New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-12
THOMAS GARFIELD.
SOME VIVID "REMINISCENCES

In the township Of JamestOwn, Ottawa County a,<,,,
fifteen miles from here, fos the last quarter Of centuv
lie is old man now, suffering from rheumatism ana
the weakness incident to advancing years. ard tAoss
near to him have noticed that no has rapidly declined
In strength and vig0r Ter several months and thev
realize that he has not much longer TO live. lie IA
weak and emaciatcd and Illness Will not pcrm. him n
go out much but he is cheerful and serene as ever
patient end plous and his chief pleasure Is In reading
the Bible.
The Garfield farm contains eighty well cultivated
acres and was carved out of the virgin Crest By the
old man who is row In tho twilight Of Life. The house
is modest frame structure situated rise Of round
overlooking the farm. Everything about the place Is
neatly kept and has the appearance o. good manage
ment and prosperity. The active manager IS the Old
mans son. James Abram Garfield, who Is about forty
years Old an exact counterpart in face and figure Of
his distinguished uncle. within the house everything
Is scrupulOusly clean and neat and Mrs. Garfield, VINO
Is several years her husbands Junior bustes around
like the model houseleeper that she Is The furniture
IL PLAIN but substantial and well kept ON the walls
of the paror are several valuable paintings The most
prominent of those lfesised portrait OF President
Garfield the Of Cleveland artist, duplicate %
which was sent to Queen Victoria after the Presidents
DEATH Opposite Is lfe-sized crayon Of Grandma
Garfield.
Mr.. Garfield Notwithstanding his age and weakness,
IL always willing TO talk and his early LIE and his
brother are favorite topics with him. His memory OF
cdent. lie lived on the farm in Ohio where he was
horn with his father mother the children until his
fathers DEATH and them the age of ten, settled down
10 support the dear ones at home. The farm OF fifty
acres was reduced to thirty before his father died. and
what was left clear Of incumbrance.
"The support of the family fell on me after father
died. said Mr. Garfield last week, speaking OF his early
life 81 was only ten years old then, but lot school
and took up the work on the farm NY older sister,
Mehltable helped me and split wood together Inc
story of my mother splitting rails Is untrue Inc Only
time ever saw her try such thing was soon siter
fathers death. was splitting rails to fence IN the
garden and the maui TOO heavy for me. Aother'
who had been watching me, came ont to oher her en-
couragement and Tegan prasing me for my endeavors
She took I'D the maui herself TO set good example
and with desperate effort aimed blow at the wedge
She WIS not very heavy and the effort nearly upset her,
That was the only experience she ever had spntuhs
rails .,
&when was ffeen years old mother owed %
| on n ooI-cardng and cloth bill, and went to WORK
chonnns tbree.foot wood at % cents cord TO pay Il
worked ell winter at those wages, and that Is the way
| 7 hant fine family Those were hard times and corn
| was shillings bushel
mJames was baby when father died and became tic
pet of the family He was so bright ana smart We
| we're all proud Of him. lie could read the aiphane'
when eighteen months old, and at four TOOK MN 10
tha dlSr,ch school, He made remarkable progress IN
his stdlos and tho first term received Testament tom
his teacher sor being the best reader In his cSs III
was right at home with books, but dld ushho ia,.H
work lie could do anything bu, hos eorI' iio
would let his mind wander of on something else anu
cut of the corn every time. He was AMBITIOUS 70 gan
| an education. and knowing his ability, we all deter
| Inoa that he should 20 through college. James
| stavod ON the farm until he eighteen years oh
pa had tnrn for mathematics and soon gained gre"
reputation In the neghborhood Tor MS s+n. "
| member when he was seventeen years oiu INC PRIV
| lessor of mathematics at oberln College sen. nun
nrohlan, IN solve lie worked on 1t all the afternoon
"a evening and heard him talking about 1t IN ms
sheen. He got MP at daylight the next mcrnins anu
! before breakfast he had the problem solved
| aJames was natural orator. He used 10 go out IA
| tho woods when a mere boy and deliver orauohs :"
imaginary audiences, and at fourteen was tle c"a'pV'
deeter in the country debating club and ne used 10 10
n,ttod aoanst men twice his age When he was fifteen
no took lob to chop 200 cords Of wood at 20 Genus
| = cord for his uncle Thomas at Newburg. his VIZ
| the only contract Of that kind he ever TOOK
| ~Did he follow the towpathP
| clio did once, but the stories OF Ms Hie nave eA
soccrated the circumstances lie only took one UP
on the canal and that for his cousin III osNe@"u.
| He was out of work the summer he was hiVeeH' anu
I'D. emo round trip from Cleveland TO Wellsvle DC
cause lie had nothing else to do lie soon han e"h''
70 enter the academy at Chester and work for MS oo
The story that Ito worked his way through oncSVst ~
| Hiram upass;sted is untrue / want 10 give JAMS
fba credit
~, Gov all that We did for him, but the tTuth Is VIC
ho,od hin, o those years and scrimped ana scrdPe'
! end did everything TO give MN eh@ucc' VIC 9."'
him clothes and books, and mother did MS Washing
, rord;rc until he went East TO school. James IVES
Ivovs grateful and we loving and coAnuen'iA
as brothers ought 10 be up 10 the day OF MS ueA'
| 4" How came your brother TO enter ponticsT
atIo , drayrn into Il little BIZ nttle Ills OratorSea
rovycrs made him much sought after in campaign ts'
and honor after honor thrust upon MN ulSoHc'-'
uis ambition In his later life was TO occupy seat ~
e Trnitod states Senate, he thought ne could 90
tho most good there. lie did not want 10 be ereoe'
ord was not what you would call a party man Cat.
eod earnestly there would not be another drop Of
meu, old IN tbs country or brought INTO it, never
bonrht cigar or glass OF liquor, ana never "ery
circus ere b U did not 20 into the next tent where
ir DS' pas going on never owned ~atch nor hai
Piece sse Oh anS hays nev cared for such things
| . Did your brother ever visit You y ~, $500. hon.
Yes he Sa he spe eEe IN the city on resumption
Of specie payment. He was always so loylne a ia
S 6nd saN 70 my WIFE want to sleep with Toma;
tonight and he always did, and we Womb ,s ,,.in
midnight OF old times lie Sc seemed ihe on NJ tH he On tho
farm. but he never stayed long win me; ,hn, M
Jimmy Garfield IN Cleveland has tG Ssre See SS Wes s
he was II his brother Tom had not h hell
WHEN left him at Mentor, after my yist II JanI
erv bef zee his Inauguration, attended his fqrersi,
, , Ala NOT SEQ his bOdy My sister Mary sld ven,
puo EIberon Cottage before he died, but the doctors
wouldn't let In. Mary was so9d s n Tss y er
rHouS to co in TO nurse him, but the doctors wounn
let her We have always felt that he was aoct ore No
death, and il Mary could have taken care OF hin 10
vow WHEN zen did yon come 70 Michigan ~ ., mast twenty
| e,o th"n We sold the old farm In Ohio In leJ4 anu
Moved to NChgan LIVED a, snrSS cn Eea s,st 10 6o
horo i worked around different farms NJ Wn
years then cane here 6 5HS% 70 t slS' me- 5
; nS bcre in 1897 ana NJ that time tbs IVES an.
forest James helped me pay fr IT, ana ana, Tneh gp
nn,,ss hrrned IN 1877 no helped me phulli N nlu'
49, ~ ~hos had done for him. II he wa suu Mnc
wondnt have to have any worries about no TO- E,nrc
w., nO have lived herc since. Joined zoe Shu,I.aa
H. YVES sixteen years old. and have tred - Esn
good Christian llie and have never nssssa 81 Dis
,n,c Of Christ at jamestown, and that Is tne o'g