The San Francisco call., 1896-06-19

the journey by means of horses, Mrs.
Allison riding the entire distance on horse
back, holding in front of her their young
est child.
The Alisons settled on a farm some
eight miles above New Lisbon, Ohio, and
there, IN the year of 1909, was born their
sixth child, Nancy, who became the
mother of Mckinley. Later the Allisons |
left the farm and removed to New Lisbon,
where several other children were born to
them, making in all a family of ten chill
dren-hve sons and five daughters.
TIE girlhood of = ancy Allison was
passed quietly on her fathers farm and IN
the peaceful little town of New Lisbon.
In the year 1897 she was married to Will
liam Mckinley Sr. and afterward the
young couple went to Fairfield, Ohio.
At 81 Mrs. Mckinley is able to travel
and take lively interest in current events.
A close friend of the subject of this sketch
says:
Many of MeK1nley's good qualities, both of
heart and mind, were due to his mother. re-
call her quiet dignity of manner She was
just the same in the midst of commonplace du-
ties as in a palace if she had been reigning
there All her old friends and neighbors of
Poland who speak of her agree to this.
Her character, tor all that is COM
mendable in q woman's sphere, stands
pre-eminent here in church and IN
the hearts of her friends - she had
that blending of sweetness and strength of
will and purpose that has been rich inher-
itance to her children. You cannot find in all
Poland any unkind criticism or even a shadow
OF thought derogatory to Mckinley and his
family. His Oldest and nearest friends in
OF him with the same unstinted praise as
those who have known him of recent years.
This is certainly the best testimony coming
from those that had no emoluments of Office
or gain of place or position to influence them
in those days. when there was nothing to gain
or lose thereby.
McKinley's mother and his entire family
seem to have made an indelible impress
sion upon the little village of Poland,
which is really refreshing to those who
have studied the man in the larger affairs
of life. Even the old Postmaster, whose
name was Case, and who, appointed by
Buchanan, still adheres to his Democratic
principles, is willing to givehis young as
sistant a good character for industry,
faithfulness and conscientiousness in the
discharge of his duties. Mckinley worked
in the postofice the year preceding the
breaking out of the Rebellion. In fact, he
was assisting Mr.. Case in Poland when he
enlisted in the army. Case is proud OF the
reputation his young clerk has made for
himself, but his affection has not been
strong enough to induce him to give up
his Democratic faIlacies.
McKinley's boyhood life really began at |
Poland. This quaint village has hardly |
changed at all since Mckinley, as a boy, |
clerked in THAT center Of politics and |
gossip, the rickety old postoffice,n and
attended the Poland Academy Life at
Poland until the war broke out was far |
from exciting. Youths like Mckinley /
were obliged to study hard, and not in |
frequently do odd jobs to help earn money
for books and tuition. As they advanced |
into professions, it was often necessary to
teach school, clerk in a store, work on
farm, or take up some other occupation
during vacation. The Mckinley family
never hesitated to do this, and as
a result all were equipped with good
two of his sisters became
excellent teachers, and he himself taught
one term of winter school in what was
then called the Kerr district. The school
half miles by road southwest of POLAND,
but young Mckinley usually strobe man.
fully "across lots to shorten the distances
Many who live in Poland still remember
seeing the young schoolmaster climbing
fences and making his way over the roll
ing surface of the country to and from his
duties. He was thus able to assist in de-
fraying the expenses of his tuition and
that OF other members of the family at
the academy.
This sort of life, while it developed and
sharpened the intellect, has tendency to
shorten the period between boyhood and
young manhood. Mckinley, so those who
remember him as boy in Poland declare,
was real boy, full of fun, loving athletic
sports, fond of horses, hunting and fishing,
and all outdoor exercises, and yet at 16
we find him taking upon himself a serious
view of life. Before he was Is he had en-
listed in the ranks of war
He joined the Twenty-third Ohio Regi-
ment, which was officered by three men
whose after prominence made this COM
mand one of the most noted in the war.
The first colonel was w. S. Rosecrans,
afterward General Rosecrans, a captain
whose renown is now worldwide, and
whose services later in the War Of the Re-
bellion were important in its suppression.
The first lieutenant-colonel was Stanley
Matthews, afterward Senator from Ohio