New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-19
THE GARFIELD FAMILY.
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STATEsMANS
DEATH.

FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STATEoMANo
DEATH.
TIE REMoDrILED HOME AT NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
OF THE DEAD.
tFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
MENTOR, Ohio, Sep. Is. Tomorrow Will De q sau
Sunday in the Garfield home. 1t will be the nth an
nversarv OF the Presidents death, and the day Is al
WAYS kent sacred to his memory. In five years there
have been many notable changes in the arheid fahiy
There have been no DEATHS but the children OF whom
the father was so fond have grown up The two oder
bows have Just begun course in the Ooiulhoia
College Law School, and Harry, the elder, mas oeen
teaching in some Eastern school, Both are graduates
of Williams College. James X. CARRIED mas oecn
studying law with Judge Boynton IN Cleveland anu Is
looked upon by friends of his father as the son not
like him in every way. lie has his fathers size, COM
pexion. eyes and manner. Both sons are now men,
and have it Is said great ambition. MISS Moliie tue
only DAUGHTER Is now young woman taller than Ler
mother. and has about finished her studies. The Two
vounqer sons. Abram and Irwinthe latter named tor
Goneral Irwin MoDowcll-are old enough to enter
school ON the Hudson and left alone for their duties
there last week. They had er been away from
home alone before and proud to go forth as they
did Mrs GarGeds family circle Is therefore not large
with her four boys all away.
Since the preliminary education OF Abram and IRWIN
in the Cleveland public schools the mother mas hau
m frtb.r desire to live in city, She has ordered her
mansion in Cleveland sold and has decided to make her
future home at Mentor. She has here added 70 the
modest frame house of her husband palatal queen
anne structure which cost $1,000 1t is the most
mno-no home in the county although the new part -
hind and wholly subseryien the old house in which
tho President lived This still remains the head and
front of the Garfield home although 7eaodeled to con-
ern, With the addition. A 100000 addition TO a
- 900 bon,e i, curiosity in modern architecture, but
sentiment 70. the past aud its iustriou5 dead inspired
Il There are probably sixty rooms in both OLD anu
| nav houses They arc all furnished in modern style
and with considerable elegance, and there an air Oh
ari,tocracy about the interior which GARFIELD IN MS ic
| did not know in his own homo Although the mousse Is
far IN the country it has all the conyenences Oh CITY
| home in plumbing, gas-itting and steain-heating'
natural gas well las been bored on the farm ana the
ward is kept lighted day and night The main
entrance is through the old house In the nan iacnS
the door is A" Grandma " Garields OLD wal-sweep
clock which her In ,band brought home sixty years
400 II il still the standard time OF the mouse anu
teens ON ticking iust did when the President was
| born 10 the lett IS the smohnb room, whlcn Is a
lonning roOm tor the family, james oeihg tno ohy
one who smokes To the right Is the od pdr'or NOV
a reception room and rich in relics OF the deaL II
| was once his study Bibles and other books are upon
The tables and furniture is much the same ~ When
| the family left for Washington 80, -,
10 the lett is modest little room occupiea Ty t Lno
aocd Grandma" Garfield. Everybody calls her
"1irandma" She is eighty-tve. but vigorous oih
lady vet who reads her bible every day ana rides about
the country to visit her re atives OF three dlerent
| generations Her room is modestly but rlchly
furnished and the face of her son looks upon heI IRON
every side. handsome bro-screen VIII
Transparency of the dead stands before thG heatSn a
halfdozen other portraits OF him hang where inc eye
meets them at every turn. Over the mirror o. Tue
dresser is "a picture of MIN rs young man. taken IN
1882 On opposite wall Is picture In colots OF
tho old r,:oueer nome the Garfield family, painted Oy
Mrs Garfield. But the great relic OF this room is te
last etter Of the son to his mother OF w1leh 50 many
thousand lac -sime copies were sold. Here Is the
original soiled with tears and frequent reading IL
has been framed aud hung up where the fond mother
reads it and eve. as II IL were part Oh ne'
deyotions $500
WASHINGTON. Aug II, 1851.
DEAR MOTHER: Do not be disturbed by conflict.
Ing reports OF my condition. 1t is true am SUI weak
bit am gaining every day. and need only time ana
nntience to bring through. Give my love to all
the friends and relatives and especially Aunt hetty.
Your loving son, JAMES a. "A't '''"'
There is less simplicity in other parts OF the great
house. The paintings in the parlors are works oil ar'
Sauna arc by Mrs. Garfield who spends her spare
hours among her husbands books and papers or In her
stuao with brush and palette. But the one great idea
in this home is Garfield the father. Garfield the
statesman Pictures and busts of him are everywhere
On the stairway leading to the library al oil
nortrat OF him made in 1862 when he came from
the war Above it hang his swords Tue library Is
the refuge-room. 1t is in the upper story OF tho new
part and an ideal spot for literary labor There
| are thousands of volumes here arranged Tor con-
vcnicnce The tables are loaded with art books ana
maonzines Where there arc walls above the BOOKS
pices OF authors with their autographs attached are
hung The autographs portraits VI Bismarck ano
Gambctta occupy prominent places .
With Mrs Garfield live her father. Mr. Rudolph PM
brother and his family and also the two Misses Mason
Of Cleveland whose II other and sister are now II
Europe There are sixteen in the family a mn nv ah
fam which consists of 200 1t Is paying
although nothing is sold from 1t but teef cattle on
Mrs Garfield is only thirty miles from Cleveland an
often visits the city. Her husbands tomb IN Lax
View Cemetery is nearing completion ihS G'Ene
UovesI il president and J. H. Rhodes secretary. Ia
o raised 30 900 for the monument, now hali CON
peted with Charles Kelar of New-I Haven supervisor
architect The contributions did not reach the amour
desired Tor the orig nal plans and the design has pee
changed accordingly. The body is now IN the egala
receiving vault of the cemetery guarded only at nlS
by a special walchmaL. The casket will never agar
= | bo opened.