The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-21

ton, interested himself in the poor wo-
mans behalf, and carried the case to
Major Mckinley, who had just hung
out his single. The latter worked it up
and brought suit against the city. He
won, and as a consequence, the women
was able to provide herself with a. COM
Portable home and a rainy day" fund
The only reward Major Mckinley got
for his services, says Mr.. Gardner. was
the pleasure which a good man derives
from the performance of a good deed.
GREAT BOY FOR MARBLES.
Mother Mckinley said that William
was a great hand for marbles and he
was very fond of his bow and arrow
He got so that he was very good shot
with an arrow. The thing he loved
best of all was a kite. 1T seems to
me- said Mrs. Mckinley, Il never
went into the kitchen without seeing
a paste pot or a ball of string waiting
to be made into a kite. He never cared
much for pets. L don't believe he ever
had one. We didn't own a horse, so he
never rode or drove. He was always
teasing to go barefooted the minute
the snow was off the ground
when summer came he always had
a stonebruise or a stubbed toe. and he
was as proud as a king to show all the
other boys how he stubbed or bruised
his foot. Although William had no
taste for fishing, and rarely, if ever, at
tempted the sport, he was very fond Of
swimming"
In pursuance of her plan for making
her boys useful. Mrs. Mckinley re
quired them to divide the la bors of the
house They burned wood, and lots of
it, and it had to be sawed and split. 1t
came in lengths four feet long, and
William and Abner. being of about the
same age, had to prepare it for use
Mrs. Mckinley remembered that VIII
liam was a steady chopper, muscular
and willing. but Abner usually had the
bigger pile to his credit. However, Alb
ner got other boys to help him, while
he directed their work.
William, on the contrary, always
sawed his own wood This is a trait
that chung to Kim. The boys had the
garden to hoe, chickens to feed and err
rands to run.
Politically the NfcKinIeys were stanch
abolitionists, and William early imbibed
very radical views regarding the en-
slavement of the colored race.
As mere boy he used to go to a
tannery at Poland. O., kept by Joseph
Smith, and engage in warm contro-
versies on the slavery question. Mr..
Smith was a Democrat, and so were
several of the workmen about the tam
merry. These disputes never seemed to
have Occasioned any i'll feeling toward
William, because he was always popu-
had the most controversy.
HOW HE GOT RELIGION.
Mr.. McKinley's conversion in the
Methodist church at Poland, is thus
related by his old pastor. Rev. Silas
c. Swallow:
Young McKin1ey's admission to the
church made such vivid impression
on my mind that / will never forget it,
He had been a frequent attendant at
the Sunday services and was an earn
est listener. On the evening Mckinley
got up / had been exhOrting all my
hearers to repent deeply of their sins
and seek the salvation of their souls.
After the preaching we had a prayer
meeting, and young Mckinley arose in
his seat. He was about IS years old at
the time, and more dramatic figure of
an earnest boy ] never saw. Standing
erect, with bowed head, but looking
everyone fun in the face, he said:
:. I am determined to be a. Christian.
believe that God is the greatest and
best being of the universe. and I am
determined to love and serve him. I
believe religion is the best thing in all