Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-05-06
The President Pays His Fsre-What
We Know About 1t. ENi

THE ridiculous report that the Presi
dent and party refused to pay railroad
fare on their return from General Thomas
funeral-now set at rest by the authentic
statement of Mr.. Church, of the army
and Ndgy Gazette--brings to mind little
incident illustrative of Gen. Grants quiet
way of moving among his fellow men,
One bright Sabbath morning, in October,
1868, just before the Presidential election,
we were walking southwark on Wabash
avenue, in Chicago, when we saw the
General and two gentlemen, probably
members Of his staff, in plainest citizens
attire, a few steps before US, going the
same way. Thousands met the unosten-
tious trio, but not one of the vast throng
turned to look at them We felt an
almost uncomfortable impulse to cry out
"there goes the next President of the
United States" in order to see how sud
denly the human current would reverse.
AT last, without having been recognized
by any one, the three entered the Church
Of the Messiah--Robert Laird Golfers.
We, of course, followed. The Sexton
showed them to by -no-means prominent
seat. The sermon was eloquent, as Mr..
Golfers sermons always are, but we may
be pardoned for not remembering whether
or not there were any outcroppings of
Unitarianism in it; for it was
not possible to altogether refrain
from a study of General Grants
face as he listened with profound at
tention to the discourse and participated
reverently in the services. Stepping up
to the pastor, after the benediction, we
asked him if he knew he had been preach
ing to General Grant? He answered that
he had just been so informed-a few per-
sons having by this time discovered his
presence. After few hasty greetings
the General stepped quietly away, and
proceeded by the shortest cut to State
street, where he entered a street car. We
found it convenient to enter the same one.
Again we felt an impulse to produce an
excitement by stepping up and saying,
GOOD morning, General Grant," but con-
cluded we had no right to expose him to
annoying curiosity. Had we done so,
how many would have failed to offer him
a seat ?, AS it was, he stood up, and when
the conductor came along put into his
hand piece of fractional currency--to
which the success Of the Union arms had
given all its,value and took his change
in a careful and business-ike manner.
Here was man whose greatness was at.
+
cred thousands of pages, and were destined
to cover tens of thousands more, of the
worlds most thrilling and glorious history
"a man whose name was recorded in mil
itary annals among the few great captains
the race has produced-a man destined in
a few months to be the Chief Magistrate
of the greatest of the nations, not deem
ing it beneath his dignity to mingle I'M
known among his fellow-men, and so
anxious to avoid being the object of curl
osity and applauding demonstration-so
grateful to most distinguished people
that he suffered the Inconvenience of a
crowded street car to escape theml 1t
was not until he had alighted at Randolph
street that we spoke to him, and then
only in quiet way, which did not draw
the attention of half dozen persons.
Before the warmth of his friendly grasp
was gone, he had disappeared in West
Division car; and that was the last we
ever saw Of General Grant. We feel hon
ored to have been member of the con.
vention which nominated him for Presi
dent, glad to have been able to write and
speak in favor of his election, and rejoiceC
that we have been blessed with sufficient
poverty to keep us from going to Wash
ington to bedevil him for an Office La
,fdyette Journal