Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-03

these fats I thought of Fairbanks future,
| and wondered if the front door of the
White House may not some day open TO
! him. With such an ancestry added to ms
| careful habits and easy working mind, he
| ought to be in good mental and physical
| shape for twenty years to come. He has
| good record, he halls from a pivotal state
| and stands well with the politicians ana
| with the rank and file of his party. In
| deed If | were asked to pick out a man
from the middle west with possibilities
| could not find one with better prospects
| than Fairbanks.
The Last Log Cabin Candidate.
Senator Fairbanks will probably be the
last of our log cabin candidates. The for
| ests have been cleaned up that the
future great man cannot hope to start life
| rocked in a sugar trough and learning
his letters by the light of pine knots.
The log cabin in which Fairbanks was
born was situated not far from Colum-
| bus in the then wilds of Ohio. His
| father was a wagon maker. who bought
| 200 acres of virgin forest and turned 1t
| into a farm. He built a log cabin with his
| own hands, and IN that cabin the republl-
| can candidate for Vice President was born.
l once asked Senator Fairbanks If he re-
membered the cabin. He replied:
| Il am no craftsman. but could make a
| picture of it today 1t had but one large
| room and loft over 1t. There a stone
| chimney outside at one end and fireplace
within. where the cooking was done over
a crane. There were two beds in the room.
and had two beds also in the attic.
These suffced for the family until my
father had made enough to build larger
house"
I asked what became of the cabin and the
senator told me that it was destroyed
shortly after the larger house was built.
1t had been moved aside and turned into
carpenter shop for use in constructing
the larger building.
Fairbanks Narrow Escape.
1t was at this time that Senator Fair
banks had the narrowest escape of his life.
The work on the new house was going on
In the winter and a fire had been built in
the old cabin carpenter shop. The family
and workmen had gone to dinner in the
Few house when the future vice presi-
Dental candidate. then little black-haired
tot. in black skirt and apron, tried TO re-
plenish the fire by putting in some shay
ings. AS he opened the door some Goals
dropped out. and within few seconds the
cabin was ablaze. The fire was between
him and one door, and he tried to force his
way out the other door. which was damned
up with lumber. He was burned slightly
before he succeeded in getting through.
He was. however, more frightened than
hurt. and pale as the snow on the ground
ne made his way into the room where the
family were dining and said: Mamma,
The men jumped to their feet and looked
out of the window. The whole house was
In flames and an hour later this prospective
Vice Presidents birthplace was In ashes.
Pays to Be Born on Farm.
l had a chat with Mr.. Fairbanks when
he was first elected to the Senate about his
experiences in those early days. He then
told me that his work as a farmers boy
had been of service 70 him all his life, and
he said he thought 1t paid "a boy to be bonn
on a farm. Said he:
at was upon the farm that learned how
to work and such success as l have had
has come from hard work. 1t Is the farm
that will produce the successful men of
the future. The great writer's. lawyers and
business men of the next generation are
now among the farmer boys of today.
few, 1t is true, may come from the city
but the majority will be from the coun-
try"
"It is hard knocks and hard work that
develop character continued the senator,
land the boy who has these is better Off
than he who has them not. The city boy
has too few difficulties to contend with, and
l doubt whether 1t is an advantage for a
boy to be born rich. I remember once
hearing party of famous men telling of
their success in life. One after another
described the trials he had had and the
steps up which he had climbed to fame and
fortune. At last spoke the most eminent
of them all, saying: Il am entitled to
more credit than any or you, Tor L was
born rich and l have succeeded, in spite
of my riches
How Fairbanks Got His Education.
At that same time Senator Fairbanks
told me how he got his educati saying
that he had largely worked his way through
college, although his father might possibly
have been able to have furnished all the
money. Said the senator:
II was brought up to think that work
was a part Of the duty of man. Every one