The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-01-19


GEN. GRANTS SCHOOL DAYe.
"reminiscences OF tho Old Log schoo
House In Clermont County, Ohio.
Away up in small hollow, Just
this side Of Amelia, in Clermont
county, thore stood, a few years
ago, an old country school house
weather beaten, tumbled down and
disused, which the old inhabitants
pointed out rs the place where
Ulysses s. Grant received his early
education. Tho building has since
been torn down, we believe, but
there are recoliections connected
with it which have become of historic
interest since Headley's 'Herc
Boy" has figured SO largely in the
history Of his country. -
"Nobody thought when Gran,
was a boy" said oil old citizon OF
Clermont county who attended
this school at the same time the
President did, "that he would evel
amount to much. The most prom.
ising boy in the school ut that time
wss one namod Henry Wattey. He
was at the hoad of the clues in
mathematics, geography, spelling
and all other studies, and every
body prophesiedr great things OF
him; but he is now running a
forty acre farm Up in Warren coun,
ty." .,. :
"How did Grant average in his
studies ?"'' ..'.N. ..O'' .. -
"Only middling. He would
never be called dull, but ho was
never brilliant. Ho used to spend
n great deal of his time in reading
the life Of Napoleon, which inter
forod considerably with his school
duties, until the teacher destroyed
that book by putting it INTO tho
stove"
"Was ho punctuel in his attend
ance?"
Ivory. He never stayed away
from school unless compelled to by
circumstances. He was never late
either, but was among tho first to
reach tho school house in tho
morning"
"Was he q noisy boy q ...
mo, Sir. Although courteous to
everybody, he was not loud
mouth cd, like the other boys, but
spoke in low and quiet tone of
voice, with unusual dignity for one of
his years (. . I - ~. ... ..
eve always called him Hira III Mt
school" )" continued the old stager.
Nobody ever thought of calling
him Ulysses, and after the capture
of Vicksburg, when we had not
hoard from him for years, a great
many of lis did not know or ovon
imagine that it was the boy who
used to 60 to the old log school
house in the hollow"
"Was Grant playful boy 2"
"Not by any means. You never
could get him to take part in any
game or sport except SNOWFALL
fight. In that he delighted. But
rs far as bull pen or ball playing
was concerned, he would neyor take
any part, but would sit on fenco
or n stump and look on"
"During his school days did he
ever exhibit signs Of the persever-
ing spirit for which he has since
become noted 7"
II can remember but ono oc-
casion, and that was when the
school-master fogged him to make
him give up q jack knife, with which
he had been cutting the side OF
his desk. The school-master de
mandod the knife, but Grant re
fused to give it up. The teachol
tried to take it away, but could not
do it. He then sent out into the
woods and got long black hickory
switch, with which he bolabored
the future President to make him
surrender the knife. But Grant
persistently declined, and ut last
the pedadogue was forced to stop
from sheer exhaustion. The in
cident was forcibly recalled to my
mind when he made tho famous
remark 81 will fight it out on this
line if it takes all summer" and
by many other similar incidents in
his future career
II saw Grant when he was here
ut the Burnett House, in 1872,
continued our interviewer, "and he
was the first to recognize me and
give me cordial hand shake. He
even came through q large crowd
of dignitaries to shake hands with
IN old school-mate."
Pullman palace cars have beer
introduced in England, Belgium
Russia, Germany, and now tho
turn of France and Italy has come
American inventions aro growing
fashionable.
To extinguish Kerosene flames
fling n cloth over them, or, if til.
flour barrel is handler, throw. or
-four, which absorbs the fluid, kills
tho flames, and can be readily
cleared up afterwards.
The Methodist schools in Sal
Lake City boast that they have
on their rolls eight hundred chill
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