The Indianapolis journal., 1888-08-06
THE HARRISON BIOGRAPHY
Extracts from Gen. Lew Wallace's Forth
coming Life of the Candidate.
Childhood Days. College "reminiscences and
Courtship-HOw lie Won His First Suit
How He Put the Laugh on Voorhees,.


Gen. Lew Wallace's biography Of General
Harrison is about completed, and the work will
probably be ready for publication by the 10Th
of August An Eastern correspondent has been
looking over the proof-sheets. and furnishes the
subjoined extracts: After devoting the first
chapter to Harrison's illustrious ancestry Gen.
Wallace describes his hero, first as q child, boy
and student, and then as a lawyer. soldier and
statesman. Take this as specimen extract.
giving glimpse of Harrison's early boyhood.
with its rugged environment of froukier life and
days of drudgery in q log schoolhouss:
THE teachers were sometimes men. some
times women; and they were not employed all
the year round, but generally in the winter.
The cabin was, as is usual with such buildings,
the very plainest The floor was of puncheon,
the windows few ard small In one end was a
great fire place. habtually 6lled with logs in the
morning to burn all day The benches Were
slabs raised above the f,or by sticks fitted In
through auger-holes. Thev were without backs,
and the little fellows, thr ,ueh the hours of ses-
sion dropped their legs without touching the
floor with their feet Altogether it was weary
employment for them. be: As tseir studies were
speAing, reading and writing they were not put
to much mental effort In that humble struct-
ure Benjamin began his education.
I'm seasons when the crops were being plant
ed and harvested he was. q farmers boy,
given employment suitable to his years He fed
the cattle, be did the milking, though he has
since confessed that at this latter labor he was
never a success. 1t should not be supposed that
the attendance at school and work upon the
farm were unmixed with pastime. The rivers
flowing close by were well stocked in that day
with fish, there were squirrels in the woods, in
their season ducks were plenteous and in per-
suit of such game young Harrison became an
expert shot particularly with the rifle. Very
frequently he assisted the negro who served the
household in the capacity OF cook. carried wood
and water for him and helped him wash the
dishes, that be might the better secure his COM
pany in a bout at fishing or hunting"
In one or two places the biographer draws
aside the curtain and gives US q glance at the
inner sanctuary of young Harrisonis homo life.
made beautiful by the character of the mother
whose presence hallowed il:
His mother was a most Christian woman.
OF remarkable sweetness OF temper, and her
spirit pervaded the house. The dining-room,
which was the common sitting room, was large
and commodious, with the usual wide open fire.
place. In evenings, especially of the winter,
the family assembled in it around q central ia
BILE. The flames in the fireplace burned bright
ly, dispensing light in aid of the tallow-dips on
the table, beside which were the od-fashioned
brazen snuffers ready in the polished tray for
instant use. The dips mentioned were not the
store article, but home made. In fact, young
Harrison helped TO make them, and became an
expert in the business.
''In front of the fireplace the mother took
seat with her knitting. and. while listening to
the conversation the reading that WENT on
amongst the younger folks, reeled of her needles
the socks with which the boys could encounter
tho snow without In their most animated mo-
ments those around were always regardful OF
her presence; respect for her tempered their
voices and forbade passion in dispute. She was
a Presbyterian. and one of Benjamin's earliest
recollecrone, that to which at this late day be
refers with profoundest reverence Of feeling is
the habit she persisted in to her death of rising
when the hour Of retirement came, folding up
her work. whatever it might be, saying good
night and going aside for prayer. The practice
was mystery to him then, as was the prayer
she silently made. He did not understand
what it meant; and for that reason possibly the
impression it made upon him has been more
lasting"
When the boy Harrison had served his time at
the A-B-C of learning in the log school-house,
and had carried his studies considerably deeper
under his fathers instruction. he spent two
years at Farmers College, near Cincinnati, after
which he entered Miami University as a junior.
His life there, il seems, was much like that OF
the average college boy Of that day and this,
Harrison actually married the girl to whom. as q
student, be had pledged his first and only love-
General Wallace tells how it came about.
1T happened that in the town overlooked by
young ladies. of which DR.. John W. Scott was
manager and president The .sir students were
q sparkling feature OF the society of The village,
and young Harrison was not so asceticaly de-
voted to the Union Literary, and making good
tho favoritism shown him as an orator on occa-
sions as TO be blind to the sex. Far
from that, he was notoriously diligent
in : seeking partners for concerts. lect-
ures. picnics and parties. II also happened
that President Scott had daughter, girlish. in-
H~l1,o oatfO in nh sho
man quickly discovered all the qualities that en-
tered into the composition of his ideal of per-
feet woman. Suddenly he gave up attentions
to the gentle patrons of the academy in general
and became more slave to his books than ever
For season there was much wonder over the
change. At length It was exp,ained-he was
engaged to marry Miss Caroline W. Scott. the
Presidents daughter. The contract argues
great courage and confidence in his future when
it is remembered that he was poor and just out
of the junior class, and but eighteen years OF
age.
'It may be well supposed that the engage
ment referred to, while operating as an incen-
tive to work, had also the effect to lengthen
each college day, making him impatient for the
end which the collegiate calendar set down for
the oath of June, 1852"
General Walace's description of Harrison try
ing his first in court is so graphic that IL Is
worth quoting almost entire. 1t serves, more
over, to illustrate the fact that the candidates g
the versatility OF material and felicity of express
sion, which. during the past month have aston
ished the scores Of big delegations" to whom he
has talked day after day without repeating him
self-wes gift already possessed in no small
degree by the stripping stow head" barrister of
1854. A man who pumps his speeches from en-
cyclopadia pages would have been absolutely in
capable of extricating himself gracefully from
the dilemma which General Harrieons biogra-
pher describes as follows:
"Among others, Jonathan w. Gordon, In the
fall Of 1854, was regarded with great popular
favor. Of unquestioned ability, an enthusiast
but eccentric, he was serving the people as pros
ecuting attorney, and, having made the &C
qusintance of Harrison, he formed q high opln-
ion of him, and led him to his first appearance
There was on the docket an indictment against
an individual for burglary. The case came up
for hearing in the afternoon. and by chance
Horace Mann was announced for q lecture in
the evening Major Gordon anxious to
hear that distinguished person, and, fearful that
the trial would be continued into the night, to
accommodate himself he requested his new
friend to assist him. The invitation was &C.
cepted. Judge Majors was presiding. The de-
feuse was conducted by Governor Wallace and
Sims Colsy. As anticipated, the evidence was
heard. and Major Gordon for the State and Mr..
Colley for the defendant finished their speeches
in the afternoon. whereupon an adjournment
was had
"The interior Of the OLD courthouse was
dingy. gloomy and forbidding in the daytime;
at night it was funereai. When young Harri-
son came in to make the concluding argument
he found a large assemblage waiting to hesr the
debut On the fixed desk before the judge
&1,o fo1ln Ia