Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-05
GARFIELD AS A FINANCIER.
The Skill with which He Evaded
Ghe Enforcement of a Note.
! Washington Correspondence ST. Louis Globe
Democrat

Ss~FsHsStON CSfteskfOftSSfsSC ots &<OsttS OtCOC-
Democrat.
Many people, who ought to know bet
ter, seem to be imbued with the idea
that General Garfield is plain, straight.
forward man, utterly unversed IN the
arts of diplomacy. That this is a mis-
taken view of his character Is proved by
the following authentic anecdote, told
me tonight by one of his intimate
friends:
A year ago last autumn, when the
Legislature, which afterwards elected
General Garfield United States Senator,
was in process OF nomination, tall,
ungainly young man, hailing from Ash
tabula county, called at Mentor one day,
and asked for the General. After the
compliments of the season had passed,
the visitor, whose name was Thorp, ioy-
fully informed his host that he had Just
been nominated by the Republicans of
his district for seat in the lower house
of the Legislature, and that, if elected,
he would vote ''first, last and all the
time for Garfield for Senator"
The General naturally expressed great
pleasure at Mr.. Thorp's good fortune,
and applauded his choice for Senatorial
honors, at the same time assuring his
visitor of his earnest hope that the Demo
Gratis would not succeed in carrying that
particular district.
''Have no fear of that" said the en-
thusiastic Thorp. II will work like a
beaver from now until election day, and
am bound to win. All need is little
money to pay my election expenses, and
Thought I'd just run over and ask you
to lend me $500; that will fetch me
through all right"
"Inasmuch as Gen. Garfield was al
ready aware of Thorp's tendency to bor-
row and forget, he was a good deal non
plussed by this sudden request. but inn
mediately and truthfully replied that
he had not that amount of money on
hand, and hence could not make the
loan. 1t would indeed afford me great
pleasure to accommodate so good friend
as you, Mr. Thorp,' he said, but have
only $15 about me. l would gladly aid
you in any way in the world, and if you
want what I've got you are welcome to
it.
He thought that this would end the
conversation, but his surprise may be
only family imagined when Thorp, swell
ed with gratitude for the kind assurance
of the Generals willingness to assist him,
and grasping his hand, said:
& thought of al this before / came,
General, and when in Cleveland in
quired at the bank, and they told me
that they would discount my note for
$500 if you would indorse it. Your
friendly words convince me that you
will help me through. | have note al
ready drawn, and have signed it my
self; all it needs now is your signature
to get the money and insure my election
to the Legislature and yours to the SEN
ate of the United States. General Gar
field saw that he was in for it.
After assuring his visitor that he would
do anything in his power to aid
him, ne could not possibly refuse him
so simple thing as his autograph;
so he took the note somewhat ruefully,
led the way into his study, and sat down
at his desk. He seized pen, dipped it
into an ink bottle, and seemed just on the
point of writing his name, when he
dashed the pen down, and rising sud
denly, said: ''Thorp, don't you see this
would ruin us both? You are a candi-
date for the State Legislature, and / am
CouuIudIc AOI Iu0 OulJcO OLdLCS D6Hdtc.
Twothirds of the directors in this bank
are Democrats, and if they ever got hold
of note signed by us two they would
use it for our destruction"
'Do you think there would be dan
ger?" gasped the thoroughly frightened
ThOrp.
Certainly there would be danger"
replied the General; "but." continued
the narrator, Garfield afterward, in
telling this story, explained
that the real danger he feared in the mat
ter was that Thorp would forget to ever
refund the money. General Garfield"
continued my informant, regards that
feat as the only brilliant financial per-
formance of his whole life"
Some of the able gentlemen now seek
ing the Generals Endorsement of their
drafts on the public crib may find that
the cunning which saved him from the
remorseless friendship Of the thoughtful
Thorp may enable him to evade their
earnest entreaties as easily for similar
reason.