Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-09-14
Statesmen who Taught School.
Distinguished Americans Of To-day
who used the Birch and Rule.


was well founded. Indeed, the
school rOstrum has of late years
more than once been the stepping
stone to the White House. 1t is
true that Gen. Harrison does not be-
long 10 that category, but the last
two Republican Presidents did, as
does President Cleveland. Many
OF the most prominent political
leaders of the day began life in the
same way. Speaker Carlisle taught
school for four years while preDar.
ing himself for the bar. His ap.
pearance to day is that of typical
professor. He declared recently
that the happiest day of his life
was that on which he walked into
Covlngton, KY, after fifteen miles
of rough tramplng, to get his teach
ers certificate.
The Hon. James G.. Blaine was
graduated at the age of eighteen
years, and took up the birch al
most Immediately afterward. He
succeeded as teacher, just as he
has succeeded as q statesman,
author, and 6nancler. During the
last presidential canvass a friend
asked him, playfully, how he ac'
quired all his personal magnetism.
81 believe he replied, laughing,
"that the necessity of controlling
Kentucky urchins IN my teaching
days brought to the surface the
so.called magnetism, and which
might have otherwise lam forever
dormant" Mr.. Blaine has more
than once, IN addresses before col
leges, said that he attributed his
earlier successes in public life to
the patience and selfcontrol he &C
quired at the Kentucky school.
Congressman s. s. Cox, of New
York, tried to pound knowledge
into the heads OF young Buckeyes,
in Ohio, before he entered public
life. His versatility was not equal
to Mr.. BlaIne's, however, and, al
though he has been a success as a
legislator and In literature, he was
a dismal failure as a teacher. His
career as a pedagogue is said to
have come to an untimely end
There is a legend that he resigned
at the urgent request of all the
school trustees, backed by almost
every taxpayer ofthe village where
be taught. Still, with his custo'
mary geniallity, he delivered a
touching farewell address at part
ing, begging that the villagers
should not inordinately mourn bis
loss, and declaring that nothing in
the world but the most urgent de
mands for his presence elsewhere
could force him to give up the com
panionship of his loved scholars
and neighbors. For a long time
afterward 1t was mooted question
among the villagers whether the
Young teacher had been poking fur
at them. Ever since that time Mr.
Cox has been a warm friend OF the
teachers, helping them publicly
and privately whenever the oppor
tunity offered.
Every one knows that Mayor
Hewitt earned, by teaching, the
money paid for his first trip tc
Europe. He partly supported him
self while at college by "coachlng'
other young men, and he proudly
tells, in the Congressional Directo
ry. of his labOrs at teaching. The
mayor, like Speaker Carlisle, II
fond Of attending teachers conven
tions and school commencement
| to this day.
Senator ingalls,, the republican
leader and president of the United
States Senate, has presided on thu
school house rostrum. After being
graduated at Harvard College, he
went to Kansas, expecting that his
Massachusetts culture might be al
once coined into dollars. 1t wal
slow work, 80 Mr.. Ingalls, resorted
to teaching until he could earn {
subsistence by the practice Of tn
law. He taught with great SUCCESS
and at this period acquired the dis
tinct articulation and forcible ut
terance which have since mad
him the first orator IN the Senate
Senator Hawley, of Connecticut
taught for some years before NJ
entered college. Ex-senator Mitch
ell, of Pennsylvania, was a teacher
when the civil war broke out
Senator Riddleberger, of Virginia
taught a school before enterInI
politics. Ex-senator Camden, o
West Virginia, earned in the schoo
house the dollars which laid tn
foundation of the millions he owns
to-day. Senator Kenna, OF tn
same state, had a school on tn
Kanawha while he was studyinl
law and farming. He Was ono
offered the presidency Of the Yves
Virginia State University, but pre-
ferred to go to Congress.
Senator Cnllom, OF Illinois, man
aged a school ten years before th
cival war. He is to-day a type Q
the old.time backwoods teacher
Sen ator Vest, OF Missouri, taugh
III l..