The daily gazette., 1876-01-07
Gen. Grants school Days.
Reminescences OF the Old Log School
House I'm Clcrmont Co., Ohio.

House I'm Clermont Co., Ohio.
From the Cincinnati Post.
Away up in small hollow just thi,
side of Amelia, in Clermont county
thele, stood, few years ago, al
old country school house, weathe,
beaten, tumble down and disuscd
which the old inhabitants pointed oui
as the place where Ulysses s. Grant
received his early education. The
building has since been torn down, we
believe, but there are recollections COT
nected with it which have become
OF historic interest since Headley's
"Hero Boy" has figured SO largely
in the history of his country.
Nobody thought when Grant was
a boy" said an old citizen of Clermoni
county who attended this school at tue
same time the President did, "that he
would ever amount to much. The
most promising boy in the school al
that time was one named Henry Wat
tey. He was at the head Of the class
in mathematics, geography, spelling
and all. the other studies, and every
body prophesied great things of him
hut he is now running q forty acre
farm up in Warren county"
"How did Grant manage his stu
dies?"
"Only middling. He would never
be called dull, but he was nevea brill
| liant. He used to spend great deal
of his time in reading the life of Ma
poleon, which interfered considerably
with his school duties until the teach er
destroyed that book by putting it into
the stove"
"Was he punctual in his atten-
dance?"
Every. He never stayed away from
school unless compelled to by circum.
stances. He was never too late either,
but was among the first TO reach the
school house in the morning."
WAS he noisy boy?"
"No sir. Although courteous to
everybody, he was not loud mouthed,
like the other boys, but spoke in low
and quiet tone of voice, with unusual
dignity for one of his years."
"We always called him Hiram at
school," continued the old stager
Nobody ever thought of calling him
Ulysses; and after the capture of Vicks-
burg, when we had not heard from
him for years, great many of us did
not know or even imagine that it was
the boy what used to go to the old log
school house in the hollow"
''Was Grant playful boy?"
"Not by any means. You never could
get him to take part in any game or
sport except snow ball fight. In that
he delighted. But as far as bull pen
or playing ball was concerned, he
would never take any part, but would
set on fence or stump end look
on"
"During his school days did he ever
exhibit signs of the persevering spirit
for which he has since become noted!"
81 can remember but one occasion
and that was when the schoolmaster
flogged him to make him give up q
jacknife, with which he had been cut
ting the side of his desk. The School
master demanded the knife, but Grant
refused TO give it up. The teacher
tried to take it away but could net do
it. He then sent out into the woods
and got long black hickory switch,
with which he belabored the future
President, to make him surrender the
Iknife. But Grant persistently declined
ard at last the pedagogue was forced
to stop from sheer exhaustion. This
incident was forcibly called to my
mind when he made the famous re-
mark-I will fight it out on this line
| if it takes all summer and by many
other similar incidents in his future
career"
81 saw Grant when he was here al
the Burnet House in 1872" continued
our interviewer, land he was the first
to recognize me and give me cordial
shake. He even came through large
crowd of dignitaries to shake hands
with al old schoolmate.