, and so great was his men,
tai power and energy that he mastered
the whole curriculum In two years.
lie was such a brilliant student withal,
that he wa invited a year after his
graduation, to make the customary ad-
dress before the alumni. He then re-
turned TO Hiram institute, and was IN
vited TO take the position Of principal,
which he accepted and filed very cred
itably until the institute became a COL
lege. when he continued rs its presi-
dent. II was while occupying this
position that public attention was called
to him MS a rising man, and people began
TO predict for him a brilliant political
career. He seemed to Uniform" the
college with his immense popularity,
aud his popularity with the students
knew nc bounds.
There is n tradition among the stu
dents of that institution that soon after
his incumbency began some one wal
complimenting him upon the admirable
manner in which everything he under
took was accomplished. "Well," he
replied, "that is a principle with me.
aud ought TO be with every one. More
over, | believe in aiming high. l am
now twenty-eight, and have achieved
this much; l mean to go on and be the
president OF the United States, il l
can" He might have made this latter
assertion idly, or he might have meant
what he said, but in any event, the re-
mark was treasured up by his adher-
ents, who believed then, as now, that
he can accomplish anything he chooses,
and it wa freely predicted by many at
the time that lie would be president
some day.
This political phase of our subject
occurring at a time when Gen. Gar
field had, as yet, held no political office
whatever, requires calculation. The
college of which he was president was
of the Campbellitc or Disciple order.
and Garfield was accustomed to preach
occasionally, although his sermons were
rather Of the nature Of geological lee
lures rs applied to theology, than any
thing else, He was always primed for
II lecture at any time, on any subject,
but IL was in political speeches that he
delighted most, and so great enthusiasm
did he create among the people Of his
section that local politicians who had
been patiently waiting for Elisha Whit
t.esey's old shoes. began to fear, hate
and Islander him, until he achieved u
victory over them all and attained the
succession. Since then they have been
steadily boosting him to get him out OF
their way.
The tradition of his home is full Of
instances Of his immense physical
power. 1t has been charged that in his
youthful days this ''tow headed, one
gallused, bare footed canal boy'' was
something OF a shoulder hitter, but he
never picked q quarrel. 1t IA his
uniform custom when assailed on the
towpath to knock his assailant down by
way OF preliminary, and then throw
him into the canal. These things may
he somewhat fabulous, but, there is no
doubt that on one commencement occa-
sion Mt Hiram he alone dragged out"