1816-1916 Cedarville Centennial Souvenir

HISTORY OF CEDARVILLE, OHIO 1816 - 1916 When a man dies, it is natural to think of the circumstances sur– rounding his last year s and those of his youth. His gradual rise to greatness may prevent us from seeing how high he has ascended on the ladder of fame. Solomon says: "Seest thou a man diligent in business? He shall . stand before kings ; he shall · not stand before mean men." Prov. 22 :29. The distance .between Whitelaw Reid's plain humble home on the farm, and the palaces of kings across the sea, was very great; and yet perchance no royal court had ·a charm for him like his boyhood home. He was a delicate child, but by a fond mother's earnest devo– tion and care for him he grew to maturity. He was exceedingly bright in his early school life, had a wonderful memory, and was a voracious reader. His father was a skilful mechanic, and among other things, he made a neat bookcase with glass doors, and filled the shelves with books of choice reading, such as Plutarch's Lives, etc. Whitelaw had all the books read thru before he was ten years old, and if one should point out a book and ask him what were its contents, he could, without taking it off the shelf, give a synopsis of it. This memory of his was a great aid to him in the two things in which he in later life excelled, viz., as a publicist and as a diplomat. He had naturally great will-