The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-07-25
3Jolitiral.
GEANT.
His Life as a Farmer.

st. Louis Ouy lo correspondence Vi '"' NC" A''
Ten miles southeast of ST. Louis, over what j
called the Gravois road, is a farm OF eight hun
dred acres, of which the title is now in Genera
Grant. but was formerly in his father-in.law, Nh
Dent. About midway of the tract, little brook
or "branch," as the Missouri provincialism is
grasses the road flowing southwark. Gravois
creek it is called, in memory of the early French
settler whose namesalze the road which leads to il
also is Along this brook road, apparently not
much improved or used, and half mile or so
M this road is the Lighthouse, with boarded
front which, during his denizenship here was the
homo of the person then knewn as Capt. and
now as Gen. Grant, as indeed it was the work of
his hands. A tract of forty acres appertains to
it. This area the owner gave to his son-in-law
in 1854 or at least gave him life-rent of it to en-
ter in and cultivate for himself and his family.
Ii was at that time nearly all in woodland as
;ndeed is a large part of the country near; sur
prisngly large part, considering how near a
great city it is how rich the soil seems, and how
we'll titled such of it appears to be as is under
cultivation at all Here Grant lived and labor
ed for five years. extrpating the bulk of the trees
but apparently producing nothing in their stead
but very large and luxuriant crop of wild oats
It Is far from grateful task to bring to public
notice record which the man who made it, no
doubt devoutly wishes could be obliterated but
it is written that whatsoever man soweth that
also shall he reap, and when a citizen seeks the
suffrage of his fellows for high Office it is right
to point out TO them how far his past life shows
him to be fitted for it. 1t is with this view that
give what the neighbors of Gen. Grant say of
him in the place whore he has lived longer
than IL any other place since he attained ad-
olescence.
Capt Grant, of the 4th infantry, then resigned
his commission in 1854, under circumstances
which nobody seems to know authenticity, al
though his neighbors have one story to tell about
II At any rate be came to st. Louis county at
about that time. and settled on the small allot-
1nent made him, as aforesaid, by the compassion
of his iather-in-law lie did not dcport himself
in such way as to gain the ill-will of any of
his neghbors. On the contrary, they all ex-
press real sympathy for himself and family at
the time they lived here, and what they have to
say of him is said much more in sorrow than in
anger.
OF course, if one undertakes to hint that there
was anything disoreditable in Gen. Grants hav-
ing lived here at all, and titled this little patch,
he viii be greeted with a howl from all loil
tlroats, ana railing accusations Of anti-democ-
racy be brought against him. He will be put in
mind of the ideal
Diyiuely gifted man,
Whose life in low estate began,
And ON a simple village green;
Who bre Ks his births invidous bar,
And breasts he blows of circumstance,
And gras-s the skirts of happy chance
and 90 on. But the cases are nos in the least
parallel. Il was not rise at all, but very
marke descent for person who had been an ed
ucated and experienced officer, and held quasi
public position for many years, to quit it and
take the y 20 of eleemosynary acres, from which
he woulc hope, at best, to realize a bare subss-
tence; and the fact that Gen Grant did SO would
suffice to arouse suspicion that his retirement
from the service was in some sort involuntary,
even IS there were no other facts to make it more
than picion.
Ora. tackled his task IKE a man, it must be
said and but for the excuses which were habit
ual with him, as | am infol ned, during the en-.
tire sojourn, would have kept his head very well
above water. But nobody, OF those who knew
him best, considered him as man in any way
remarkable, except for those excuses, and his
practice with the long-bow. Gle was a midlln'
clever farmer, bout like the rest of us" one of
his nearest neighbors told me, sony he would
get drunk, n he would tell big windy tale
About Grants habits while he was here, the
less said decidedly the better for him. 1t is
highly disagrceabe TO relate IN detail what ax-
cesses ne used to commit; yet it is also neces-
f-~yy, s'""c '"a bare statement that he was very
in lose quarters where It's most needed There
is but 'nc ~" u.'on the subject among the
people OF the vicinity, hut each expression is
supported by a number of instances, of which it
is only needed TO adduce one or two.
1t was the habit of Capt. Grant, when he was
farmer Grant, to haul his load of wood to St.
LOUIS and there dispose Of it to leave his cattle
in the street, or wherever they might be stand
ing, and to purchase oblivion at the nearest prog.
gerry, until either some charitable neighbor took
HIM home, or he so far recovered himself as to
look up his team and go thither himself | am
told that the former was the more frequent case.
at the time of his first appointment to command
during the war, IL is said that he owed bills at
almost every grocery between his house and the
city; and it ought also to he said that, after his
affairs made It possible he sent back an agent to
pay Chemup, so that there are Notwithstanding at
present. This is not vague rumor A gentle
man AYERS that his negro, then slave, but now
free and legal witness. once picked up CAPT.
Grant and carried him home in his wagon.
where the print Of his PROSTATE form was after.
wards distinctly discernabie in the mass of refuse
fruit with which the bottom of the vehicle was
covered. Half way from the farm to the city is
little ale-house, wherein is a bench on which
the general has often reposed himself while Stun.
berllT OIL his debauches. The sacred relic has
low b, taken to the house of the owner, and
opposite its former position lideous Autograph
&c portrait of that hero with blue beard, looks
down upon the scene Of his former exploits.
These things were not occasional, be it remem-
bered but habitual, and it is as superauous as it
Is nauseating TO multiply instances of them
though that might very easily be done And
they were not the excesses of youth. but of a
mature man, who was under every inducement
70 refrain from them. They were not mentioned
by those who tell them as matters Of curious
scandal, found out by much prying, but as open
and notorious facts within the knowledge of all