The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-24
GRANDMA GARFIELD.
Life Spent Amid Trying Scenes, and Bur-
dens Borne with Uofaltering Faith.

eveiand Correspondence PIttsburg Dispatch
The story of Grandma Garfeld's life is en-
titled, and not only entitled but well worth con-
sideration. Duty, thrift, nooleness of character
and self sacrifice are the qualities that have DIS
tinguished her and that made her the mother
of great man. Her memory viii be cherished
by all who know her virtues and her name
should endure a wholesome lesson to the
women of America.
The mother and father of President Garfield
were unlike in mental acumen and physical
strength. he was as powerful as while
she was as frail as any flower. He WAS pleased
to reap and plant, but she looked beyond the
woods and valleys which were her lot and saw
school houses libraries and churches. The last
son inherited the fathers splendid physique and
love of play and the mothers ambition for
books and grasp of mind. Thus the two
lures combined produced man who, coming
out of the forest died with all the honors
great republic could confer upon him.
Grandma" Garfeld's maiden name was
Eliza Ballou. She was born among the mount
aims of New Hampshire. and Hosea Ballou was
her uncle. The Ballous were race of preach
ers, and Hosea, following in the footsteps OF
his ancestors, entered the ministry.
Reared Baptist he departed from the tenets
OF his fathers, and, declaring his disbelief in
future state of punishment, became Univer-
saist and afterwards an Unitarian. It is said
that If all his writings were collected they would
I'LL loo books. He preached sixty ears, delivered
10000 extemporaneous sermons and left behind
him name that will always live in church his
tory. He and Eliza Ballous father were broth
ers. 1t will be seen, therefore, that '.Grandma"
Garfeld's literary bent came to her by virtue of
inheritance. Maturin Ballou. the founder of
the family in America, a Hugueuot. He
sought home in Rhode Island, aud members
Of his family emigrating to New Hampshire in
termarried with the Ingalls,, of whom John j.
Ingalls,. of Kansas is a direct and distinguished
descendant
Eliza Ballou was born in the autumn of the
year 1901. Like all the Ballous who had pre-
coded her. she was short and slight in person.
When mere child her father died and her
mother taking fearful leave of her New Hamp-
shire home, journeyed to the West with her
four children. They found an abiding place
Abram Garfield. the father of the President,
was then a lad of ten, and little Eliza Ballou
was year his junior. There in the wilderness
these two children play ed together for five
years, when Mrs. Ballou gave way to the elo-
querce of her oldest and consented to re-
move to Ohio. They Travelled in a wagon, and
near the present city Of GAINESVILLE Abram
Garfelds parents died in the mean time and he
became a bound boy. He toiled away as only a
bound boy can. but his eyes sought the West
gladdened his hard young life in the years gone
by.
Love is the same under all conditions, and
Abram Garfield, being human and friendless,
too, surrendered to the inevitable and ran away.
Ohio was very dear spot to him, and he made
straight for certain little clearing in Mus
kingum county. He was joyfully received, and
twelve mon tbs later, when he was nineteen and
Eliza was eighteen, there wedding at the
log cabin of Mrs. Balou. The happy groom
was Incorporating young fellow. you may
well believe. A giant in size and strength no
one doubted his ability to take care Of family,
even if he was but boy in years. The ordi-
nary tools and implements of woodsmen and
farmers were entirely too Insignificant for him.
He swung eight-pound AK, and ptchforks
were made especially for his use.
The Ohio canal, the greatest water way in the
West, was being dug at that time, and Abram
Garfield was hired by of the contractors to
superintend gang of men. Finally he took
several contracts on his own account and IN the
end lost everything he had. Then he came
North, and In the heart of a wilderness few
miles from Mentor where 'Grandma" Garfield
is peacefully passing from earth. he
there, in the year 1881. James A. Garfield was
born. The nearest neighbor was eight miles
away, and the forest was dense and heavy. But
farmer Garfield worked away and trees fast
ak.
On bright summer morning in the year
Garfield homestead. Slowly it crept toward the
little field of wheat the loss of which swsG d.
have indeed been calamity. Abram Garfield
went forth to battle with the flames. He carried
water in buckets, dug trenches and worked des-
perately all day long In the evening he re-
turned to his humble cabin, happy within him
blow than the loss of the fast ripening wheat
was to smite that little household. The father,
from being overheated, took a severe cold; a
person thought to be versed in medicine pre-
scribed a blister on the throat, and Abram Gar.
field. veritable Hercules strangled to death
while sitting up in bad A moment before he
died he crossed the room, spoke kindly to his
faithful oxen. grazing without and then, turn
ing to Eliza, mournfully said: "We have four
saplings in these woods; care for them when
am gone"
away among the trees, and then Widow Gar
field. almost broken-hearted, returned to her
desola.e cabin. thenceforth to live or her four
fatherless children and them alone Thomas,
her eldest son, was but nine, Mary was seven,
was five and James G. was not quite
two years of age debt hung over the little
the emergency. She sold fifty acres, paid the
debt and had thirty remaining. She split rails.
made fences plowed her fields and gathered her
crops, and above all she kept her children
gether. Delicate in form and feature, she had
the determination of man combined with the
overwhe lming love of two ordinary mothers.
with pleasant homo near Grand Rapids, Mich,
worked as but few boys ever worked before or
since. Ego
And thus these heroic people passed the years
until Jimmy as he was called. declared his
intention of going to sea- He had read a book
on pirates, and a sailor man he determined
to be- In vain did his mother plead She urged
him to turn his mind in the direction of an edu-
cation, but useless were all her words Sad,
indeed, the day which he left the woods
of Orange behind, and with firm set lips. turned
his rosy face toward Cleveland
Every one knows the ludicrous story OF his
experience in this city How he attempted to
sell his services to the drunken master of
sailing vessel Hew he was made sick at heart
by the shocking profanity of that sinful wretch.
How he reasoned with himself that the canal
was the place whereon to learn the rndiments
of navigation and how he hired out as a driver,
fully resolved to work his way upward from
that humble station. Everyone knows, too.
that he explored the bottom of the canal four
teen times the first trip, and that he finally
stole home for sympathy, quinine and little
care. No one at home had heard from him
since ne had gone forth to master the seas.
His mother thought he on Lake Erie, and
mourned and prayed for him days came and
went. He drew nearer and nearer, and finally
stood upon the step and listened listened until
the last word of a fervent prayer for his welfare
went straight to heaven. then, when he made
his presence known. mother and son sat down
to weep together in that quiet evening
The following winter he entered Geauga
near by, with cash capital of $17 in
his purse-the joint savings of Widow Garfield
and her son Thomas. There is another pleasing