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Gen. Garfied's Brother

Gen. Garfied's Brother image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
October
Year
1881
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A drive of sixteen miles from the brisk city of Grand Etaptda Clown tlie road i Grandvllle and beyood leads onc to the nortlieast corner of Ottawa ooonly, Mlch a country beaiititul enough In the mam. anti covered with a heavy ro-nth of beech umi hickory, above whieh the of (Ik pine apear, solitary or in oltlinpa. Our nn-iou lo linil fot Um Ittb 1 Occan, il brother of ÜM late President Uurfiel to bt living In oompwatiTe ohecuruj aoniewhera in tn.it aeigiiUorliooU. ire staiting, olilicttl trlends oi Oen (..utithl in Grand Bapida wew noughtool mul queationed, and but few haii heard ot the biother. Major A. li. Wataou, Imwever, Pnatdent of lüe r'ai men and Uecluut. nik, rtcalltd Ibe [act tliat tlnee yeats igo ÜM iicniT.ii imd canoeléd mi ehagtjHi'iit lo .spi-uk iifin (Jniiiil Kapid in uruur to drive MMUhweat i bti broün Majcir WrtUon a-kr.l to accoinpunj liim, bnt could Bot, and beoce kucw nuiliing of tlie brotlur's exact tu rrubouts. Ollierpt(i[)lc tqnallj iinint onned, and u niiijority ot citiAjn luid HTU even lieard llnit Die Vresident, Imd a relativo in llie State. 1 lie iniasiou ot fOUTcortetponUeUt, Uierefore, vraaouealmortol ditcovery, uno rlght rlml ralbe toteara trom foali Butke, oi tlie Mnart lowu ofUnsdvllle, iimi TtaoCMM QMfleld, ¦ bona brotüer ot Hie President, livetl mom six miles buyomi, mi the "UritlHli " placr, purcbaaed bjr liuu a nnmber ot yeais bitoK'. Tlie rond lioin Urmidvllli; (o (ïurlit'Ws la ibUowwJ Wilt dirtleulty, for at almo.-i tery i ross-roud you turn sonili or waat, nniil ÜM bighwaji is Ie ft tur beliind. and )ou reacJl llie buuou Ol Garlicld by :i load 10 (ilp.-turr U lo n Minblea bridk puth. imjalriM bukm ol nelgiibon met nlong the ay dcvloprd I h - llial M r. (ntrtield Wal at lionir, and llial ÜW - a uorUiy mmi, in inoderatccirciini-l.iiic. t, nolcil iifilber tor superior bjtelligeuoe nor llinll. But bis a.i Ka-iiud borlly, and 1 climbed the liilly door-yuru to Iront door ot onestory hoiis-, Imilt of uh i i iic Ixiard.s, hailcd upiilil. and unpainled. Thronfa Ibe wlnduw ol Uw prim-ijal room wliieb occlipied hall of Ibe linuse, a .-pnining wheel, dtoked witli lillets ot wool, looked out. A knock brooght .Mis. (¦arlield, a MOOt, picasant lady ol 40 odil years lo tlie door. ¦Was .Mi. i'i.n [n-l.l taf" "No." bilt sbe would rail liim trom tlie lieli!. The reporter oll'ered tO save lier tliat Irouble, and WH8 od to hU wliereiihoni-, "in th corn ai-i'o- the iv.inii." aad so at theeadof a hiUaide field beaide aehock of corti vraa limad aittiiijt 'lic brotber of the late lainentcd President of the Iniie.1 S lle was buy liuskiiif; corn into a hand barrow. As Thomas Oarfield looked np from un(ier btl bioken ttraw liat ï lace èbwloMd linie to reraind onc of Ids illuatrlous n-la(ve. Ilisi-omplexion islight, and bil hair turning from brown to gray, whlle tbe beard whicfa grrowa t uil and liik-k entirelr covers the lowar part of tbc tace, and all but bidet the broken teetb. 'Yes," said he, '-I am James A Garfield's oldest brother. I am glad you have come to 8ee me, and we'll j;o bato the botue to have 1 talk. and bc li'd tbc w:iy witli a rtoorous stride that seeuied at variaiicewilb his age and stoopcd sbouldon. "I have been aangad all my üfc ¦ per me DOW, grabblng root and splittlng rails, and witli these hands,," holding ilnm out, "I have had todo the best l eould in my huinble way." At the house the reporter was introducid to .Mrs Garfleld, and all ere smui at easc in the ¦lUlng-room. The interior sufít'ested the tidy housewife wbo inakes tlie most of lier sarroundinga. 'I'lie room was plainly and cheaply fnrnuhed, to buaure, itmoug the few pictnres that hung on the walls lithogniph or paintingof General Garfield there was none. "I ihall bo 59," sak! Mr. Garfield, " on tlie 16th of tkil monta, and am the oldest son of Abraham Gerfleld, aiul the oldest child but one, adatar, .Mis. Trowbridge. In 1849 we were married at Warrei, üuyhojra County, Ohio. Mywife's name was Mary J. Harper, a nntixe of Maine. "Poorteen years ago 1 sold what personal property I had and eatM nut here to huilt a ncw home, and alter golng back again returned the nextyear and parchased torty aerea There were bnt few openings in the woods then, the only one here belng on the spot where thi house stands. We had at fint intcndedtosettleat- whcre was that, dear?" "Owasso," rejoined his wife. "Tea, Owaato; but 1 tinally came here and began clearing the woöds from the place which 1 bongtat paying for it as I could. I frequently hud tits whieh wcakenel my eonstiliuion and mind, so that my memory now is poor. Everytliing seeraed to go against me. Four years ago our house burned and we werenhle to save but few thing-s from the Dames, aiul, vorse ihan all, we had no losuraitce." iid not yourbrother James at that time manifest any sympathy for you in your rui- fortune V "Oh, yes, James lias always been very kind to me; he gave me $"0. ' "And has sinee," piirsued the reporter, "aided you on various occasions ':" "Oh yes, he gave me $10 now and then, and was kind cnough to come out here in the woods to sec me three times." "Then you have prohahly recetad in all about $500 or $1,000 trom him t" "No, not so mncli In monev. Twelve years ago he porebaaed forty acres adjoinIng the place and gave the deed tome. M son uves there, and you migbt have noticcd his new frame house as yon cama alona. llr :tl yearx of no,a wil an.l liUW young man who is out to-dav with a party Of surveyors. We naini-d hiinafterhis uncle. James A bram líartield." "Ves," added .Mis. G. "and he is the picture of James. None of his family look so mach like Uim. We have but one oüier child. a daughter, and she, too, is married, and we live here alone. " It was not a difficult task to turn the attention of Mr. Garlield to thecharacti ris tics of his illustrious brotber, and tbeir early life after the death of the fatlier left Mother Garfield and her family of sinall ehildren to face the world in poverty and alone. "1 was n child betwecn 10 and 11 when father died." (ald the old gentleman, " and James was the baby of eighteen months. Mother was often urged to tind plac for her ehildren amoog neigliboring (rienda, but glic alw ;iys refuaed, and sat in our liumblc home spinning and weaving for auch rKplc as would give her emplojraent, while set out working with all my mirht auiong the neighbors to eontrihuté what a child could for the family si.pport. 1 uscd to earn twenty-live cents a oord lor qbeyping tiftecn-fH)t wood, and from my slendcr earnings paid nine shilhnrs a fnishcl for meal, which I backed two miles and a half from the mili, and this largely fornied our illet.'' "Wasn'l it a mileauda half' abked Mrs. Garfield '! "No," replied her husbaml, with a keen renicmbraneeot his poverty, whieh had outlaftedj his brother's prominenee, "it was two miles and a half. And tli.it winter mother wove a large piece of cloth for the ehildren, and I paid for the dyes to color it. James was seven years younfrer tlian the next oldest child, and was teaching school w hen we were married. I well rememher carryiDg him on my back to tin? schoolhouse when he was a child. Hil mind seemed fully occupled with his studies, and, if I say it myself, Jiimea wis & good and smart man." "What truth," asked the Ínter Ucean reporter, ",s there in the story about Jame birlos out as driver for a canal boui "Wliy." replied Mr. G., ''Jamea nerer was regularly eniployed in the buHe hired to bis cousin, A mos Letcher, until something better turned Up, and c.rove one rouiKltrip, and w:is preparing to stalt on the seeond, when he feil siek and quit the business. He was then nfteen or sliteen old." "When did you ñnt I car of the asation of the Presiden! v" "On the evcniiifr f the day it occiirred, at 5 o'clock. A ncirhhor coming from (irand Kapids broafrbt a copy of the Eagle with him for rae. A dlapatcb ttgned tj Mr. Judd, was brought to the boute from the nearest railroad station later in the evening, and evcry day attciH.ini u nt il Ilany Qsrfield rcHirneil to Williams College he sent me a dfepatch, whieh was broagRI over from Hudionville or Grandville by frieiids. After Han y went hack to college I heard nothiiifrdirect from the Prei ident until tbeditpatcb camefrom Elbero announcing his death and signed by Mr. .i. Stanley Brown." "Why did you not fro to Washington to visit the Preddent dnrlng illae.-.-r" asked the reporter. The old gentleman heeltated, and the reporter kindly SUggested that perha.'s the great expense incident to the trip bindered him. 'Yes," saklMr. Garfield, "that was t, and beskle I had been told that nobody would be admttted to see liim." "Did you attend the funeral at Cleveland r' 'Ye, sir. I w:is fjone from borne three (lays. and when 1 rendí! Cleveland was ilirccteil tu go ti the hou-e of Mrs. Col. bheltlou, where inotherinl sistei were.'' "1 read," taid Mr-, Garfleld, "that Motti tr (lartield liail HÜd IbltJlHIWIlkU onl) son. 'Chis must ¦ mi.-takt. tur Mui her (iarticld ral BOt ttw kiiidiif woman ti diaown her own chüdrcn. &he. hail loo gcxxl h heart for tlittt.'1 "Wliat do ymi thiuk will be the ultímate eil'eci olthc dratuol' Jamo upnu his motiler's health f "1 tliink," HÜd Mr. Gartíelil, "thatsliíwill y ti experianca a relupsc, tur site wasu much rrappod up ia James. I can m ver forget,4 Hded lie. "the last time linetliim. It w u at Mentor last New Year's, when we lielil the lamily meeting. could buy of me the remembran He took me kindly by '.lie are tfoinj; back to your peíI must eiicuuuter trunble and anxicty iu orensinj;.' " 'l'lic reporter -liook banda uitli tlie Pnt' tdent'l biotlier and bis wilu, and Mr. tartleld said in conclusión : "Yon inay tell your ixxle ibat yon have oee the biim ble farmer," to wbicb Mis. (iarticld added a raqOMl tliat a raport of' tbe interview migkt ! uciit to thein -'at .Iainestiwn, Ottawa (.'oiinty. We live on ectlun Mghe 8MÍ(1. A 'lanre aromul the place showetl few [mpiovemeoca. An arbor bou with grapt,'vines led down to (bc gatg, and a com erib and onu otlier fimaU dwellinj; were visible, but tlurp was no sij;n of barn oí stable or .-beitel' tor a possible and luisden borse or ni. "ilow ofien do you go up to Grand RapIdaf" asked llie ieporU;r turuinj? aboilt. "Only oncea vcar.' said Mr. Oarfield, and wu o up tlien to buy our clothíng. VVbatgiaiu we raiae. i haiiled lo n bolina ylllages, getierally by James, iwjr Solí." Tbe repórter, as he cloaed the interview. wasiiot quite ic.;ued to tbink witb GrUUl Kai'id friendsof Gen. Garfleld th.it all th bralua in tbe Oarfield bimUj waaooudened lulo tbi' head oí Ibe lale President, but llie impresión on hi.s mind sas verv ivid tliat wbile lliouxinds ol dollars .HubsonpÜoiis to tbe widow and cliildn-n alle-I tlie noble impulaesol uta eountryíoeii, aeontribullón oí a er leu dolían would nol gO iUUisa 00 tbc " liumblo laiiner" wlio " backed " the meal Iroui Um nuil Cor Um future President and ivinj; up all hopea ol indiviilnal iidvanccnieiil, toilt'd on willi bis bands at grubbOK and Bplitting ralis to a-i-t the noble niother to keep lier fainily toellier and torear bis OMb] brotbcr. A niiniber ot' tbe Boyntona, -cconcl and tbird cousins of tbe President, reside aboiu (!i and vil le. hik I amOBg tbein is I he btUOtllld ot Mr.-. A J. Aruolil, wlip wat killed in tbe same radroad nccideni in whli i President i larfletd'H nnele lost bis lile.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News