The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-22

Fairbanks, who had learned how to
use the tools of a carpenter on the
farm, frequently secured jobs of car
pentering and repairing. He says now
that he would have made quite as
good a carpenter as he has a lawyer,
and if he had stuck to the trade might
have been a great contractor and build
er by this time.
Fairbanks first attends to the bust
ness he is here for" was the remark
of one of his college mates, and if he
has any spare time he goes in for
pleasure and Sports" That very we'll
describes the life of the future Senator
while at college. During his course
there he took no prizes for scholarships
worthy of mention, but made and kept
his averages and graduated with the
respect of faculty and classmates.
There is no doubt that the tenderest
memories OF Senator Fairbanks life
cluster about the last two years of his
college course. During that time he
was editor of the college paper, and
his assistant was Miss Cornela Cole,
daughter of Judge Cole of Marysville,
o., also student at the Wesleyan
University. Their association in COL
lege editorial work developed the ro-
nance which eliminated in their mar
riage in 1872.
Entering on Life's Real Work.
When a lad Mr.. Fairbanks develop
ed a decided taste for the law and in
his collegiate course this taste was
gratified, and he manifested abilities
at mock trials in the college frater-
mites that in after years brought him
fame and wealth. 1t was characters
tic of him even in early life always
to have some definite purpose in view
He never shouldered his rife for an
aimless stroll in the woods, but al
ways with the idea of shooting game.
To this day he does not care to start
on a walk or a ride without a definite
object or place in view. His whole
course of life has been shaped on this
policy.
Leaving college, he began his own
living but still with definite idea of
studying law and being admitted to
the bar He accepted the position of
agent of the Associated Press at Pitts
burg, Pa, the appointment having
been given him by his uncle, the late
William Henry Smith, then at the
head of this news gathering an dis
tributing agency.
The Senator often laughingly refers
to his experience in news gathering
in the Smoky City. AS 1 recoIect
it, the most important of my duties
was to report the state of the weather
and the stage of water in the Allie
gheny and Monongahela rivers" he
recently said.
He had plenty of time to devote to
the study of law, which he took up
with a prominent attorney in Pitts
burg, but when he sought admission
to the bar he was refused because he
had not been for three years a resi-
dent in the state, which was require
ment for admission. Thereupon he
went to Cleveland. o., and was adj
mitted and shortly afterwards mar
ried and opened his first law Office in
the city of Indianapolis. This was in
1874.
The business and political career of
the sturdy Ohio boy. who escaped be-
ing burned to death, worked on his
fathers farm, hunted squirrels and
rabbits and was logged for "goin in
swimmin'," is familiar to everyone in
terested in public characters The
success that has attended his policy
of having a definite purpose in view
augurs well for his success at the Re
publican Convention in Chicago, II
one of those definite purposes is to
secure the Vice Presidential nominal
| ton.
CConyriRht- 1904. by T. c. McclurA0