The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-04-19
ARE THE CRAMPS POOR?
THE FAMILY FAIL1NG--WHAT BECOMES
OF THE PRESIDENTS MONEY.

tice of the fact in the press and did
not think it worth printing, / landed
at Lewes, Delaware, and proceeded up
the Breakwater railroad to George
town, observed great number of
ship-knees collected around the sta
tions. A passenger told me they
were being purchased by Orvil Grant.
At Georgetown, Delaware, Inquired
about Mr. Grant, seeing his name on
the hotel books. They told me he
was a harmless. volatile fellow, who
but recently had to borrow $40 to
pay his hotel bill and get out of the
town. He was buying these ship
knees on advances from contractors,
paying $3.50 for seven-inch knees on
the spot where they were hewed.-
Road, rail and vessel transportation
probably increased the prime cost
very much. My feeling was that of
contempt and sadness, that even in
this remote quarter of the earth,
where probably no kin of president
had ever visited since James X. Polk 8
ancestors left it, generations ago, the
Presidents own brother should be a
slab trader in ship knees. The next
week / was in Baltimore, and related
this to a merchant. He smiled and
said [ seemed to get everything -
"Now, I'll tell you about Orvil
Grant," he said. ''IIe was employed
for that work in this city. He lis a
poor, energeric, slipshod, spend
thrift fellow, laboring before the
night cometh to make some money.
But he is constituted like Grant him
self-no manager, no business man
Ignorant of every law of trade, and
opportunities slip past him every day
which would make third rate business
people rich. He is always hard up,
always tumbling into some new trap,
and always coming out Short ~,
I, have personal knowledge that
this is,so of the President as we'll as
Oryil Grant. Mr.. John Hoey says
he never saw the President with any
money. Mr.. Thomas Murphy tried
to make some money in boulevard
lots here for Grant and himself, and
per consequence, Mr.. Murphy's own
house is advertised for sale, as the
White House would be to-day if
Grant owned it. The Presidents pa
per is not uncommon on Wall street,
where it is not considered gilt edged
and he had a $4,000 note out on the
pnhlic market as long ago as lS7l.--
What becomes of lis money! Gam.
bling, some say; others deride the
idea that Grant can be poor. / at
tribute his poverty to the superior
ability of the Grants and Dents to
sauanAer money. They are simple
people, without any social or com
inercial sense, an.i, like the untutored
savage, every footprint that they
make in the send is left exposed, un-
Jess the kindly sea arises to erase it..
iirhe curiousu;xture OF Kentucky and
| Chic Individuality which we. are now
studying in the .Belknaps, Bowers
and Pendletons is eXampled in the
Dents, Caseys and Grants. Kahn
tuck is the name OF, the panorama;
the blooded stock-the mules, the
brood mares-of that composite re-
gion are before US. They seldom or
never produced business family for
public life, counting out, may be, the
Guthries, Standfords and more recent
exceptions. Clay was always in need
of bounty, and collections were made
for him. Breckenridge was supper
ted in his latter days by Northern
capital. A Northern book peddler,
like Newcomb can enter Kentucky
with his business sense and in few
years own all the transportation in
the State. All these Kentuckians
are cousin to each other. To-day
it's all "Cousin Jeems" and "Cousin
Bob;" next day it's shooting Cousin
Bob ION sight" Their well meant
and ludicrous hospitalityis borrowed
from the Indians, who no sooner
heard of a chief that had some meal
and venison than they Aforementioned
their relationship, paid him a visit,
and ate him out of provisions.
i George Washington Gath, in the
Philadelphia Times. 9
. CREAM CARAMEBs.-Take half a
pound of chocolate, grated fine; two
pounds of sifted sugar; one heaping
tables poonful of butter; one teacup