|
a.
|
Note: Went to school where "the sons of gentlemen went." "Exceptional gifts as a speaker and enjoyed telling of contestsin debate and oratory from which he emerged the victorLeft for America in 1816 when his adored mother died. He went toPhiledelphia and worked for the newspaper, "The Aurora". 1819 hemoved to Ohio and established "The Tuscarawas Chronicle."He always hated the crudeness and hardships of pioneer life andonly stayed in the west because he fell in love with, andmarried, the beautiful Catherine Westfall who came from CarrollCounty to visit a sister. He missed the refinements of life inBelfast -- for instance, had books and oysters brought over themountains in saddle bags. He never lost an elegance of mannerand speech which he brought with him from Ireland. He had notthe slightest suggestion of an Irish brogue or accent . . . Healways wore a cloak, instead of an overcoat, with a fur collarand a clasp."Catherine died when "Kitty was a baby"He raised the childrenalone.As a parent: "He had a terrible temper, was irascible aaanddifficult, was feared, admired aaaand at last loved by all hischildren. All the children learned to set type, which adjoined the home,except Catherine."As a grandfather: "short, slender, graceful, vehement, with eyesthat flashed""Grandfather always said he did not wish to become attached tohis grandchildren and we never went to see him except on specialoccasions --usually to say "Good-by" when we were leaving townfor any length of time, when he invariably gave us a five dollargold piece." -Katherine Patrick Harper (father Abraham WestfallPatrick, son of James Patrick )Andrew Patrick said, "Father is in good health. He is 86 thismonth."brother was a mathematics professor, settled in Philedelphia ca1820Raised children alone, wife died when youngest was a baby.
|
