Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-03-21


perty but Il was all In land, and he kept
It until he died. ai 4.. ...
Il was nearly three years after their re-
moval to Clermont that We were married.
A few of the neighbors expressed their sur
prise that one Of hr. Simpsons daughters
should marry young man hardly yet estab.
lished ia business.
But this did ME 10 harm, and as soon as
1t was seen how was getting along, heard
nothing more Of 1t. supposed there could
hardly be marriage at which somebody
would not DO surprised. was not worth q
dollar when married but l did not stay
that way long; aud as soon as was known
to be prosperous the neighbors seemed to
think the match was exactly the thing-just
what had thought from the beginning.
At the time of our marriage, Mrs. Grant
was an unpretending country girl; hand
some, but not vain. She had previously
Joined the Methodist church, and l can
truthfully say that it has never had a lore
devoted and consistent member. Her steadi-
ness, frmness and strength of character
have been the stay of the family through
life. She was always careful, and most
wstchful over her children but never aus
tere, and not opposed to their free partici-
patton in innocent amusements. The lead
he could go alone, was for horses. The first
time he ever drove a horse alone, he was
about seven and a half years old. had
gone away from home to Ripley, twelve
miles off. went in the morning, and did not
get back until night. Iowned at the time
three yoar old colt, which had been. ridden
under the saddle to carry the mail, but had
never had collar on. While was gone,
Ulysses got the colt and put collar and
the harness on him, and hitched him up to
a sled. Then he put a single line on to him
and drove of, and loaded up the sled with
brush and came back again. lie kept at it,
hauling successive loads all day, and when
came home at night, be had a pile of brush
as big as q cabin.
He used to harness horses when he had
to get up in the maner TO put the bride and
collar on, and'then turn the halt. bushel over
to stand on that to throw the harness on.
AT eight and half years of age he had
become regular driver, and used to work
my team all day. day after day, hauling
wood. There would DC man in the woods
to load, and another at the house to unload
but Ulysses would drive the team.
At about ten yesrs of age he used to drive
pair of horses alone from Georgetown,
where We lived, forty miles, to Cincinnati,
and bring back load of passengers.
When Ulysses was boy, ii a circus or
any show came along, in which there was a
call for somebody to come forward ard ride
pony. he was always the one to present
himself, and whatever he undertook to ride
he rode. This practice he kept up, until he
go. to be so large that he was ashamed to
ride pony.
Once, when he was boy, show came
s.S ,rI,s l..
pony, trained to 60 round the ring like
lightning, and he was expected to throw
any boy that attempted to ride him.
"Will any boy come forward and ride this
pony 2" shouted the ring master.
Ulysses stepped forward and mounted
the pony. The performance began. Round,
and round, and round the ring went the
pony, faster, making the greatest effort to
dismount the rider. But Ulysses sat as
steady as if he had grown to the pony's back
Presently out came large monkey and
sprang up behind Ulysses. The people set
up great shout of laughter, and on the
pony ran ; but it all produced no effect on
the rider. The the ring g.master made the
monkey jump up on to Ulysses shoulders,
standing with his feet on his shoulders, and
with his hands holding on to bis hair. At
this there was another and still louder
shout, but not muscle of Ulysses face
moved. There was not tremor of his
nerves. A few more rounds and the ring
master gave it up; he had come across
boy that the pony and the monkey both
could not dismount.
Ulysses had the habit of riding our horses
to water standing up on their bare backs.
He began this practice when about five
years old. At eight or nine he would ride
them at the top of their speed, he standing
upon one foot and balancing himself by the
bride reins. The ground over which he
used to make these performances was lit
tie descending towards the river; near
neighbours boy who undertook to rival him
in speed, although without standing up,
was unfortunately thrown from his horses
and killed.
He always broke his own horses. I never
knew horse TO balk him. He used to get
one colt perfectly broken, and then put
another in by the side of him. He had q
most wonderful faculty for breaking horses
to pace; 1t became known in the neighbor-
hood and people used to apply to him to
break their horses to pace; but he had an
idea that it was degrading and would never
undertake il.
One day q neighbor came to me and said /:
ulysses has remarkable faculty to teach
horse to pace; have fine young horse,
now how can get Ulysses to teach him to
psce2"
Says l.: "You mustn't say a word to him
about it but send him on a mission to some
place, and get him, while he is gone, to
teach the horse to pace"
Said he: ~ will do it." So he came over
again and said to Ulysses ~ want to send
letter, in hurry. thirteen miles, to Deca-
tur, and l will give you two dollars to get
on my horse and carry it,"
Ulysses was then nine or ten years DID,
He was fond of making money, and fond OF
that kind OF business, and he answered 81
will Co."
just as he was starting off the owner oi
the horse cried out after him: NJ cant you
to teach that horse to pace /"
The horse had never paced q step before
but Ulysses accomplished the task. He re,
turned the horse at night perfect PAGER
The letter was all q sham. Ulysses found
out the trick, and nobody after that could
ever get him TO break horse to pace.
When Ulysses was in his twelfth year he
was very small for his age. At that time
had taken tho contract to build the Jail 10
Rrovn cauntv The prison was to be oj