The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-04
THE NEXT PRESIDENT.
>hETCH or THE CsEEER or gfL-
nan M'hINIII. or ONO.
His Early Struggles The private tit'Jch
and Public oriciai and Achieve
mcnts oi G.tres :. iiobar.-


onis can be taken as an Indication. His
father. William Mckinley. ST., died in
1885. at the ripe age OF s. and his mother.
Airs. Nancy Mckinley. stll lives ia
Canton. the proud recipient OF the un-
eeasiug hnal attentions of her distn-
guishcd son. Mrs. Nancy Mckinley
father was of German birth and her
mother was OF Scotch descent William
Mckinley. ST =. grandfather was
Scotch-lrishman and has mother was an
EngAsnwomau. Mr.. Mckinley. ST., was
born In Mercer County. Pa. but his fam
ily moved TO New Lisbon, Columbiana
County O.. iu lsl9. whore for many
years tho father of the next President
was manager OF "a blast furnancc. IL
was In New Lisbon that he met his wife,
whom he married In 1888. Two sons.
David and James. were born there but
owing TO lack OF educational facilities
tho father established his family In the
little house lu Niles, Trumbuu County,
picture OF which is given herewith. IL
was in this house that William Mckinley
was born. February IS. lSH 1t is worth
remark that a considerable number OF
prominent Americans were natives or
counties OF Ohio in the near vicinity OF
Niles. Cuyahoga, thirty miles away
was the birthplace of James A. Garfield
Senator Allison of Iowa, lived only thirty
miles from Canton. and Senator Mandei-
son. OF Nebraska. lived and married only
fifteen miles from that city. Ex-senator
Thomas Collier Plat kept store at one
time in Masslllon only eight miles away
and Senator Quays home AT Beaver is
only sixty miles of. Rutherford Is.
Hayes was "a native Of Delaware county.
nearby. and Senator Sherman and Gen
eral William II. Sherman were born ana
reared al Lancaster o.. less than Il hum
dred mites away.
his BROTiIERs AND SISTERS.
Several of Mr.. McKinleys brothers
and sisters died in infancy. His oldest
brother. David is "a resident OF san
Francisco. where he discharges the
duty OF Hawaiian Consul TO tie United
States james. the next older brother.
died about six years ago. Abner "a
Younger brother. is engaged IN business
in New YORK. william Mckinley en-
tered the village school ia Poland. 10
which bis family had removed when
only years old. lie remained In
the schools OF that town until ia his
18th year. wncn he made enough money
by teaching in nearby district public
school 90 pay his matriculation fees In
Allegheny College. lie remained at the
coilcce only ecl weeks when the call
90 arms for tho Civil War came and the
pale faced. .fay-eyed. earnest and pa
tri0tc - student flung aside his
books decided 20 shoulder a nu~ket
This = was taken only after earnest
conference with his parents. Owing TO
his youth and physical immaturty they
were loath TO consent 10 interruption Of
his studies and the incident eXoo7u-e 10
Tho hardships Of campaigning But The
enthusiastic patriotism OF the youth
kndled like emotion in the Scotch-Irish
blood Of his parents and bore down their
opposition for they saw that in spite
~ his youth there was plenty Of lighting
stuff in him. And so his cdueu ion IN
books ended and that broader education
~ stirring events and the ways OF men
began.
A PRIVATE ~ THE RANKS.
Young Mckinley entered the army
mere stripping. without influence or
powerful friends. with only heart
hrmfIl Of patriotism and love for his
fag lie joined a company OF volunteers
from his own nelghborhood which. after
the fashion Of the time took the prcien-
ti0us name Of "The Poland Guards.
The company had already selected its
officers. The captain. youth named
Zimmerman. was chosen because of brief
service ia a Pennsylvania militia COM
pany. in which ne had learned the iacngs
and "a few otner rudiments Of the school
of the soldier. lie was the only man In
the company who had any military TAIN
ing whatever. Another young fellow
named Race was first Lieutenant, .d j.
J.. Botsford. now of Youngstown. s"cond
Lieutenant This company was must RED
irto she volunteer service az Columbus
hv General John q. Fremont n june,
-,fl. and was attached 10 the twenty
hird Ohio Volunteer Infantry, OF N!lch
William s Rosecranz was colonel
OF the fourteen months which Mckinley
served in the ranks he recently said: j
always look back with pleasure on those
fourteen months OF soldering. They
taught me great deal ] was only
schoOlhoy when / entered the ranks, ana
that year was the formative period OF my
life. during which ! learned much OF inen
and affairs. have always been glad that
! entered the service as private
Promotion came 10 him after Antie-
tam. During that battle he was acting
commissary Tor his company, and In the
IDlf Of the neht Doe took cooked ia ions
90 tho front 10 feed his hungry com
Iades who had been I'M battle line for
twnty-four hours. The lighters teH
back iu squads 20 refresh them selves.
and were loud in praises of McKi1i,y's
thouehffulncss. Tie obtained furl3ugh
Co. few days after the battle on his way
home De- passed through Columbus az
paid his respects 10 Governor Tod, VINO
surprised the young volunteer by ne
seufng him with "a second lea snt1ts
commits lion. February g. 1863 he was
promoted 20 first Lieutenant. and on July
g. l,fi captain This latter promotion
was supplemented hy his appointment as
aGjutart general Of his brigade. and he
remained upon the STAFF until mr3,ied
out iu July. 1885,
AND NOW THE LAWYER.
The war over Mckinley found himself
at - man without % profession and
without means TO- live on. Military life
SIN bad many destinations for him and
commission in the regular army was
within the reach OF The influence he W.
now able t0 exert That w1 Ili at least
provide him with a living and the teupia-
ton was strong. His sister Miss Anna
Mckinley. woman Of fine judgment md
strong character. had already cstahli sncd
herself as school teacher in Canton. O..
and she proved 90 Doe the pioneer Of
the Mckinley family boo Stark county.
10 was largely DICE 10 her forceful alGl-
ments that the Young soldier laid of
hls Uniform and devoted himself u study
u the Jaw
This period Of three years between tie
time Doc lfft the military service in 1910
and The day hc received his diploma from
Che Law School az Albany y. y. IN
l@s ls one OF which few facts are known.
The man who knows all about tho off
faculties and struggles with lean purse
and long ambition that marked those
gears has never taken any one into his
confidence concerning them. llc had he
adFanfage OF the law library o. Jncgc