The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1922-06-20
One Hundredth Anniversary
Of Former U. S. Presidents
Birth October 8
WAS A GRADUATE
OF KENYON COLLEGE
Son Of The Former President
Visitor At Commencement
Exercises Today

GAMBLER, June 19-The presence
here today of Webb c. Hayes of Ere.
mont, o., son of former President
Rutherford Birchard Hayes, and
Charles Richard Williams, the biog.
rapher of General Hayes, upon whom
the degree of Doctor of Laws will be
conferred in honor of the fact that
the subject OF his biography was an
honored graduate OF Kenyon college,
has resulted In arousing very strong
sentiment In favor of proper cele-
bration Of President Hayes Tooth an.
niversary. which occurs on Oct. 4.
The recent successful centenary of
Ulysses S. Grant leads the patriotic
friends of President Hayes to believe
that an equally successful recognition
of his centenary should be held. The
Kenyon alumni will probably take &C.
tion today on this subject and CON-
municate with Governor Davis.
On Gambler hill today, where Ruth.
erford b. Hayes spent four years of
his college life, where the great cir.
cular window in the gable of the west
wing of Kenyon college is bedecked
with flags, there Is strong rejuvena-
tiOn Of interest in that Ohio presi.
dent, whose patriotic endeavors. on
the field Of battle, in the halls of con-
gress, three times governor of Ohio,
and president Of the United States,
testifies to the highest ideals of Amer.
ican citizenship.
Fought In Civil War
An old friend of General Hayes,
who had known him since his guber-
material days at, Columbus, said here:
None of the. Ohio. presidents were
more clearly identified with the states
than was Rutherford B. Hayes. For
mer Presidents William McKinley's
and William II. Taft's histories run
parallel to it u many interesting
ways. Mckinley was a private in
that famous 23d sOhio volunteer regi-
ment. of whichrnHayes was a major
and which contained such distinguish
ed names as General w. S. ROsen.
Grams, who was its first lieutenant
colonel, Justice Stanley Mathews of
the United States supreme court, who
was lieutenant colonel, Gen. James
M. Comfy, for many years editor OF
the Ohio State Journal, and Major
w. d. Bickham, well known as the
founder Of the Dayton Journal. Their
lives touched in close contact at An
tietam, chasing Early up the Shenan-
doah, and 'Whirling through Winches-
ter at Opequon creek, Fisher hill and
Cedar creek.
Rutherford B. Hayes began his po-
litical career as city solicitor of Gin
cinnau, position which William H.
Taft afterwards held, among such
friends as. John w. Heron, Alphonso
Taft, George H. Pendletpn, William S.
Rosencrans, Stanley Matthews, Man
ming F. Force. George Hoadley and
Salmon p. Chase. That was in 1S49,
and 1t was at 1888 Sixth street that
Mr.. and Mrs. Hayes made their first
permanent homes There, on March
20, 1856, Webb Cook Hayes was born,
and two years later the third son,
Rudd Platt Hayes. was also born.
Hayes began law practice on April
8, 1861, with Col. Leopold Markbreit,
whose brother-in-law, Frederick Has.
saurek, left 1t III order to take hi.
place as minister to Bolivia. Hayes
hadn't been in his new Office long,
however, before the capture of Fort
Sumter and the call of President Lin.
coin for $4,000 volunteers startled the
world. Cincinnati and the north gen.
orally was ablaze with patriotism.
Enters v. 8. Army
"On May 15 Hayes and Stanley Mat
thews agreed to tgo into the service
for the war If possible, in the same
regiment Salmon P. Chase was
personal friend OF both men and when
their services were offered, the regi-
ment of which they became respect
ively major and lieutenant colonel be-
came the first Ohio regiment to en-
list for three years for the war and
the first whose field officers were ap-
pointed by the government.
"It is an interesting fact to those
standing here at Gambler today to
know that Lorin Andrews, then pres.
ident of Kenyon college, was the first
Ohio volunteer to enlist In President