The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-03-20

county, Pennsylvania. she was born
and brought up in that county, about
twenty miles from Philadelphia. When
in her nineteenth year she removed
with her father to Clermont county,
Ohio. The family were very highly
respected people of veracity and integ-
rity; but not of anyparticular ambition
beyond that of living independent far
mers.
Mrs. Grants father was worth some
property but it was all in land, and he
kept it until he died.
TWAS nearly three years after their
removal toCIermont that we were mar
ried. A few of the neighbors expressed
| their surprise that one of Mr.. Simpsons
daughters should rasrex - young man
hardly yet established in business.
But this did me no harm and as soon
as it was seen how was getting along
I heard nothing more of it. 1 suppose
there Guild hardly be a marriage IN which
somebody would not be surprised. ]
was not worth dollar when married
but did not stay that way long; and
as soon as was known to be prosper
GUS the neighbors seemed TO think the
match was exactly the thirg-just what
had thought from the beginning.
At the time of our marriage, Mrs.
Grant was an unpretending country
girl handsome, but not vain. She had
previously joined the Methodist church,
and can truthfully say that it has nev-
err had a more devoted and consistent
member. Her steadiness, firmness and
strength of character have been the staff
of the family through life She was
always careful and most watchful over
her children but never austere, and not
opposed to their free participation in
innocent amusements. The leading pas
sion of Ulysses, almost from the time
he could go alone, was for horses. The
first time he ever drove Horse--,s
he was abont -aA-en and half years
-.a.I had gone away from home to
Ripley, twelve miles off. went in the
morning, and did not get back until
night. 1 owned at the time a three-yeal
old colt, which had been ridden under
the saddle to carry the mail, but had
never had a collar on. While I was
gone Ulysses got the colt and put col
lar and harness on him, and hitched
him up to a sled. Then he put single
line on to him and drove of, and load.
ed up the sled with brush and came back
again. He kept at it, hauling sue
cessive loads all day, and when I came
home at night, he had al pile of brush AZ
big as a cabin. He used to harness hor.
ses when he had to get up in the man.
ger to put the bride and collar on, and
then turn the half-bushel over and stand
on that to throw the harness on.
At eight and a half years of age hi
had become regular diver, and used
to work my team all day, day after day
hauling wood. There would be mar
in the woods to load, and another at tn
house to unload, but Ulysses would
drive the team.
AT about ten years of age he used t.
drive a pair of horses alone from
Georgetown, where we lived, fort.
miles, to Cincinnati, and bring back
lOaO OF passengers.
When Ulysses was boy, if a circu
or any show came along, in which Their
was a call for somebody to come fol-
ward and ride pony, he was AWAY
the one to present himself, and whatev
err he undertook to ride he rode. Thi
practice he kept up, until he got to b
SO large that he was ashamed to ride
pony.
Once, when he was boy, shol
came along in which there was a mi'
chievous pony, trained to go round til
ring like lightning, and he was expeci
: ed to throw any boy that attempted
ride him.
"Will any boy come forward and rio
: this pony ?" shouted the ring master.
I Ulysses stepped forward and noun
: ed the pony. The performance begal
: Round and round and round the rim
went the pony, faster and faster, maxim
= the greatest effort to dismount the ride
. But Ulysses sat as steady as if he Ia
. grown to the pony's back. Present
4 out came a large monkey and sprang I
4 behind Ulysses. The people set up
; great shout of laughter, and on the POI
: ran but it all produced no effect upt
n the rider. Then the ring-master ma
? the monkey jump up on to Ulysst
7, shoulders, standing with his feet on b
! hair. At this there was another and
,o.l still louder shout, but not muscle
n Ulysses face moved. There was not
tremor of his nerves. A few mo
N rounds and the ring-master gave it u
Mt he had come across boy that the po
- and the monkey both could not d
n mount.
as Ulysses had the habit of riding Q
horses to water standing up on tn,
It bare backs. He began this pract
he when about five years old. at eight
nv nine he would ride them at the top
nm their speed, he standing upon one i;
ig and balancing himself by the bri
ed reins. The ground over which he III
he to make these performances was q lii
as descending towards the river; q n
neighbor's boy who undertook to ri
uv him In speed, although without sta
verI ing up, was unfortunately thrown Fl
nd his horse and killed
aid He always broke his own horses
,onI never knew horse to balk with b
no. He used to get one colt perfectly bro
aid and then put another in by the sid
md him. He had most wonderful fac
for breaking horses TO pace; it bee
res known in the neighborhood. and pc
~. used to apply to him to teach their b
,tevl % 10 v,acfe hut he had an idea that il