Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-09-20
DEATH OF THE PRESIDENT -BIoGRAPE
ICAL

q ICAL.
d The President of the United States off
aAmerica, James A. Garfield, is no more. He
Mas fallen at his post, the victim of assassiRa
gtion. He died as he lived, true and coura-i
sgeous American citizen. He fell regretted
lzby the whole nation. and mourned by tens of;
:. millions of people, of whom he was theI
s5chosen representative. The thoughts which,
Nstruggle for expression now must find recordI
thereafter, while we glance briefly at theI
sshistory of the man.
y James Abram Garfield was born near|
y 5Mentor, Ohio, November 10, 1881. He was,
ssstherefore, nearly fifty years of age. ON
sEthe paternal side he came Of the Anglo
s9Saxon blood, and on the maternal side.
'asof the French Huguenots. He was al
aman of refined nature, sensitive, generous,
dcourageous, gentle. In personal appearance
.1he was Of commanding figure, erect, of strong
9build and compact frame. He was the!
syoungesG Of the four children OF his parents.
3When but an infant he lost his father byI
sEdeath. The family was left poor and COM
aparatiyeiy unprotected, in what was then al
sswestern wild. He early developed love for
:sbooks and study, and availed fully of the
Smeager educational advantages afforded BY
,;9that distant section. When fifteen years
saaold he sought a position on lake.
Ssgoing boat, but failing, found labor in
:5driving team upon the tow-path Of
u, - .,t,. oh he Iav,a1o,Da5
ga physical capacity to take care of
1himself as against all personal antagonists.
. His service upon the canal was brief. and re-
a53sulsed in illness that continued some months.
dHe then resolved upon securing an educa-
'ation, and by vigorous effort commanded
dmeans sufficient to attend seminary. inl
(which institution he remained until able to;
.4secure certificate of qualification to teach a:
scountry school. His first school required the;
3exqrcise on his part of much courage, and he
gmade it manifest to such a degree that he
4commanded obedience where others had
sfailed. About this time he was thrown un-l
sder influences that inclined his thoughts
Ntoward religious topics, and led him TO the
sssresolution to study theology. In 1851 he en-I
sstered Hiram College, in the State of Ohio.I
aan instituts founded by the followers of the
;levangelist, Alexander Campbell, the father
ssJof the religious sect known most familiarly
ssssas Campbellites. He mastered the classics
ssand fixed sciences, and meanwhile engaged in
lmanual labor 20 earn means for his support
Jand education. After three years at Hiram
1College, he entered Williams College, whence
sshe was graduatedin in 1856 with high scholastic
s!honors. He returned to Hiram, was married.
Ito Miss Lucretia Rudolph in November,
saa1s5S, and was at once appointed to the chair
fsof Latin in Hiram College. He added to his
fmeagre income by lecturiug on scientific subj
Elects and by filing pulpit appointments inI
athe Christian Church. He became POPULAR
I5with the people, and was recognized as bold,
zeloquens and accomplished leadar in all steps
sstoward freedom, and all lawful assaults uponl
'zthe institution of slavery. In 1859 hel
.@swas elected State Senator, being them
4but twenty.eight years Of age. He took sides
with j. D. Cox and Senator Monroe, and theI
5three became known as the Radical Sena-|
stofsp The breaking out OF the civil war;
,Sfound him an uncompromising Union man.
isand he soon took command in the volunteer
s5army of the Government. He became
3 sLieutenant. Colonel of the Forty. second
sOhio Regigment, and soon after was
ssmade Colonel. December II, 1861, he took
lhis regiment to the front, reporting to Gen.
s8eral Buell. at Louisville, Kentucky. He wasI
ssiassigned to arduous and hazardous duty. HeI
chad in this, under his command, four in i
sssfantry regiments and battalion of cavalry
Hin all $500 men-and was opposed by Hum-I
sphrey Marshall with 5000 men. he was sue
sscessful and routed the enemy. His career
slthereafter showed him to be possessed off
4military ability of high order. It is not!
snow necessary to recount the special services
s3rendered his country in the field, fromE
dthe defeat of Marshall to the battles of Shiloh
sand Chickamauga. He rose to the rank off
4 Major. General, and soon after was elected toE
3Congress from the old district of Joshua r.
zGiddings. He took his seat in Congress att
ilthe opening Of the session Of 1868. Froms
athat time the people retained him as their
Representative in our national councils until
1850. In the meantime they raised him toE
5the rank of United States Senator, in PLACED
ssof Allan G. Thurman, an opponent who wasI
sthe leading man of the opposing party I'M
sOhio, and one Of the chieftains of that party
Gin the nation. Shortly after this he went asf
! $ delegate TO the Chicago Convention of 1880,
sand supported and placed in nomination forf
sthe Presidency of the United States JohnE
fisherman, then Secretary of the Treasury
under President Hayes. Unexpectedly, andl
1after heated contest between the rival can
ssdidates, General Garfield was himself placed
] in nomination, and that in spite of his remon-
ssstrances uttered from the floor of the Conven-
ation. He was elected President by very!
large aud decisive majority of the Electoral
SCollege, and was inaugurated President of
Sthe United States March 4, 1881. With oneg
exception he was the youngest of the Presi
3dents. He is the second of cur Chief Magis- I
trates who has fallen the victim of assassina-
: ztion
The Jemez Hot Springs, New Mexico, !
fare described as follows by the Bernalillo9
Z S'Ne,rs. The sight of an immense dam of L
siridescent sediment, fifty feet in hight, oneE
! Hundred feet in length and thirty feet in