Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-06-29
Garfield on the w.path-What
H1s Captain Says OF Him,

kuAB omy oh
"And SO you want to know sbou
Garfield Well remember Jim very
pleasantly. when he was driving fol
me on the Ohio Canal"
The speaker was ruddy-faced elder
ly man with white hair and silvery
beard. he sat tilted back in an old
much Whitfield chair, in little hot,
fy-haunted Office, at No. l52 Monticel.
lo.ave., Jersey City. Over the door
was the name Jonathan Myers.
81 was on the Ohio Canal from 1888
to lS49," he continued, 'as captain
and owner of canal boats. Let ms see.
It must have Teen about 1874 or IS45
that first fell in with Jim. hap
pened to want driver-that was the
way Of 1t. The canal boats then were
very large, and nicely fitted up for pas
sengers. We could carry twenty-five
in my boat. Then there was q place
open amidships for the emigrants, who
used TO travel altogether by the canal.
The crew slept in the stern cabin, and
consisted of five men. There were two
drivers, two steersmen, and one bows.
man, who was on duty at every lock.
81 was very particular about the
kind Of men engaged, for my wife Of.
ten travelled with me, hut never had
any fault to find with Jim Iremem-
Der him as q stout, plucky boy, large
Of his age-he couldn't have been
more than fourteen And he was as
honest as the day is long. could al
way trust his word, and put conf |
dence in him. Many Of the drivers
would lie and steal whenever they 20.
O chance, bat Jim was always square
with everybody. He wss temperate, |
had no bad habits, always faithful, and
seemed to take pride in doing his work |
we'll. He wasn't what would be called |
great tslker, but he listened with all |
his might, aud was all the time pick. !
isg up bits Of knowledge. He was in.
clined to be very studious, but there
really wasn't much chance on the boat.
His work was very hard, and no
mistake. You see We had four horses
and each driver took care Of two
which made up his team. We called
the horses engines, the drivers engi-
neers, and the stesrsmen the pilots.
Well, Jim would get on a horse and
ride steadily for six hours. Usually
In that time he'd only take bite Of
on horseback, or perhaps ,
run on board the boat minute il she
was waiting for anything. At the end
ot the sig hours Jim was spelled by
he other driver. He then drove his
lorses on board, cleaned them down,
md fed them, and afterward got some. '
hing to eat himself and took q nap. 8
His time off was ak hours, then he '
lrove for elk hours, and SO on. paid @
lin $40 a month and gave him his q
oard. The crew ate, as well as slept |
n the stern cabin, and when We had Il
passengers Jim and the others had to y
Tait foi the second table. @
$50 he was really too hard worked to o
Ludy or play much. Evenings he and
he others would dive into the canal u
nd swim along, holding on tho stern r'
ne. Some Of the men used to play "
ards amidships, but Jim never took OF
hand, and he never Joined the men &c
/ their sprses at the end of the trip. z,
ut he wasn'tany baby-he could take Ii
ire Of himself. He never got into any ca
shts while he was with me, but the
EN- all learned that he couldn't be
nposed upon and he was very popular
nong them. When he came on board
3 was dreadfully poor--no money, and h,
't much in the way Of clothes, But AZ
} showed himself so ready and willing in
I'd obliging and couldn't help being n,
eassd with him. and the men, every N
IL of them, became warm friends OF se
). Yes, sir, be always did his work to
oil, and in all the time l spent on the hi
nal never had better boy to work va
r me than Jim Garfield. in
CATER he had been with me few til
onths. cold weather came on, and the br
nal began to frsese, SO that we had sp
lay up. 1t was the boats last trip, lat
d as Jim saw that there wouldn't wi
any more work on the boat, and he HI
d little money saved up, he began hi
talk Of going TO school. He didn't tn
mt to pay ont any money for board, TIL
t he was looking for place where mo
could do work In exchange for his for
ard, and have all his money for
looling. Ga
swell l vas sorry to lose Jim, for Ere
ed him, and my wife had become
~ fond OF him. She never had any nal
ng to do with many Of the men, be- Ma
1879 they drank and swore, but Jim cou
s such clean, wholesome boy, that 20,
WAS quite favJrite of hers. She'd q s
rays laugh when she recalled one the
ng abe saw him Go. We were up at pie
umbus, and loading with barrels Of viii
k, which we're being marked rs they ito,
re rolled on board. Jim was quite Obi
then, and wore a big white hat. He tut
ked on few moments, aud then siti
king up the brush marked his hat try
1913 pork and walked gravely off, "pl
lie the men shouted at him. $50
AS he had clearly made up his piet
I'd to attend school, / though! l oould
p him little. Iknew DR.. J. P. Z
,inson, who lived in Bedford. He nea
It horse (for the doctors then used retu
AIRY round their own msdicinss,) a hus
aud pig, and | thought "Jim" fsuc
ht get chance to work out his the
I'd with the doctor. knew the 1t W
tor was one of the incest men in the wife
Id, go gave "Jim" letter to him. she
liked the looks Of the boy, aud it W
, him. "Jim" took care of the COW and
horse, and attended school. He
very fond Of his books, and learn A,
asst. The doctor was Campbellite, Sur,
when they had some revivals there Bait
n" became converted and was u Satu
nnent speaker in the meetings. tain
.nmn.A srnr, Imam Ia rnAx,A "a III -