The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-04-25
President Garfeld's Mother.

President Gar1ielu'S MOtner.
The story of I" Grandma" Garfeld's
life is we'll worth consideration. Duty,
thrift, nobleness of character and self
sacrifice are the qualities that have dis
tinguished her and that made her the
mother of great man. Her memory
will be cherished by all who know her
virtues and her name should endure as
a wholesome lesson to the women of
America.
Her maiden name was Eliza BallOu.
She was born among the mountains of
New Hampshire in the autumn of 1901,
and Hosea Balou was her uncle. The
BallOus were race of preachers, and
Hosea, following in the footsteps of his
ancestors, entered the ministry. Like
all the Ballous who had preceded
her, she was short and slight in per-
son. When mere child her father
died, and her mother, taking fearful
leave of her New Hampshire home,
journeyed to the West with her four
children. They found an abiding
place near Worcester, N. Y, the home
of the Garfields. Abram Garfield, the
father of the president, was then a
lad of ten, and little Eliza Ballou was
year his junior. There in the wilder
ness these two children played to-
gether for five years, when Mrs. Ballou
gave way to the eloquence of her oldest
son and consented to remove to Ohio.
They travelled in wagon, and after six
long weeks arrived at their destination,
near the present city of GAINESVILLE.
Abram Garlield's parents died in the
meantime and he became a bound boy
He toiled away as only bound boy
can; but his eyes sought the West, and
his heart went out TO the little girl who
had gladdened his hard young life in
the years gone by.
Love is the same under all condi-
tions, and Abram Garfield being hui
man, and friendless, too, surrendered to
the inevitable and ran away. Ohio was
a very dear spot to him and he made
straight for a certain little clearing"
in Muskingum county. He was Joy
fully received and twelve months later,
when he was nineteen and Eliza was
eighteen, there was a wedding at the
log cabin of Mrs. Ballou. The happy
groom was Incorporating young fell
low you may well believe. A giant in
size and strength, no one doubted his
ability to take care of a family even if
he was but boy in years. The
ordinary tools and implements of woods
men and farmers were entirely too in
significant for him. He swung an
eight-pound axe and pitchforks 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
one of the contractors to superintend a
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
he wrought a home for his family.
And here, in the year 1881, James A.
Garfield was born. The nearest neigh
Dor was eight miles off and the forest
was dense and heavy. But Farmer
Garfield worked away, and trees fast
disappeared under the keen blade of his
prodigious axe.
On bright summer morning in the
year 1888 fire was discovered in the
woods near the Garfield homestead.
Slowly it crept toward the little field of
wheat, the loss of which would have
indeed been a calamity Abram Gar
field went forth to battle with the
flames. He carried water in buckets,
dug trenches and worked desperately
all day long. In the evening he re-
turned to his humble cabin, happy
within himself that all danger was past.
But a deadier blow than the loss of
the fast-ripening wheat was to smite
that little household. The father,
from being overheated, took a severe
cold; person thought to be versed in
medicine prescribed blister on the
throat, and Abram Garfield, veritable
Hercules, strangled to death sitting up
in bed. A moment before he died he
crossed the room, spoke kindly to his
faithful oxen, grazing without, and
then, turning to his wife, mournfully
said: We have four saplings in these
woods; care for them when am gone.''
He was but thirty-three when they
laid him away among the trees, and
then Widow Garfield, almost broken
hearted, returned to her desolate cabin
thenceforth to live for her four father.
less children, and them alone. Thomas
her eldest son, was but nine, Mary was
seven, Mehitable was five, and James
A. was not quite two years of age. A
debt hung over the little farm like 6
pail, but Mrs. Garfield was equal to the
emergency. She sold fifty acres, pait
the debt, and had thirty remaining
She split rails, made fences, plowed hel
fields and gathered her crops; and
above all, she kept her children to
gether. Delicate in form and feature
she had the determination of man
Vuitb tha rhalY M