Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-02-03

grew weaker unUll the tuu OI his SUI
ferings came at a few seconds after
1905 o'clock.
James Gillespie Blaine was born at
Indian Hill farm, near West Brownville,
Pa, on Jan. 81, 1880. His grandfather
was Col. Ephriam Blaine, one of the
most dashing patriots of the Revolu-
tionary war. The father of James &.
Blaine was also named Ephraim Blaine,
but his life was that of quiet, well-to-
do farmer and for years justice OF the
peace and always an honored citizen.
He married Miss Gillespie, the daughter
of an Irish Revolutionary patriot.
When seven years of age young
Blaine began to attend the village
school. Later on he attended school
at Washington, Pa. His aptness soon
resulted in his being sent to the High
school at Lancaster. He remained at
school only two years, by which time
his extraordinary progress in his
studies enabled him to pass
the matriculation examination to
Washington College in his native
county, from which abode of learning
he graduated in ls47, being less than
IS years old. His masters at college
reported that he had been at all times
an exceptionally diligent student,
naturally unusually gifted, it is true,
but always supplementing his Unborn
. talents by hard and unremitting study.
He showed the greatest proficiency in
all branches of mathematical study,
and even more especially in political
economy and logic, and 1t is easy to
trace the influence of the latter two
studies through his political career.
The immediate result of this
early diligence and application was
that he graduated sharing the honors
of the occasion with only one other
student The grafton which he de-
livered at the commencement exercises
was entitled 1.-THE Duty of an Educated
American" and in its pages it was
easy to see that the youth felt the
duties of citizenship to be no mere
sinecure, fact which in his case was
well proved by subsequent events
After leaving college in spite Of his
youth Mr.. Blaine was engaged as a
teacher at the Western Military Insti-
tute at Blue Lick, Kentucky, where he
remained for about three years and
proved himself to be of great value
both as a pedagogue and disciplin-
arian. During his stay there he made
the acquaintance of Miss Harriet Star
wood of Maine, who had been sent to
the seminary at Millersburg. KY, for
an education, and the acqnaintapre re-
suited in marriage.
Mr.. Blaine then returned to his ma
tive state and began to study for the
bar. but did not applyffor admission.
From 1852 to 1854 he was Instructor
Bin the Pehnsyldania institution for
educating the blind. In 1855 he pur-
chased half interest in the Kennebec,
Maine, Journal and took up his resi-
dence in that place. The young jour
nalist took hold of his new work with a
will and his paper soon became power
in local politics. In order to be thor
oughly conversant with his work Mr..
Blaine took the files of she journal
, from. its beginning and read them
through, completely mastering not only
the former position of the paper, but
also all the details of politics and pub
lie affairs in every county of the state
as far as they had been recorded in the
Journal. At that time, and for many
years afterwards, it used to be source
of never ending wonder and astonish-
ment to politicians and public men to
hear with what unfailing accuracy the
newcomer from distant state could
quote from the files of the paper with
regard to all political matters. Mr..
Blaine's extraordinarily kesn compre-
hension and prodigious memory have
always been among his most remark-
able natural attributes, but they never
have been put to such a testas when he
accomplished the work just recorded.
At rs he was the leading power in
the councils Of the Republican party
in the State. Before he was 30 he was
che sen chairman of the executive COM
mittee of the Republican organization
in Maine, and from which he has prac-
tically shaped and directed every DO
litical campaign in the State. always
leading his party to brilliant victory
With view of occupying wider
field Of influence, Mr.. Blaine, after
wards, purchased the Portland Adver-
tiser. He soon became assoc ated
with the Morrills. Fessenden and Han
nibal Hamlin, which, added TO his
great natural ability, accounts In q
measure for his rapid career. -