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RUTHERFORD BIRCHARD HAYES.

OF OHIO. BORN 1822. PRESIDENT, 1877-1881.

Nineteenth President of the United States.

O man

can ever tell how much the world owes to its mothers. We can never be too grateful for the unwearying love and care of mothers. And on the other hand, mothers can never think too highly of that grand work of training children, for they never know for what glorious work they are training them. The mother of Rutherford B. Hayes gave to America a President who, if not the most brilliant of her chief magistrates, yet was one of whom the nation will never have to be ashamed. He wore "the white flower of a blameless life" through all the years of his public administration.

Rutherford B. Hayes was born in Delaware, Ohio, in October, 1822. His father died while he was young. His mother, whose maiden name was Sophia Birchard, was an old Vermonter, and Hayes is proud to this day to speak of himself as an Ohio-Vermonter.

Mr. Hayes graduated from Kenyon College, Ohio, in 1842. His birth, his training by that devout and earnest mother, and the thorough curriculum of Kenyon College, led to the phrase that was so often used in after years, he was "well-born, wellbred, and well educated." With such qualifications, with such a stock in trade, Hayes was well equipped for the battle of life, and for any work to which his country and his age might call him.

For a time Mr. Hayes was a pupil under the care of Thomas Sparrow, Esq., of Columbus. In 1843 he entered the law school of Harvard University, and was called to the bar in March, 1845. He practiced law in Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio. He was elected to the office of City Solicitor in 1859, and again in 1860. He lost the election of 1861 through the failure of the Republican ticket.

Mr. Hayes was a thorough Republican, and when the war broke out he was ready to defend the honor of his country. He was a most ardent follower of Lincoln. In 1861 he was appointed Major of the Twenty-third Ohio Infantry Volunteers. In September of that year he was appointed Judge-Advocate of the Department of Ohio, at the instance of General RoseHe was wounded in the battle of South Mountain, in West Virginia, after which he was appointed Colonel. In 1864 he was charged with the command of a brigade in General Cook's army. He gained the victory of Cloyd Mountain. He fought bravely in the battles of Winchester, Berryville, and Opequan. He had three horses shot from under him, and was four times wounded.

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On the 4th of December, 1865, Mr. Hayes took his seat as Member of Congress, clected by the Cincinnati district. In 1867 he was elected Governor of Ohio. In 1869 he was reelected to that office.

On the 4th of March, 1877, Mr. Hayes was inaugurated President. It was the strong conviction of the Democratic party that Mr. Tilden had received a majority of the popular votes. But they had submitted the whole issue to an electoral commission, and they were therefore bound to accept their decision.

Mr. Hayes devoted himself largely to the reform of the civil service, and he used all his influence in the direction of reconciling the South. His whole administration was conservative in its character. There were no great events during his term of office. The country had had events enough to last for a century. What it now longed for was a time of peace. In the

social life of the White House, the President was most ably supported by his estimable wife. The cause of temperance was very dear to them both, and they proved that in the highest place of the land, the courtesies of life could be fully discharged without the aid of intoxicating drinks

At the close of his administration, Mr. Hayes retired to private life; he spends most of his time at his family house, at Fremont, Ohio, respected and honored by all who know him.

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JAMES ABRAM GARFIELD.

OF OHIO. BORN 1831; DIED 1881. PRESIDENT, 1881.

Twentieth President of the United States.

O President of the United States ever confronted the people on inauguration day with fairer prospects of a brilliant and prosperous, administration than James Abram Garfield, and but for the bullet of a graceless madman, Garfield would, in all probability, have made good the promise of that auspicious day.

Garfield's relation to American history is not limited by the few months during which he occupied the Presidential office. For full twenty years before his inauguration he had been a part of the best political life of the nation, and for a good half of that time he was an acknowledged and trusted leader.

James Abram Garfield was born in Orange, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, about fifteen miles from Cleveland, on the 9th of November, 1831. He was of English descent. If moral worth and courage count, as well as blood, then Garfield may be counted in amongst the truest and noblest aristocracy. His ancestors, from Edward Garfield, who migrated from Cheshire, England, in 1636-down through two centuries, had been noblemen of the highest order. James was the youngest of the family, Mehitable, Thomas and Mary being his seniors. In May of 1833, when James was but an infant, his father died from a severe cold caught at a fire. This was a sad blow to the sorrowing woman, who, as "Mother Garfield," is revered and honored throughout the whole civilized world.

All the children had to work hard, as the widow had but

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ILLUSTRIOUS MEN AND WOMEN.

scanty means of support for her family. James worked on the
farm in summer and in a carpenter's shop in the winter. Find-
ing that he could make better wages working on the Ohio
canal, he secured employment first as a driver on the towpath
and afterward as helmsman. He intended at one time to ship
as a seaman on a lake vessel, but his plans were changed by a
fit of sickness, and his intentions were turned in another direc-
tion. He had from early boyhood felt a very keen desire for
an education, and had been laboriously saving money to enable
him to go to school. After recovering from the fit of sickness
just referred to, he became a pupil at the Geauga Academy,
near his home. His mother was able to let him have a little
money, and this she supplemented with some provisions and
cooking utensils, and he boarded himself at school. After this
start that his mother gave him, he never called on her for as-
sistance. He spent all his odd hours at the carpenter's bench,
taught school winters, and thus managed to support himself,
attend the regular terms at the academy, and save some money
for a college education. Having a very
Having a very retentive memory, he
learned with comparative ease.

In 1851 he entered Hiram College. In 1854 he entered the junior class of Williams College, at Williamstown, Massachusetts, from which he graduated with honors in 1856. He then returned to Ohio, and obtained the Professorship of Greek and Latin in Hiram College. In two years he became President of the college, and during his incumbency of this office he occasionally preached to the congregations of the Campbellite Church of which he was a member. It was during this most pleasant period of his life that he married Miss Lucretia Rudolph, whose qualities of mind as well as of heart, have contributed materially to her husband's successful career.

The General's political career began in 1859. He was elected at that time to the State Senate, but did not resign his college presidency, having no idea then of a public career. But the war came to alter all his plans. During the winter of 1861 he was active in the passage of measures for arming the

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