The National tribune., 1881-09-24
6ARFIELD,S EARLY LIFE

Mehtabel bearing her grandmother's Puritan
name; the second Norris called after his uncle;
the third, Mary, and the blue-eyed baby, James
aDram chrlStened for his great uncle. His
father left but little means, and the widow with
the assistance of her older children managed to
keep her family together, and allow young James,
who seemed to have an earnest desire to acquire
an education, to go to school portion of the
time. His early struggles at the trade of car
penter, chopping wood, on the canal-boat, &c,
were all fully forth in the various sketches of
hislife that were published during the presidential
campaign, and already familiar to every one
They serve to show the ndomitable energy of the
man, and his longing for thorough education.
He was graduated at Williams College Masscbu
setts, and the trip that was to have commenced on
July 2 included visit to his alma mater and a
reunion of his classmates. On the 11th of No
vember, 1858, he married to Miss Lucretia
Rudolph to whom he had been engaged in 1854
who was first his pupil, then his friend, and
finally the Rev. DIR. Hitchcock, president of the
Western Reserve College at Hudson, Ohio, made
her his wife. Garfield became professor of Latin
and Greek in Hiram College in 1856, and between
that and 1859 he taught, lectured, and preached,
at the same time mingling actively in politics.
In 1859 he was elected State Senator to represent
Summit and Portage counties although at that
time but twenty EIGHT years of age. He was
holding this position when the war broke out,
and he entered the army as colonel of the Forty
second Ohio Volunteers. His career as a Union
officer is well known, and his fame is inseparably
connected with the history of the valiant deeds
of the Army of the Cumberland. He was pro-
rod 4o he of brio diar-
10, 1862 was appointed chief of staff of the Army
of the Cumberland, and promoted to be major
general September 20, 1868 While in the field
he was elected a member of the Thirty-eighth
Congress from the Nineteenth Ohio district, and
he left the army to assume his duties as a legis-
lator The record of his services in the Thirty
eighth, Thirty ninth, FOrtieth FOrty-frst Forty
second Forty third Forty fourth FOrty-fifth and
FOrty-siXth Congresses is part of the history of
the action of the Republican party during the
trying period of reconstruction and the earnest
attempt to bring up the credit of the Nation
until, finally, specie payment was resumed.
Shortly after taking his seat in Congress he
appointed on the Military Committee, under
the craftsmanship of General Schenck, and
of great service in carrying through the measures
which recruited the armies during the closing
years of the war. At the same time he began a
course of severe study of the subject of finance
and political economy, going home every evening
to his modest lodgings in Thirteenth street with
his arms full of books borrowed from the Con-
gressional Library. He soon took rank in the
House as a ready and fOrcible debater hard
worker and dilgent, practical legislator.
In his third term he was chairman of the
(onn,i+taa on Indian 4 in 1S6S uac rnada
chairman of the Banking and Currency Com
mittee, and in 1871 appointed to the chairman
ship of the Committee on Appropriations, which
he held until 1875, when the Democrats took con-
troll of the House. He was elected to the Senate
to succeed Stanley Matthew'S but before he could
take his seat he was nominated at Chicago to be
the standard-bearer of the Republican party in
the presidential contest. The memories of the
campaign the successful result, and the triumphal
are fresh III the minds of all. No
President entered upon his term OF office
under more favorable auspices. The whole Ma
ton seemed to rejoice in the result of the election
and the inaugural festivities were more elaborate
and more heartily indulged in than that of any
former incumbent of the office.
General Garfield has five children living. and
has lost two, who died in infancy. The two
older boys, Harry and James, are now at school
in New Hampshire. Mayor Molly, as every
body calls hers handsome rOsy-cheeked girl
of about twelve The two younger boys are
named Irwin and Abram. The Generals mother
is still living, and has long been member OF his
family. She is an intelligent, energetic old lady
with clear head and strong will, who keeps
well posted in the news of the day, and is very
DrOud of her sons carper thouUb more liberal of
criticism than of praise.
General Gartield's property may amount to
$4,000. 1t consists exclusively of his farm in
Ohio and his house in Washington and every
dollar of it has been earned by his own exertiOns
He has saved a little every year from his salary,
and this, with an occasional legal fee, has made
up the bulk of his estate When he entered
Congress he owned a little house in Hiram,
worth, perhaps, $500 General Garfields dis
trict lies in the extreme northeastern corner Of
Ohio, and now embraces the counties of Ashta-
bula, Trumbull Geauga, Lake, and Portage
With the exception of the coal and iron regions
in the extreme southern part, the district is
rural one, and is inhabited by population OF
pure New England ancestry. 1t is the most IN
telligent congressional district in the country,
having less illiteracy in proportion to the popu-
latiOn than in any other.
Please Report.