The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-06-11

broad and enlightened policy Of COM
mercial expansion. and he clearly in
dicated that neither neglect on the
one hand nor sordld sel1Shness on
the other should be allowed TO Inn
pede the execution Of this far-reach-
ing purpose"
This extract is from pages far
along in Mr.. Olcott's first volume. II
is quoted ont Of place because Of its
important bearing on measures and
the man. Turning back nearly 10
the beginning OF the life story OF
Mckinley, we read OF his boyhood
in Ohio:
The house where he was born
was a small frame cottage, standing
on n corner Of the main street in
tho village OF Niles. The lower floor
on the left side was used as a store.
II was a humble home, presided over
by Il heroic mother, who managed
by hard work and good sense to
make the slender income Of her hus-
band meet the necessities OF a large
family. In this both boys and girls
were taught to help. and II may be
surmised that the household tasks,
though vigorously insisted upon,
were never thought too irksome, for
the children. without exception, low
ed their mother devotedly.
The Mckinley children attended
school at Niles under a teacher whose
namo was Alva Sanford, locally nick
named Santa Anna from some sup.
posed resemblance TO the famous
Mexican general. Sanford was ac-
cused OF Partially toward William
Mckinley. in spite of tho fact that
he latter had difficulty in learning
his A d Ca.
The martial spirit aroused by the
Mexican war resulted In the forma-
ton OF a company of small boys who
marched proudly with paper cap and
wooden sword.
Has Narrow Escape.
another incident Of this period
wal his narrow escape from drown
Ing. In company with Joseph G.
Butler. Jr.. who was three years his
senior. he went swimming In Mos
quito creek. though he could not
swim. Getting beyond his depth he
was sinking for the third time when
young Butler attempted a rescue.
The two boys were finally saved by
a young nan named Jacob Shealer."
To get ut better school facilities
than wer afforded in Niles the FAM
lily moved II Polan in 1852. when
III subject was nine years old.
"on arrival Mt Poland william
Mckinley was sent to school in a lit
tie. low building, which still re-
mains standinE on the main street
Of the village. A former Bchoolmate
recalls that he was a stout, pleasant
faced lad. who enjoyed playing with
the other lads. and took a lively IN
tcrest in all their sports. In the
spring and autumn he went fishing
in Little Beaver creek. sometimes
camping out for a week at a time.
In the hot days Of summe he went
swimming with the other boys, and
in the winter was fond Of skating.
William. according to the same
schoolmate, always looked n trifie
cleaner and neater than the other
boys-no doubt his mother could ex-
plain why-and he always acted like
a gentleman. Yet he was never a
prlg and did not think Of himself as
better than others. On the contrary.
he was well liked by his playmates.
He cxcelled in all the sports. 1t was
commonly remarked that win is
good At anything he goes at
"He never had any QuRrrels, and
although the boys OF the village. who
were no better than other lads. and
no doubt occasionally used bad
words ii was noticed by them that
Will never INDUCED In such Ian
gunge. They learned. too. that even
when quite young. he preferred to
study his lessons before playing.
rather than after. declaring that he
could have more fun when the work
was out OF the way. Gradually he
came to be recognized as u natural
commander. The boys looked up to
him and accepted his word as the
law"
Converted in Poland.
1t was In Poland that William. II
the tender age Of ten. became an en-
rolled Methodist.
The war interrupted young Nc
kinley's educational course. and at
eighteen he was a soldier in the
twenty-third Ohio volunteers, Ruth
erfOrd B. Hayes. also a president-to-
be. being q member OF the same reg
imsnt. We quote but briefly from a
war record showing both gallantry
and energy. At Antietam, in Sep
TENDER. 1868
Mckinley had been made COM
missnr rgeant and was in charge
OF III lies OF his brigade. The
fight at an early hour and the
mcn had only u scanty breakfast. As
the day wore on II became evident to
the young commissary. who was with
the wagons two miles in the rear,
that the non must be faint with hun
ger,
Noticing some stragglers ne set
them to work and was soon gallop-
ing over the intervening field with
two loaded mule teams. drawing
wagons loaded with ratiOns and bar
rels Of hot coffee. Mckinley drove
one team himself. The other was
disabled. but he picked up a pair Of
stray mules and went on.
Tho eIort was unprecedented,
and time and again he was warned
to turn back. Needless Of shot and
shell, he worked his way over rough
ground and through mudholes that
III AwmA Na-lA HI .a-Nnn -