River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-06-05
WHAT THE GRAHT'ssAY.
interview Showing the Causes Of the Sad
Failure.


''What is your opinion Of Mr.. James D. Fish's
statement regarding letters which passed be-
tween the general and himself relating to gov
ernment contracts?'" asked reporter of Col
Fred Grant.
Il never heard of such letters before l saw
Mr.. Fish's statement"
HAS the generate
''As to that cannot say. know one thing,
however, and that is that father is almost
broken down by the assertions made by Mr.
Fish. This has come upon him like thun-
derelap, and it finds him as much unprepared
as when the crash came He was so stunned
by the statement printed that 1t has almost
brought him to his bed again
''Is it not true then that the general was in
terested in Wards colossal government con-
tracts and derived colossal income from pro-
fits thus obtained"
'No, sir; that Is, father assures me that he
was never so interested
'No, sir" chimed in Jesse Is he knocked
the ashes from fragrant Havana and twirled
nifty bamboo &" guess the reputation of my
father for veracity will bear an exceedingly
favorable comparison with that OF Mr. fIsh
among all right minded and unprejudlced peO-
pie. When he SAYS that he was not interested
In this government contract business, / say he
wasn't His word is all / want, and | think it
enough 70 satisfy all You remember as it has
ALREADY been said that when father ascertained
that Ward had been trading on his name in his
alleged government contracts, he became ex-
ceedineiy enraged and threatened to have moth
n < further to do with him. Ward assured him
that it was all mistake, ana father, l suppose
took his word for it.
why is it that the general seems so unwill-
ing To make a statement as 10 his side Of the
case?' asked the reporter of the colonel
simply because be Is not anxious to rush
into print until he knows where he stands.
When Ward and Fish and the rest of them
have tired themselves with making affidavits
and statements for the newspapers then pos
sibly father may be induced to fire boradslde
l am confident that the public believes general
ly that father is innocent of all wrong, IN this
matter, and that he would not permit his
name to be used to secure business for firm
of which he is partner from this govern
ment' ,"
PROBABLE EXPLANATION.
An intimate friend of the Grant family said
that he had just spoken with Col Fred Grant
He had in confidence informed him that the few
dollars IN his pocket WAS all he possessed IN
the world.
Gas to those photographed letters about
which there has been much talk, | cannot
quite understand The only solution ] can see
to tho problem is that some time ago the sener-
ais correspondence assumed such large pro
portions that he was compelled to employ a
Young fellow as private secretary When in
vitati0ns to soldiers reunions, balls, etc. etc,
were showered upon him he would simply tell
the secretary to mark upon the envelope two
or three words Of acceptance, or more frequent
" regret and leave the rest
10 his scribe's judgment Trust
ing everything connected with his business to
his sons, Ward or Fish, he came to think that
he must leave everything to their Judgment
Therefore when letters we're addressed TO him
by either of the latter, he simply ordered his
clerk to reply 70 them giving IN substance only
what he wished TO say. The scribe would en-
large upon what be said at will and an entire
~ different impression of what he had really
said could be conveyed by the letter when
posted Then, too, the general being 40 coDfid
ing a man, could be induced by such a keen
trickster as Ward TO put his name to docu
ments Of the true import Of which he had but
little idea. / blame both the general and his
sons severely for the carelessness they DIS
played in leaving everything to these two men
Ward and Fish. As to where these auto
graph or Photographic letters are ! am unable
to say. / never knew of their existence until
recently"