The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-02-17
Farmer Garfield.

recreation in attending to the details of
work on his fam. Calling on him yes
terday, found him tramping about his
fields in a rough suit of cashmere, his
pantaloons tucked into his boots and q
SLOUGH hat, ornamented with hayseed,
protecting his head. While the General
was inspecting his winter wheat, and oh
serving the condition of his cattle, Mrs.
Garfield was standing in the back door of
the house, giving directions to the
''hands" about the shipment of dozen
barrels of cider which she was sending
away to market. The scene led me to
make some inquiries in regard to Gen.
Garfield's farm and farming, and the
facts elected may be interesting to many
readers.
The farm contains one hundred and
ffty-five acres, all under cultivation, ex-
cept a few acres of timber. 1t lies
ing on the old wagon road from Cleve-
land to Buffalo, and the Lake Shore rail-
road runs through it. The soil is rich,
sandy loan, and is very productive. The
fences are kept in good repair, and are
the best in the township. When General
Garfield purchased the farm, about eight
years ago, there were eight acres of
swamp land near the center of it, which
were considered almost worthless. The
Generals knowledge of engineering here
came into practical use, and under his
personal supervision the swamp was
drained. 1t is now very valuable land.
Besides the drains furnish constant and
abundant supply of pure water, which
by means of hydraulic ram is forced up
to the elevated site of the house and
barns, where it is used. The very SIM
pie and inexpensive kind of water
works is
AMODEL FARM
Improvement. which might be adopted
with advantage by many farmers.
When Gen. Garfield made this i'm
provement it was much talked of among
the farmers in this vicinity, and many
visitors came to see it. One old farmer
in Geauga county heard of the hydraulic
ram, but got wrong idea of its nature.
He came to see the General one day and
said:
"Gen'ral, I'm told you hev hy-what
dye call it?-hydraulic ram. Now I
DON'T know nothin' about tibet breed,
but I've been improvin' my sheep O late
years, and hev got some mighty fine
Cotswolds and merinos; and thought
as how, mebbe, as you were congress
man, you might got hold of sumthin a
little high-tOnder: an l jis druv over to
day to see tibet ram o yourE.
The old farm house has been entirely
reconstructed with the last year. 1t is
now a quaint but slightly building, ap-
parently new throughout, and contain
ing about twenty rooms. 1t is plainly
but tastefully furnished. The exterior is
painted white, with red roof and green
window shutters. There are forty win
dows. The generals public Office is
small building standing few feet from
the northwest corner of his house. In
the rear, few rods away, are other out
buildings and the barns,-one for horses
and another for cattle,-the sheds for
cattle and sheep, etc. The barns are
models of neatness, cleanliness, and con-
venience. There are five horses, a
matched team of light dappled grays, a
very fine pair of matched blacks, and a
Kentucky mare which the general
bought of O-ville Grant.
Gen. Garfield is not a very expert
horseman, and he sometimes shows
little Observation-Disclosures that amuses his
neighbors. 1t is his habit to drive to
church on Sundays with his family, I'M
attended by servant. He will not allow
his team to stand out in the cold during
service, bu: unhitches and puts his
horses in a friends barn near the church.
Last Sunday, after service, he hitched
his span of black colts to his wagon, and
forgot to buckle the lines to the bits.
The consequence was that when he got
into the wagon and started the team he
came very near having a runaway. When
the team was stopped and the lines
buckled, an old farmer gravely re-
marked:
General, you'll have to do better
than that when you take the reins of the
government, or the political mule will
away with your
OF cattle there is herd of twenty-si
mostly grade Durhsms, but there are
three Attorney cows and one thorough
bred Alderney bull. The latter was pre-
sented to General Garfield by the Hon.
A. S. Hewitt, before the unfortunate I'M
pleasantness growing out of the Morey
Chinese letter.
THEREBY HANGS A TALE.
At the last session of Congress, after
the hot debates on the "riders' to the
appropriation bill, General Garfield and
Mr. Hewitt were engaged in friendly
conversation. 1t will be remembered
that Garfield had denounced the action
of the Democrats as revolutionary. Said
Hewitt:
General, / have some very fine
A1doruov stock and 7 will saud n thor