Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1893-02-02

OF the Northern Departments. During
the terrible Valley Forge winter Col
Blaine won great praise for his success
full efforts to provision Washington's
army and 1t has been reported that the
Continental forces might have starved
but for the effective character of his
work In their behalf. Ephraim Lyon
Blaine, Mr.. Blaine's father, went to
Washington county in 1918. He was a
man Of generous and hospitable DISPOSE.
tion and had he carefully nursed his in
heritance would have been rich in world
ly gear. He was not Over-provident,
however, and allowed real property,
which later assumed fabulous value, to
slip from his grasp for little more than
self-sung song. He had travelled much
at home and abroad. He was Justice
or the Peace and Parliamentary. Ephraim
3 a'ne married Maria Gillespie, Roman
Catholic, very remarkable woman, one
possessing great force Of character, and
wise as well as strong affections. The
marriage was blessed with seven children
five sons and two daughters. The
childhood of Mr.. Blaine was passed in
lowly surroundings, but in later life he
himself once said: "You boys who are
city bred know comparatively nothing of
how happy life can be for the young,
On farm lad learns much from actual
experience and observation that town
life fails to give and the foundations of
good health are more surely implanted
In the country than in the CITY,"
MT. Blaine was prepared for college at
the home of Hon. Thomas Ewing, then
secretary of the Treasury. at Lancaster,
~, under the direction of William Lyons,
orother of Lord Lyons and uncle of the
man who was afterward the British Min
lster at Washington. His fellows student
was ms cousin, Thomas Ewing, after
ward General Ewing. H, was eleven
years or age when he moved to Lancas-
ter and there he lived for nearly three
years.
Washington college, which Mr.. Blaine
entered in November, 1S43, has history
too long, and yet interesting, to insert
here. In 1869 it united with Jefferson
college and is now known by the Joint
name OF Washington and Jefferson COL
lege. AT this institution Mr.. Blaine
studied until September, 1S47, when he
was graduated, sharing first honors with
John Y. Hervey, afterward Superinten-
dent OF Public Instruction at Wheeling,
IN class of three and thirty members.
La speaking of his college days, Mr..
Blaine once said to the writer, "You
might doubt it, but, really, when at col
iege, was quite swell. / well remem-
Der troublesome joke my chum perpe-
trated at my expense, one which then
mortified me much. had ordered new
suit OF clothes, which duly arrived, but
reached my room when l was at recita-
ton. My chum took advantage of the
situation and donned my new garments,
strutting out our familiar haunts to
his own intense satisfaction. Ever after
| was credited with trying to pass off up
on an unsuspecting public his clothes for
my own whenever l appeared In that
misused suit
After graduating Mr.. Blaine's father
gave him 500 in gold and said to him:
Nov you have an education, health and
moderate capital. Go out into the
world and trouble me no more for
money! The Injunction was obeyed.
That 500 was the only pecuniary Gift
Mr.. Blaine ever received. The young
man took passage on the Ohio River and
went to Louisville. In after life he said
that ne then thought il he could
ever rise TO De head clerk of first-class
steamboat on the Gsio River he would
ask Tor nothing more 10 life.
La Louisville Mr.. Blaine closely
watched the newspaper advertisements,
and by that means secured 3 position.
In October of lS47 he began work as
tutor at the Western Military Institute at
Blue Lick Springs, KY. Here he toiled
with youthful energy for nearly three
years, and here he met Miss Harriet
Bailey Stanwood of Augusta, Me-, to
of two years, on June 30, 1850. Miss
Stanuond xuoo Ianuhtor ~ T.ooh Ston
wood of Augusta in which city she
in 1915 after which trhee of his
daughters went to Kentucky to become
school teachers. Harriet found situa-
ton at Millersburg, Bourbon county,
and in the parlor of the sem mary where
she was teaching the marriage was SOL
emnized. The welded couple went
thence to Paris. KY, where they took
train for their honeymoon.
Mr.. Blaine's father died in the spring
of 1850. his mother in the summer of
1869. Mr.. Bl 4ine resumed his work in
IL ntucky in the autumn of 1850. In the
spring of 1851 Mrs. Blaine returned to
her family home in Augusta, where, on
June Is, 1851, their first child, S ian wood
Blaine, was born. In 1852 Mr.. Blaine
secured a position as teacher at the Penn
sylvania Institution for the Instruction
of the Blind. He had employed the in
term between leaving Ken;ucky and the
taking on of his new duties in the study
of law. The Philadelphia Institution
stood at the corner of Twentieth and
Race sire ts, and Mr.. Chaplin was then
at its head 1t was founded March 5, 1884
Here Mr.. Blaine taught in literature and
mathematics, and from Mrs. Blaine re-
ceived valuable assistance in the conduct
of a work in which he became much in.
terested, and to which he ever referred
with pleasure.
In The summer of 1853 the death of
Mrs. Blaine's mother led to visit to
Augusta, Me. just before leaving there
to return to Philadelphia, Mr.. Blaine
learned that the Kennebec Journal could
be bought. Journalism had always at
tracted him, and he had done much
thereat in Pennsylvania to exc out q
Continued on page 4.