The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-10
GRANT ,<UM, GRANT eARRULOUs.


Grant played it pretty fine" on the rat-
cals Tor long time. He knew he had
stumbled luckily into good fat thing, and he
set himself zealously to work to invent
some way to hold on 10 it. lie had had
rather hard time of it up 10 our late war
times. After the Mexican war closed he
lay around, and in, the AstOr House, New
York pretty full'' nearly all the time, I'M
til his father-in-law, old man Dent, went
on and saved him from disgrace by getting
him out to Missouri He went on a farm
near st. Louis, and had an easy time of it for
awhile, and whenever he ran short of some
thing 70 eat or drink, he drove load OF
wood to st. Louis, sold it, and if he didn't
get tight he went home Immediately, and it
was all right till next time. Then he drift
ed TO Galena and then into the war, where
after some backsets he began to be exceed
ingly lucky" and finally to his own utter
amazement he found himself one fine
early spring day surrounded with as much
splenGOr as Cinderella did in the well
known fairy story of that name. Grant
felt around awhile and made up his mind
that he had good thing'-and he had
too-and he had not run against Jim Fisk
yet, nor Jay Gould, nor A. T. Stewart, nor
any Of those gay New Workers who were to
unfold to him the beauties of ''high old
time" down east. He had only been tight
on plain western whisky and had only
smoked five center or perhaps a dime ci-
gar. Like some secret organizations that we
have heard of, he was only shown the lower
degrees at first, only glimpse of what prom
Used gloriously in the future.
\. T. Stewart and few dignified New
Workers first began showing him attention
in a quiet, dignified way by giving him
plain but expensive o'clock dinner with
little light wine, perhaps, and choice cigar,
and then at about 10 or IL o'clock he would
be escorted to his hotel or perhaps stay all
night. Then we begin to hear of him at a
little livelier gait. He gets acquainted with
Dexter and Robert Bonner. He and Bonner
and Dexter, and occasionally Beecher, are
going it through Central Park at $40 gait.
Then comes Jim Fisk, Jay Gould and others
of the then fastest set in New York. No
more Cheap whisky or ten cent cigars. Best
brands of champagne and four cigars for q
dollar now. Long Branch, palace cars, Jim
Fisk, fine studs of horses long and expensive
trips all over the country. Old Zach Chan
dler and Morton chasing everywhere after the
administration ''to get the old mans name 10
it. you know" Well. as we said at the COM
mencement of this little talk, Grant
wanted to invent some way TO hold on to the
place wherein he was having such "a fine
old time,'' and he made up his mind to play
not exactly the role OF a mute on his party
but never to say word until he was forced
to it. II was a sharp, wise policy. He knew
he was terribly overrated; that he never did
know much anyhow; that it was simply by
glorious bit of good fortune that he was
where he was SO he made up his mind TO
keep his mouth shut; and mum was the
word from that out Why, then, do you
cap your article with "Garrulous Grant?'
says one Because Grant is talking as never
before He has "broke loose in a wild
senseless chatter. Once week anyhow he
sends for an associated press reporter, and he
gets him up in one of the corners Of the
white house and deluges him with absolute
twaddle-his tongue loose at both ends and
tied in the middle. Napoleon did precious
little talking until the English cooped him
up on St. Helena, and afterward he was the
liveliest talker on the island. Old Wander
bilt, who has just died in New York. had a
motto, Never tell any one what you intend
TO do" Grant, since he has been president,
had nothing to do, and by keeping his mouth
shut everybody thought he had. However,
his race is about run. Let him talk