The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-09-28
CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
ske.ch of the Life OF Ihe New President.

CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
N sketch of the Life of the New President.
3 Chester Alan Arthur was born in franklin
81 county, Vermont on the 9th day of October
n 1880. He was the eldest of two sons he had
N four sisters older and one younger than him
u self. His father, the Rev. DIR. William Arthur,
q was q Baptist clergyman, who came to the
n United States from Ballymena County An
Il trim, ireland, when only eighteen years old,
q and died at an advanced age in Newtonville,
! near Albany, ON October %, 1875. DIR. Arthur
i was finely educated man a graduate of Bel
Il fast University ireland. For several years he
4 published The Antiquarian a journal devoted
as its title indicates, to antiquarian research.
4 work of his own, Family Names" is still
3 highly esteemed by the collectors of this kind
4 of literature. While devoting himself to litera-
ture, he yet fulfilled faithfully all the duties Of
N his special calling He was pastor of the CAL
Il vary Baptist church, Albany and also Of
Z Baptist churches at Bennington, Hinesburg,
& Fairfield and Wlliston, in Vermont and at
{. York, Perry Greenwich, Schenectady, lansing
burg, Hoosic, West Troy and Newtonville, in
New York State. The second son, WilliamI
Arthur highly distinguished himself in the
Union army during the civil war; He is now a
paymaster of the regular army with the rank of
major.
4 Chester A. Arthur found his fathers fine,
knowledge Of the Latin and Greek classics of
great advantage to him when he came to pre-
pare for college. His preparation first beganI
in Union Village, now Greenwich, beautiful
village of Washington county, New York (; andI
was concluded at the grammar school atl
Schenectady. Thanks to his fine training youngI
Arthur took high position in Union college,
which he entered in 1S45, when only fifteenI
years old.
His father was receiving salary of only
$500, and with large family to support with
hot ha moi oi6 fa al Il
/ through college. When sixteen years old, and
a Sophomore, young Arthur left college, andl
obtaining a school at Schaghtcoke, Rensselaer,
county, taught there throughout the winter.
/ He had Z" to board around " and received onlyI
SIS a month compensation. He also had to
keep mp his studies i'll college In the last year
of his college course he again taught duringH
4 the winter at Schaghticoke He was graduated
at eighteen years of age from Union college int
the class of 1S48.
At college he had determined to become al
lawyer. Accordingly, upon graduation he wentl
to law school at Ballston Springs, and thereI
remained diligently studying for several
months. He then returned to Lansingburg, I
where his father then resided and there studiedS
law. In 1851 he obtained o situation as prin-
/ acipal of an academy at North Pownal, Benning
I ton county, Vermont. He prepared boys for i
college, all the while studying law. Two yearsE
9after he left North Pownal, or in 1853 al
5student from Williams college named Jamesi
A. Garfield came to the place, and in the sameI
academy building taught penmauship through:
tout one winter. 1t was singular circumstance;
1 that after nearly quarter of a century both
5these men should meet at political conventional
land be picked oGt as the candidates of the Re-
spublican party for President and Vice-Presi-
sdent.
Mr.. Arthur came to New York in 1853 and
entered the law office of L. ID. Culver as law
3student BY the strictest economy he hadl
4 zsaved $500, and with this determined to start
Sout in business life. Admitted to the bar in
1853 he became at once a member of the firm
I of Culver, Parker & Arthur whore no remained
4 until the dissolution of that firm in 1857. He
4 then formed law partnership with Henry d. /
SGardiner, an intimate friend, the firm being
aArthur & Gardiner. They had intended tot
spractice law in the West, but after three
smOnths' tour through the West they concludedg
( that their prospects were better in New York
Betty. They accordingly returned to New York,
zand very soon acquired very lucratiyeI
spractice.
In the year 1856 Mr.. Arthur began to bel
Sprominent in politics i'll New York city. Hej
had taken an active interest in politics at very
( early age. He sympathized with the WhigI
Hparty and was an ardent admirer of Henry
4Clay His first vote was cast in 1887 for Win
4 field Scott for President. In New York city
Y Mr.. Arthur identified himself with the 'practi-
Zeal men" in politics by joining political asso-
9cations of his party and sitting at the polls and
Aacting as inspector OF election on election day..
g In the formation of the Republican party Mr..
81 Arthur took very prominent part. He was a
4adelegate to the convention at Saratoga that
& founded the Republican party. During these
apolitical labors he became acquainted with
4 Edwin D. Morgan and gained his ardent friend
q ship MIR. Morgan, when reelected governor
q in 1860, testified 10 his high esteem for Mr..
q Arthur by making him engiueer-in-c on his
s. staff. Mr.. Arthur had for several years pre-
u vlously taken great interest in the militia Or
e ganization of the State and had been appointed
8 esjudge-adyocate general Of the second brigade.
g In this position he was associated with many
& men who took part in the civil wax afterward
Il and held high positions. Brigadier-General
q Yates, who commanded the second brigade, was
ia very thorough disciplinarian, and for several
u years required all the brigade and staff officers
sS to meet every week for instruction. They in
" this manner became very proficient i'll military
~ tactics and regulations, and the instruction
y proved to be OF inestimabls advantage to Gen
"A eral Arthur in the responsible duties TO which
Il he was soon to be called.
a The breaking out Of the war in April 1851,
= found him still Engineer-in-Chie 1t was
"a merely ornamental Office, and he probably
y never imagined he would do a days duty in the
8 position. The day after Fort Sumter was fired
N upon, while on his way to his law office he re-
81 ceiYed dispatch from Governor Morgan sum
sf moning him 20 Albany. Upon reaching there
n Governor Morgan directed him 10 open a
N branch Quartermasters Department in New
y York city, and to fulfill all the duties there of
8 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. The Governor put in
3 ais hands the duty of quarering, subsistng,
4 lnforming, equippinS, and arming New York.
q soldiers Tor the war.
Y In February, 1862 General Arthur was ap-
81 pointed inspector General, there being duty to
q 10 in the army. in May 1862, he went to
& fredericksburg, and inspected the New York
. troops there under the command of General
q Mcdowell. From there he went to the Army
3 Of the Potomac, then ON the ChickahOminy
3 and inspected the New York troops there, with
y u view OF having the depleted regiments then
in service filled by enlistments 20 their proper
4 strength instead OF having new regiments
i raised AS an advance on Richmond was then
q daily expected, General Arthur volunteered Tor
H duty on the staff of his friend, Major- General