The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1876-01-13
Grant I'm his DoyhO0l.

Away up in the small hollow just
this side of Amelia, in Clermont county,
there stood few years ago an old
school house, weather beaten, tumbled
down, and disused, which The old IN
habitants pointed out as the place where
ULYSSES S. Grant received bis early cd
ucation. The building has since been
torn down, we believe, but there are
rccollections connec,ed with IT which
have become o: historic interest.
"Nobody thought when Grant was a
bow" said an old citizen OF Clermont
county, who attended this school at the
same time the President did, "lhat he
would ever amount 10 much. The most
promising boy in the school al that time
wa. one named Henry Wattey. lie
wac at the head of the class in mathe
MATES, geography, spelling, and ali the
other studies, and every body prophe-
sled great things Of him. But he is now
running 4 forty farm up in Warren
county.
GLOW did Grant average in his stud
les =
"Only middling. lie would never be
called dull, but he was never brilliant.
lie used to spend a great deal Ut bis
time in reading the Life Of Napoleon,
which intcr!ercd considerably with his
school duties, until the teacher destroy
ed that book 10y putting it into The
! stove
"Was he punctual in his attt n lance p
VERY. He never stayed away from
school unless compelled by circum-
stances. He was never late, either, but
WAS among The first to reach the school
house in the morning"
"Was he Il noisy boy ~
/ "No, sir. Although courteous to
every body, he was not loud-mouthed
like other the boys, but spoke in low
and quiet tone Of voice, with unusual
dignity for one IF bis years"
ave always called him Hiram at
, school," continued the old stuger. "No-
I body ever thought Of calling him Clys-
ses and after the capture Of Eicksburg,
! when we had not heard from him tor
years, great many OF US did not know
or even imagine that it was the boy
who uscd 10 go 10 the old log school
house ia The hollow"
"Was Grant a playful boy ?"
"Not by any means. You never
could get him to take part in any game
or sport except q SNOWFALL fight. In
that he delighted. But as far rs "bnll-
pen" or bail playing WAS concerned, he
would never take any part, but would
sit on "A fence or a stump and look on"
During his school days did he ever
exhibit signs Of the pcrsevering spirit
for which he has since became noted p
al can remember but one occasion,
and that was when the schoOlmaster
logged him 20 make him give up "A Jack
knife, with which he had been cutting
the sido Of his desk The school master
demanded the knife, but Grant refused
10 give it up. The teacher tried to take
it away, but could not do it. lie then
sent our into the woods and cot long
black hickory switch, with which he be-
laborcd the future President 10 make
him surrender the knife. But Grant
persistently declined, and at last the
pedagoguc was forced 10 stop from
sheer exhaustion. This incident was
torcibly recalled to my mind when he
made the famous remark Il Will fight
II out on this line if takes all summer
and by many other similar incidents in
his future career"
81 saw Grant when lie was hero at
the Burnet House, in -" continued
our native interviewer, "and TO WAS the
first to recognize me and give me a cor
dial hand shake. He even came through
large crowd of digntaries To shake
hands with an old schoolmrte. From
.tc Cincinnati Post.