The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-01-04
GENERAL GRANTS SCHOOL DAYS.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE OLD LOG SCHOOL
HOUSE IN CLERMoNT COUNTY, OHIO.
From the Cincinnati Post

"REMINISCENCES OF THE OLD LOG SCHOOL
HOUSE IN CLERMoNT COUNTY, OHIO.
From the Cincinnati Postl
Away up in a small hollow, just this side Of Amelia
in Clermont county, there stood, few years ago,
old country school house. weather beaten tumble
and dsused which the old inhabitants pointed as
the place where Ulysses g. Grant received his early
education The building has since been torn down We
believe, bat there recoectons connected with it
which have become of historic interest since Headey's
Hero Boy has figured so largely in the history of his
country.
''Nobody thought when Grant a boy" said an
old citizen of Cermon county attended this school
at the time the President did, ''that he would
ever amount to much. The most promising boy in the
school at that time was named Henry Wattey. He
at the head OF the class mathematics geogra-
ply spelling and all the other studies and everybody
prophesed great things of him but he is now running
a forty acre farm up in Warren county"
Chow did Grant average in his studess"
'Only midding Ho would never DO called dull but
he was never brilliant He used to spend great deal
OF his time in reading the life of Napoleon which in
terered considerably with his school duties until tho
teacher destroyed that book by putting it into the
stoveln
''was he punctual in his atiendanceY"
every He never STAYED away from school unless
compelled to by circumstances. He was never late
either. but was among the first to reach the school
house in the morning.
WAS he a noisy boy?"
mo, sir Although courteous TO everybody he was
not loudmouthed, like the other boys but spoke in
low and quiet tone OF voice. with unusual dignity for
Of his years. "
"We always called him Hiram at school" continued
the old stager Nobody thought of calling him
Ulysses; and after the capture OF Vcksburg when we
had not heard from him for years, great many of
did not know or even imagine that ii was the boy
who used to go TO the old log school house the ho-
Iow.n
"Was Grant playful boyP"
''Not by any means. You never could get him to
In that he delighted But far bull pen or ball
playing concerned he would never take any part
but would sit on fence a stump and look on. :"
During his school days did he EXHIBIT signs OF
the pcrsevoring spirit for which he has since become
noted ~
81 remember but one occasion and that was
when the schoomaster logged him TO make him give
up jackknife with which he had been cutting the
side OF his desk. The schoolmaster demanded the
knife, but Grant refused TO give up The teacher
tried 10 take II away, but could do He then sent
out into the woods and got a long black hickory SWITCH
with which he beaborcd the future President make
hun surrender the knife But Grant persstenty de
clned, and at last the pedagogue forced stop
from sheer exhaustion This incident forcibly re-
called TO my mind when he made the famous remark
and by many other similar incidents in his future
career
IL Grant when he was here at tho Burnet
House in 1872, continued our interviewer sand he
was tho first to recognize and give mo a cordial
hand shake. He even through a large crowd
OF dignitaries TO shake hands with old school
maten