Evening journal., 1912-05-01
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Two Letters That Garfield
Wrote
By Holland

Il would give a good deal if we're
able 10 put my hand upon two letters
which were written by James A. Gar
field in the fall OF 1880 and which, af-
ter his election to the Presidency,
came into my possession" said Mr.. +
w. Grant. who as an antiquary, and
an authority on old and rare books
was for some ten or fifteen years in
intimate association with Garfield, an
association all the more greatly en-
loyed by Garfield because there never
was hint Of politics in il.
you may remember that a few days
after James G Blaine was defeated
for the Presidency, in 1884. a story
was printed in some of the news
papers purporting to describe the
manner in which Mr.. Blaine spent the
greater part of election day Accord
ing TO this report, Blaine voted in the
morning and was occupied the rest Of
the day, until the returns began to
come in in the evening, with his work
upon his book, Twenty Years in Con-
gress. And il was said that If anyone
had seen Mr.. Blaine in his library at
Augusta. Me-, that day. not knowing
Nho HA 0Anf nt WOulu ndNO UCti
thought to be a scholarly, literary
person, diligently employed upon some
important work Well, these letters
which passed into my possession. and
which have been sought by the biog-
rapher Of Garfield, and have either
been stolen from me or lost, revealed
Garfield in very much the same light
in which Blaine was revealed by the
story which told what he. did upon
the election day when he was candi-
date for President
1T seems that Garfield had ordered
and received from an agent in the
East a very rare pamphlet. although
not an expensive one 1t elucidated
some point in the classics which Car
field had been trying to clear up and
with which he had been considerable
occupied during the summer and early
fall after his nomination for the
Presidency. You may remember that
2t that time the early fall elections,
especially in Maine, were regarded as
sure barometers of the manner in
which the Presidential election in No
vember would go. Maine, to the con-
sternation Of the Republicans. that
year, went Democratic and that SEEM
ed to forecast the defeat of Garfield
and the election of General Hancock,
the Democratic candidate.
"On the day following this election
Garfield wrote the first of the letters
which came into my possession II en-
closed a check for one dollar and for
ty cents. In addition. Garfield stated
that the pamphlet had given him great
qualification. that he had with It that
morning solved a point which had
been long obscure with him He also
requested my friend to secure for him.
II possible. another pamphlet OF small
hook relating to still another classical
matter in which Garfield was much
interested Garfield Won know, was a
great student of the classics.
"Well, a day or two after the No
vemher election Of that year, my
friend received another letter from
General Garfield. In il he enclosed a
check for a small anomalies than
two dollars; J do not now remember
the nrecise fieures-in payment for
fhe little work which nv friend had
heen able to secure Por him He also
erOla % the rieaenra which the read
in~ 20 tha+ work he'd qiven him unon
a'ecr'cr dow And there was nothinr
IN the tone of the letter 10 suggesi
fhat cnrfr's was even aware that the
Presidential election was In pro-
rraee. hut instead ~ justified the i'm
n~eseion thet he had srent the dav in
his hhrarv roring over some one Of
the classics
] fConvriohf 1910 h,- y Edx-arae