Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-10-25
GARFIELD'S EARLY LIFE
As Told by his Brother, Thomas. OF
Grandville, Mich.

From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
A drive of sixteen miles from the Drisk
City of Grand Rapids, down the road TO
Grandville and beyond leads one to the
no thesst corner of Ottawa County. Mich
q country beautiful enough in the main.
and covered with heavy growth of beech
and hickory, above wnich tops of the pine
appear, solitary CT in clumps. our mission
was to find D brother of the late President
Garfield. said to be living in comparative
obscurity somewhere in that neig borhood
Before starting, political friends of General
Garfield in Grand Rapids were sought out
and questioned, and but few had heard Of
the brother. Major A. B Watson, how
ever, president of the Farmers and Mes
chanics' Bank, recalled the fact that three
years ago the general had cancelled an en-
gagement to speak near Grand Rapids in
order to drive southwest to his brothers
house. Major Watson was asked to ac>
company hin, but could not, and hence
knew nothing of the brothers exact where
abouts. Other people were equally unin-
formed, and a majority of citizens had
never even heard that the President had a
relative in the State. The mission of
your correspondent, therefore, was one
almost Of discovery, and ri hit
glad was he TO learn f ON
Postmaster Blake, of the smart town of
Grandville, that Thomas Garfield, a bona
fda brother Of the President, lived some tx
miles hey ond, on the Griffith place, pur.
chased by him number of years before
The road from Grandville to Garfeld's is
| followed With difficulty, for at almost every
cross-road you turn south or west, until the
highway is left far behind. aud you reach
the house of Thomas Gar field by a road as
obscure as to resemble bri le path.
Enquiries made of neighbors met along
the Way developed the fact that Mr.. Cars
| fed was at home, and that be was wor-
| thy man. in moderate circumstances, noted
| neither for superior intelligence nor thrift
| But his home WINS reached shortly, and
climed the hilliy dooryard to the from
| door of one story house, built of wide
pine boards. nailed upright and unpaint, .
| Through the window of the principal room,
which occupied half of the house, spin
ming wheel, decked with fillets of wool.
| looked out.
A knock brought Mrs. Garfield, stout.
| pleasant lady of 40 odd years to the door.
Was Mr.. Garfield in? No, but she would
call him from the field. The reporter then
offered TO save her that trouble, and was
directed to his Whereabouts in the corn
across the swamp: and so at the end of q
hill side field beside shock Of corn was
found sitting the brother of the late
lamented President of the United States
| he wss husking corn into green barro ".
As Thomas Garfield looked up from
under his broken straw hat his face dis
closed little to remind one of his iIlustrious
| relative. His complexion is light, and
hair turning from brown to gray. while the
beard. which grows full and thick, entirely
covers the lower part of bis face and all
but hides the broken teeth.
" Yes," said he, g am James A. Gar
fields Oldest brother. am glad you have
come to see me, and we II go into the n use
to have talk, and he led the way Ath q
vigorous stride that seemed at fance
with his aga and stopped shoulders
p" have been engaged all my life as you
sec me now, grubbing roots and splitting
rails, and with these hands, holding them
out q had to do the best could In my
humble way.
II shall be So" said Mr. Garfield, on
the 18th Of this month, and am the oldes,
son of Abraham Garfield, and the oldes,
child but one, sister, Mrs. Trowbridge
In l849 we we're married at Warrensville
name was Mary Harper, native Of
Maine.
Fourteen years ago I sold what per
sonal property had and came out here tc
hunt a new home, and, after going back
again, returned the next year and pur.
chased forty acres. Tnere were but few
openings 10 the woods then, the only one
DoIc U6luS VI tuS Spot WueTb L0lS mouse
stands. We had at first intended to settle
ft--where was that, dear,'
- Owssso." rejoined his wife.
Yes, Owasso but finally came here
and b gan clearing the wo lds fir, m the
place which l bought, pay ng for it as
could. / frequently had fits which weak
ened my constitution and mind, go tina
. my memory now is poor. Everythine
seemed to go against NE. Four years agl
our house burned and we were unable {,
save but few Kings from the flames, ant
worse than ali, we had no insurance"
did not your brother james at that tim,
manifest any sympathy for you in you
misfortune?n
"Oh, yes; James has always been very
kind to me; ne gave me So"
"And has since," pursued the reporter
"aided you on various occasions?h
: ooh. yes; he gave me $40 now and then
and was kind enough TO come out here il
the woods to see me three times.'
Then you have probably received in al
about $500 or 81 Geo from him."
mo, not SO much in money. Twelv'
, years ago he purchased forty acres adjoin
ing the place ard gave the deed to me
, Ny son lives there, and you might hav,
noticed his new frame house as you cam
along. He is 81 years of age now, 8 tai
and likely young man, who is out to-da.
with a party of surveyors. We named
him after his uncle, james Abrsm Gar