Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-07-18
Jesse r.. Grant.

Always possessed of the very best of
health, the necessity of succumbing to
Che natural infrmities of old age and the
| weakness of remorseless disease was
! doubly severe TO Mr. Grant. He had
often been heard to say that during his
| whole life, prior to his first attack of
paralysis, he had never suffered one single
day of sickness Though again and
again urged to give up the duties of the
| Covington Postmastership, duties which
I involved responsibility too great for a
4 man of his age, he steadfastly refused,
| and persisted in attending to business up
to the four weeks prior to his death. 1t
| was about this time that he made an at
tempt to go to the office, but succeeded in
accomplishing only about half the dis
lance, when his strength utterly failed
| He then suffered himself to be carried
! home, where he was confined until his
death. For the last week he has been
constantly confined to his bed, and con
| scious only at intervals. For the last
time he partially revived on Friday, and
in reply to the query of his wife, asking
if he could recognize her, he said, Ger
tainly l do" Further than this he gave
no sign of consciousness.
His family physician believed that it
was only the iron constitution, accom-
panied by the characteristic unflinching
! will of a Grant, which kept off death so
! long. y man of ordinary strength could
| never have fought the grim destroyer so
long and so successfully.
/ His last hours were not remarkable for
suffering, neither were they entirely un-
accompanied by pain. The slight strug-
/ giles occasionally manifested betrayed the
| existence of bodily suffering. The alb
/ learcp of ronccipnopocc bOx-ny-or roI;o1-aJ
/ the sufferer of its acuteness.
| Few of the Immediate relatives were
| present during his last hours Besides
the aged wife, there was only daughter,
! Mrs. NJ. j. Cramer, and two or three grand
| children present. Numerous friends, how
ever, were ready to do the utmost to make
the end of protracted life peaceful one
and by their little acts of kindness to
prove their sympathy for the sorrowing
| wife and daughter.
Mr.. Grant was born in Westmoreland
County, Pa, on the 18th of January, 1874,
and while boy he became tanners APP
prentice in Maysville, Ky.
On the Gath of June, 1921, day which
Mr.. Grant always believed to be a propi-
| tious one, he was united in marriage to
| Miss Hannah Simpson, who was then liv-
| ing near Georgetown, Clermont County,
| Ohio.
After marriage they commenced living
in Point Pleasant, this State, where in 1922
Ulysses 5. Grant was born. Five other
4 children were eventually added to their
family, born in the order of the following
names: Samuel Simpson, who died in
1861; Clara, who died in 1864; Virginia
! Payne, now Mrs. A. r. Corbin, of Eliza
beth, n. j.; Orville L. Grant, of Chicago,
Ill, and Mary Frances, now Mrs. NJ j.
fCramer, OF Copenhagen, Denmark.
! From Point Pleasant, where Mr.. Grant
was engaged in the tanning business, they
moved to Georgetown, Ohio, and thence
to Bethel, and from there, in 1855, to Gov
| ington, where they permanently settled
During all these years, up to 1850 Mr.
Grant was engaged in the business in
whichhe first embarked, and in which he
/ became more and more successful.
After seeing his sons well established in
this same business in Galena, ILL.,, in 1855
the date Of his settlement in Covington, he
retired from active business, contenting
| himself with an oversight of his sons sue
cesses. He, however, still retained inter-
ests in several large leather manufactures
in Brown and Clermont Counties in this
State, and in Galena Ill
Five years after his removal to Coving-
ton, KY, he built the house in which he
died. In this place large circle of Friends
| always found cordial welcome and an
f.affable host
l. During the war the brilliant achieve
meuts of son, concerning whose life the
public are as familiar as with household
words, brought the father into notice out
| side the extended circle of his friends.
! Men all over the land were ready to be
lieve that one who possessed such an in
domitable will as General Grant must
owe something of it to father The
life of that father proves that in so believ-
ing they were not far from the right. Once
bent on an object if convinced of its
right,nO number of obstacles could thwart
him. His perseverance and persistency
were always balanced with an ever scru-
pulous honesty.
When living In Maysville, Ky, he fire.
'lquently called at the home Of Shadford
j .Easton, who then lived at that place
Shadford, some thirteen years Mr.. Grants
junior, was then a small boy, large enough,
however, to recognize and know Jesse, as
he was then called After Mr.. Grants re-
moval from Maysville Mr. Easton did not
meet him unit! over a score of years had
elapsed The circumstances of that meet
ing we here relate, as showing the honest
face and bearing which Mr. Grant must
have possessed.
! Mr.. Baston was then in the leather bust
ness in Covington. One day a man, an
utter stranger, as the leather merchant
| supposed, entered Mr. Easton's store and
stated that he wished to purchase a guam
tity of goods, and that for part of the
| bill he would like little credit. He add
ed that he had just made application for
credit in store below, and was refused.
/. Mr.. EastOn promised TO grant the credit,
and proceeded TO supply the goods desired.
In making ont the bill he asked the stran-
gers name, and, TO his astontshment, was
told Jesse r. Grant.
The past was Immediately briefly re-
viewed, the old acquaintance renewed, and
an iatimsey established. From that time
I the two men had constant dealings.
. .The-pFomptAess- and honesty character
istic of Mr., Grantare strikingly shown in
'one of those dealings, the details ofwhich
are here given simply as sample.
| Mr.. Easton had, some twenty years ago,
while Mr. Grant was yet living in Bethel,
purchased quantity of leather Of a coun-
/ try dealer, amounting to some 81 200 or
$500.
Mr.. Grant had been particularly anxious
TO purchase this same lot, that he might
ship it to Galena prior 10 the closing of
navigation, the season then being far adj
yanced
Mr.. Grant pressed the matter, and Mr.,
Easton reluctantly sold, giving him the
same terms of payment he had received.
The time of payment came just due as
the ice in the river was breaking up, and
when crossing on the ice was impossible,
and in skitfs dangerous. The morning
J the money was 10 be paid Twas stormy and
bleak, so that Mr. Easton scarcely ex.
, peeted that Mr.. Grant would attempt the
! Journey from Bethel to Covington, dis
lance Of twenty-nine miles, much less the
Il crossing Of the river, But, to his amaze