The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-06
THE GRANT BOOM.

WHY 1000 UNION SOLDIERS DID NOT co TO
THE PACIFIC COAST.
Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune.l
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Oct l. 1879.
General Grant seems to BIO having a pretty sub
stantial boom in California. said recently to Mr..
J. b. McMullen. of Chicago. who is hcre. '.and how
does it happen that you and your 100 900 onearmed
Union soldiers are not there to greet him?'
II will tell yon all aboufft. Th6re never has been
any reason why anything should 10 concealed in
this whole business and tho newspapers which have
treated it in u sensational way have never been
thoroughly informed. One thing you may say at
the start-that this Grant excursion to the Pacific
coast the Grant boom it came to be called. aid
not have political origin. 1t never had any poltt
cal significance. It suggested to me by
any politician or by any person It was purely .
plan of my own. and was for the most part busi-
ness venture II tho scheme was u bad one. it was
mine. 1t did not proceed from any Grant manager
II there was any mistake that did not off, that.
is my fault. ! do not want anybody to be blamed
praised about it. For the starting of 1t and the
stopping of it. l am alone responsible"
'.But how did it all come about?"
1T occurred to me personally last winter while
here that there would be large number of persons
who would ike to 90 to Caifornia at the time Gem
cral Grant arrived, and 1 knew good many rail-
road people thought would put myself in CON-
muncatiop with them. thought that might ar
range protracted excursion, and at the Same time
make It profitable for Myself. communicated with
Mr.. Kimbai Of the Union Pacific Railroad at Omaha.
and with Mr. Towne. OF tho Central Pacific the gcn-
tlcmen who have charge of the passenger traffic on
the through route from Omaha to the Golden Cato.
The contents OF my letter to Mr.. KinbalI given
out at Omaha to . correspondent OF the NEw YORK
HERALD. and were very greatly exaggerated. There
never had been thought that 600 people would join
the excursion had there been any intention
to have u continuous train, intinated in the
press. 1t was estimated that possibly four
thousand people might desire to take ndvan-
tage Of cheap rate to visit San Fran
cisco. and at the same timo General
Grant. A reply came from Kimball that il the
excursion could be compressed each way withina
week. or . few days. an excursion rate could be
given on terms that might DO advantageous. Mr..
Kimball suggested that the New York railroad man
ayers should be about it. subsequently saw
Sidney Dillon in New York. and he told mo to lay
tho matter before the road In writing. did sd.
The result OF it that the railroaa inauagers
sgreed to give me what. praetieaily was o. nRn rate:
for tho Central Pacific, and the branch roads from
Chicago to New York and from New York to Omaha
willing to encourage the scheme. Complete
arrangements were ordingly made with ali tho
railroads for everything conncctad with the trip
ian and Gensral Porter said that they would un-
doubtedy be able to furnish the necessary numbor
goa es cr re
..rhe pmbiicitv p,ven to the scheme through tho
CIV ,a,,r ~ ra,,,, which so,,nrss, broTs,ht,n
large nunber OF letters asking for terms. 10. Of
course the excursion depended upon the time OF
General Grants arrival. and set myself to work to
discover when that would be. MAT quite DIM
the very dmy that lse saiod from Yokohama that he
Was 70 come direct TO San Francisco" -
era, Grant vas to c,,,ie2,.S,' :, - ~
~ IL a., pn,a a 20, nor . s,a,;a, fr;or.v
80 ; n,.t ~ :. "iv% i'o ~
sa ID ia,,ar es,,, 81 90 10 ca,,.,,,aJ s,'a; thn
Cnnerai would not retmrn mps,, Jannar~ sn,sS.
Iuensiy saw .nS sam eseIp rsaih. o au re
Grant wnm,d iwe ahont I,,,s ssv' nther bin.
dai,ahia srnnIa ~ I:enerai Grant WHO oava an.
~ shs,',I ~ ~ ahio' 80 81 80 .han,sa,as -
they were going to- mosr the Presidential party with
ca1 ~ ~ q arora1 Gr.art Il,
x , ~ saw re :, =. @ ana
thew cave me- sIrniIar informatiop."
ma you avor a,,ccoI a., ~, What GeraraI
you exer i vs. @ nv aot ~ ars
ives learnes ,ater from an Intimate friend al
thu Grant fami,v IN Nav YorL thst General SIrani
was annosed TO Il, that no had rad in
the mcrcan ncwsnaners concerning II and had
th,t 49, .,,n ,u.!.as ~ ~ 30
AZ ,nas sn.t y, o no rnaardad rs
a noliticaI movement altorether and that General
i,o undertnten Irinrious critic Nm, vonid ho Co.
tain to- hollow which would mako ii unpleasant"
..Dld Won try 10 And out ANYTHING about General
Grants opinions when here i'm Washing tonY'' ~,
III called upon an old army comrado of General
Grants here 10 nsk him n hc knew when rhs
General would return : phe centleman said,-.
shorld be cornuelled 70 deceive Won 1'hat was
his expression asked him vhv Ha ssid:--
because I know it would DO personally oGsn-
,sa,,,,o ~ Cs,sornsa ,no $50 ,orr s,nhtioua and