Idaho semi-weekly world. (Idaho City, Boise County, Idaho Territory) 1867-1868, 1868-04-08
Sellli $jeeklv Gotld.
IFrom the New York Ledger
THE EARLY LIFE OF GEN. GRANT,
CovfSeToS, Ky, Jan. 90, 1865
DE HIs FATHER

III
taste for horses, and the great pleasure
he took hi riding and drivhigs of which
I gave you some account in my last
letter, that prevented his ever becom-
ing addicted, SO much as nnos1 boys, to
other amusements. | do not know that
he ever cared for any others at all eS-
ccpt playing marbles: of that he was
extremely fond. 7 believe he never
danced until he went to West Point.
John Marshall, a cousin and school,
mate of his, now prominent lawyer IN
Georgetown, relates the following an
ecdote of him:
ULYSSES came to him, one day, and of
fered to bet a halfdozen marbles that
he could jump twenty-five feet, at sin
gle jump, he to selecthis own jumping
ground. Marshall took him up, and
they made the bet. Near by the tam
merry was a high perpendicular bluff.
Ulysses went to the top of this and
jumped off, sinking up'to his middle in
the soft mud where he stuck; but he
won the wager.
He never seemed inclined to put him.
self forward at all; and was modest,
retiring and reticent, as he is now.
But he never appeared to have any dis
trust of himself, OF any misgiving about
his ability to do anything which could
be expected of a boy of his size and
age.
Selfpossession was always one of his
leading characteristics. An example
eft occurred whenhe was about twelve
years of age. He drove a pair of horses
to Augusta, Ky, twelve miles from
Georgetown, and was persuaded to re-
main over night, in order to bring back
two young ladies, who would not be
ready to.leave until, the next morning.
The route lay across White Oak creek.
The Ohio river had been rising in the
night, and the back water in the creek
was so high, when they came to cross
it in returning, that the first thing they
knew the horses were swimming and
the water was UP. to their own waists.
The ladies were terribly frightened, and
began to scream. In the midst of the
excitement, Ulysses, who was on for
ward seat, looked back to the ladies,
and with an air perfectly undisturbed,
merely said: Don't speak, will take
YOU through safe" With whatever
class of boys he associated he was al
ways held and regarded among them
as leader; but his natural disposition
was, without ever putting himself for
ward, to seek the company of men in
stead of boys, and of boys older than
himself rather than those ofhis own age
This quality, ! think, he took from his
mother. so
When Ulysses was about twelve
years old, THE first phrenologist who
ever made his appearance in that part
ofthe country cape to our neighborhood
He awakened good deal of interest
in the science, and was prevailed upon
TO 4rcmain there sometime One Dr.
Buckner, who was rather inclined to be
offcious on most occasions, III order to
test the accuracy of the phrenologist,
asked him if he would be blindfoldcd,
and. then examine head. This was at
one of his public lectures. The phre-
noiogist replied tliathe would So they
blindfolded him, and then brought
Ulysses forwardsto have his head cx-
anined. He felt it ever for some time,
saying scarcely anything more than to
nlutter to hinself, It is no very com
mon head. 1t is an.extraordinary head"
1t length DIR. Buckner broke in with
the inquiry whether, the boy would be
likely to distinguish himself sin. mathe-
MATES Yes saitfthe phrenologist,
lin mathematics or anything else; it
would not Dc. strange if we should see
him President Of. the United States"
Ulysses had very peaceable, equa-
bic disposition, and had no inclination
toquarrel, buthe would not be imposed
upon. 0nsone occasion, when he was
quite small, he rescued an inoffensive
boy who worked for us, from trick
which large nu,pbcrof his companions
were about to perpetratc upon him. The
whole crowd then made for Ulysses, and
he came homcsfor a gun to defend him
self But he was never known to pick
a quarrel with any one. Neither was
he IN the habit ofswparing. Indeed
Notwithstanding he has served so long