great lakes, where one can see neither bank from the middle of the wide
blue sheet of water, and where wrecks are unhappily as painfully
frequent as on our own coasts, was quite sufficiently like going to sea
to suit the adventurous young backwoodsman to the top of his bent. But
when he got to Cleveland, a fortunate disappointment awaited him. The
Cleveland captains declined his services in such vigorous seafaring
language (not unmixed with many unnecessary oaths), that he was glad
enough to give up the idea of sailoring, and take a place as driver of a
canal boat from Cleveland to Pittsburg in Pennsylvania, the boat being
under the charge of one of his own cousins. Copper ore was then largely
mined on Lake Superior, where it is very abundant, carried by ship to
Cleveland, down the chain of lakes, and there transferred to canal
boats, which took it on to Pittsburg, the centre of a great coal and
manufacturing district in Pennsylvania, to be smelted and employed in
various local arts. Young Garfield stuck for a little while to the canal
business. He plodded along wearily upon the bank, driving his still
wearier horse before him, and carrying ore down to Pittsburg with such
grace as he best might; but it didn't somehow quite come up to his fancy
picture of the seaman's life. It was dull and monotonous, and he didn't
care for it much. In genuine American language, "he didn't find it up to
sample." The sea might be very well in its way; but a canal was a very
different matter indeed. So after a fair trial, James finally gave the
business up, and returned to his mother on the little homestead, ill and
tired with his long tramping.

While he was at home, the schoolmaster of the place, who saw that the
lad had abilities, was never tired of urging him to go to school, and do
himself justice by getting himself a first-rate education, or at least
as good a one as could be obtained in America. James was ready enough to
take this advice, if the means were forthcoming; but how was he to do