The Ottawa Free Trader

Garfield and the Fools.

Washington special: After Gen. Garfield received the Presidential nomination, his biographers laid great stress upon the fact that he once drove mules on the tow-path. It was considered by them necessary to "point with pride" to the episode in his career, so that it would appeal to the class who are still driving mules, and like Tennyson's brook, in its run, "may go on forever." The fact constrained a lot of Government clerks in this city to organize a National Tow-path Club. The club grew and extended its usefulness by granting charters to clubs elsewhere. Whether Gen. Garfield, before he became President, treasured as a fond recollection his tow-path experience deponent sayeth not, but after he became President he didn't, by any means. This fact is fully set forth in an interview in to-day's Republican with one of the leading tow-pathers. Here is the interesting excerpt from the interview:

"I hear that you Tow-path fellows are howling mad."

"Not too mad," replied the Tow-pather, "but just mad enough at the ingratitude of Gen. Garfield."

"What did he do?"

"Well, in brief, he sent a letter to Col. Rock well, one of the chum Cabinet now, that he wished the tow-path idiocy would cease, that his canalboat experience was only an incident in his life, and that people might as well organize Schoolmaster Clubs, or College President Clubs."

"How came he to write that to Rockwell?"

"It was in answer to one from Col. Rockwell regarding his proposed visit, and the desire of the Tow-path boys to give him a good send-off."

"Where is that letter now?"

"I presume Col. Rockwell has it. It was shown to one of the officers of the club, and the above is the substance of it."

"Wasn't the club apprised of its contents?"

"No: but it was whispered around quietly among some of the leading members of the club, and gradually they failed to attend the meetings, and the club fell to pieces without turning out in a body at the Inauguration ceremonies. In fact, the club wound up by a big banquet at the Riggs House, with Bob Ingersoll and others as guests."

"You appear to be a little mad about Garfield?"

"Mad is no name for it," said the Tow-pather. "We worked like the devil to elect him, and while our effective work was one of the minor incidents of the campaign, we at least thought he would appreciate our labors, and not dub us as idiots after the election."