Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-07-19

THE PRESIDENTS HOME.

correspondent Of the Toledo Blade
says.
The homes Of great men have more than
local interest. Stratford-upon-Ayon e
linked with Shakspere's name the readers
OF Walter Scott desire TO visit Abbotsford:
while Mount Vernon is hallowed bv the
memories Of Washington. About five
miles southwest Of St. Louis, on smooth
turnpike, is Wishthn-wish, the home nj
General Grant. Here is the Presidents
little farm of six hundred and sixty-six
acres. On hillside sloping to the south
and west is somewhat inferior-lookino
two-story tive-roOm frame house. with
goodly porch to protect from the Southern
sun. When first built this was one of the
few frame houses outside the city. The
saw mill had not then been "moyed opt
west, and the only tools used to build
the house were the ak, hatchet, and ham
mer. fro and drawing-knife while eight.
by ten window-glass were the most palatia
than manufactured.
Near by are distinguishable the remains
OF an old trace or Spanish road. plant.
ed with black locusts that have evidently
been growing for about fifty years. Such
is the Dent homestead of former times
then called White Haven by its owners
At this place. twenty-five years and two
months ago, there was wedding. The
groom was L. S. Grant, young officer
from Jefferson Barracks, the military post
OF st. Louis; the bride was Miss Julia B.
Dent; and we presume these old locusts,
if they could talk, might reveal the Sc
crets OF a soldiers courtship.
Soon after the marriage Grant resigned.
and General Dent gave the young couple
eighty acres of timber land Here thev
built a small house, which was soon aban-
doned for the larger house of General
Dent. ii Grant was not a success as far
mer ne certainly was as chopper. Here
ne exhioted the same persistence and
Vlgor Whlch nave made him the military
hero OF our age. AS in the army. SO here
he did thorough work for where he
cleared on the land no rough, knotty oaks
are lett standing as an evidence of laziness
IN the workman. 1t is related of Grant
that ne here chopped for six consecutive
weeks, and didn't lose day; piled and
seasoned the wood, and hauled it into the
city at five dollars load. William El-
rood, a cousin of Grants, has had CHARGE
OF the farm for the past six years, and Is
fast bringing it up from the decay into
which it had fallen during the war. Mr..
Elrood is one of those honest-hearted
whole-soued men whose very presence is
a source ofpleasure. He has been known
to remark that there was "some good
cider in the house," but his nature didn't
permit him to stop talking after he had
made the remark until he had put on an
other very gratifying thought. expressed
in this way: I'D like you to come In and
try some" He kindly showed us the fine
stock of which the President is such an
admirer. There were about forty horses
and as many cattle, a few sheep, and as
much pork.
The famous Holstein cattle recently i'm
ported from Europe are the most admired.
band of white encircles their body be .
tween the fore and hind quarters. With
this exception they are jet black. The
vineyard OF three and half acres con-
tains seventeen choice varieties of native
and foreign grapes. A fine new stone
mansion is now going up, but the Presi-
dent, when at his farm lately. intimated
! that he should probably not make his home
there permanently in the future. A branch
of the Pacific railroad passes through the
farm, and stops its trains at the unroman-
tic name of Grant Station" Before the
war Grant had left his home to become an
unsuccessful real-estate dealer in st. Louis.
In 1867 he was an unsuccessful office
seeker. He wanted to be county engineer.
but. unfortunately, he escaped that great
mercy, as the infallible county court
deemed rival competitor better fitted for
the position. Grant might take Richmond
preserve the Republic, and with honor fill
The chair at Washington, but in those days
The civil engineer of ST. Louis county had
to be made ofsterner stuff.
hind WORDS. single word may disquiet
an entire family for whole day. One surly
glance casts gloom over the household,
while a smile, like CLEAN of sunshine, may
light up the darkest and weariest. Like un-
expected flowers that spring up along our
path, full Of freshness, fragrance and beauty,
so the kind words, and gentle acts, and sweet
dispositions, make glad the homes where
peace and blessing dwell. No matter how
humble the abode, if it be garnished with
grace and sweetness, with kindness and
smiles, the heart will turn laughingly toward
it from all the tumults of the world, and
home, if it be ever SO homely, will be the
dearest spot beneath the circuit of the sun