St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-01
GEN. JAMES SHIELDS
As He appears in Fiction and in
Fact

hoihC anu hiiIuIeu. 11c WAS we'll III
structed-in truth it may De said he was
educated even then, young as~he was.
for he read and made his own with
remarkable comprehension and extraor-
binary tenacity of memory whatever
books We're available to him.
Here It Is pertinent to correct mis-. 2
representation that is published once in 2
a while ABOUT the poverty, s.rug sles ami
obSchrity of his parentage. While his
people were not very rich. neitIer were
they poor, and there was no ''Strug cling
with Straitened circumstances The
family was thrifty and prudent, and the
outlay was always bounded by The in
come. There was liberal disposition
for the schooling Of the children and
the wherewitlial TO equip themfur
suitable entrance on their own career
later on.
So, then, the youth James Shields
was bright and we'll read; and it is more
than likely that If directly after landing
in this country some business man had
divintd his brightness and a laptability.
ami employed him, the soldier and the
public man would perhaps have been
effaced in all uneventful and prosperous
business routine.
But opportunity is needed to make
talent anu even genius effective, hence
if it be laggard in coming to the waiting
one. the intervals a hapless season of
batfied and profitless effort.
Yet the hardy and determined Alt
more runaway toiled at various uncon-
genial tasks. and strove to get on as
best he could. until one day, while at
work. he fell from considerable height.
and was so seriously hurt that he was
sent to the hospital.
Then. when he grew able to write. he.
sent letter to his uncle. the South
Carolina Shields, presumably informing
him of his injury, and asking him to
send for him.
The answer he received was almost in
these very words Ito stay in the sec.
ton of the country where he was; that
if he was of the right mettle he would
not need the cOuntenance or the help of
any one"
The general never could forget that
letter, coming, as it did, when he was
needy and disabled. and osc asiOnally, as
long as the writer saw him, he would
mention it with scorn. Therefore,
he would not receive his portion
Of the dead mans money, little of
which lie would once have been SO glad
to receive that he might go to one of his
blood when he was poor. hurt and alone
in strange land This was the uncle
who seemed 50 fine, so bland, so benefi-
cent, seated by the home fircSide in Ty-
70 It. who was magnlfied as grand
person in the boys imagination. The
diSilluSion was crushing. 1t lasted
through life.
What made the refusal to help Or see
him wound the general so keenly was,
that in his own nature he could not I'M
derstand nor Justify such repulse,
and hence was the least likely to forget
it. Only the new designation for very
old fact-"neart failure"-could check
the generous cardiac movement and the
helpful impulses of Gen. James Shields
from first to last.
He gave with beautiful will, because
with the halt of caution OF the pause OF
doubt wherewith many liberal people
impose tribute On their favors. In fact.
it seemed that this demeanor of his
shielded him from certain class of
men prone to take advantage of the
average generous man who puts restric-
tons on his belpfulness. The generals
manner implied such trust in his fell
low that the person felt bound Or fiat
tered into living up to the confidence
if only pro TEN. He was not often de-
ceiyed, aud his losses we're inconSider
able, in view of his open-haDded fiuan-
cial methods. 1t may be asserted with
out danger of contradiction that it was
only respectable men," in the worlds
rating, who failed him, and keep his
money to this very day without qualm
of restitution, even when the brave old
man badly needed it.
For years, once IN while two of
these persons, in ardent and nasal har-
argues, have edited hearers concern
ing the rights of old soldiers, and how
much the government owed them.
Surely. at times, a handy solvent
scapegoat for the dereleIict patriots
individual delinquency is the govern
ment. touched" for all the cash il can
be made to yield, until the playwright
| condensed the truth for us in one line:
"Hurrah for the old fiag-and an appro-
prlatiOn."
1t goes without saying that man like
| Gen. Shields could not be a millionaire.
He was never even rich, and it is true,
if rather paradoxical, to say that he
would be no better off had the annual
| income of Vanderbilt been his. And
| the reason? Fancy the disposition of a
mau giving outright homestead quar-
ter section of land to distressed widow
| with several young children.
| In partnership division of interests,
| the mortgage on this farm had been
| rather deXterously Infatuated into the
the generals share. and fortunate
| piece of good luck it proved to the
widow. Now. this woman had no claim
whatsoever on him, was almost total
| stranger, but her misery and helpless
ness touched his generous heart. With
| such disposition one need not wonder
| that he did not like the Carolina Shields,
and loathed the protfer of his money,
when death put him beyond grudging
| and using it.
Like the patronage tardiIy extended
| by Lord Chesterfield to Samuel John
son. James Shields could grimly repeat
| Ursa Majors very words about his
uucle's money-'had it been early. had
been kind; but it has been delayed til.
| am Indifferent and cannot enjoy It;
| till am known and do not want It."
| Fate, then, had prevented James