The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-04
GRANTS OLD HOME.
Mrs. Grant the Family Financier-Wash
burne's Ofice-A Miners Legend.

Gaiena Gid Letter,
General Grant was never good hand to look
after money matters. He used to say, My
wife is the financer of the family" and this was
literally true, as was demonstrated by the ad-
mirabe manner in which she managed affairs
when the Generals salary in his fathers leather
store at Ealena was only $40 a month. Brought
up a refined lady, and accustomed to all the
commoner luXuries of life, she found herself, on
her arrival here from St Louis, in circumstan-
ces that would have terrified most women reared
under similar circumstances. With a devotion
which characterizes the true wife and mother,
she set herself to work and soon
had model little home, which was to
her and her family an earthly paradise. Her
management when Ulysses entered the army,
pennlless tbeing compelled to even borrow the
money with which to buy an OUTFIT cbarac-
teriZed by the same shrewdnesS and tact and as
her husband advanced, step by step, she so man
aged his financial affairs as to fit the upward
gradatons In life he was rapidly reaching. A
few months ago, when General Grant last visited
his Galena home he said in my presence: My
wife runs our New York House, and no other
woman in the universe could do it any better
than she L give her 81, COO month and ask no
questions do not live in anything like princely
style, but there are but few men who are com
PEELED to keep up the appearances that cireum-
stances have forced upon me of late years, that
have more to be proud of than myself and |
leave 1t all to my wife, who runs our household
affairs herself keeping the strictest account of
expenses, and experimenting every department
of the family establishment"
Naturally enough the people of Galena in
Guiding all classes who know the Grants, are in
hearty sympathy with them in their recent re
verses, This sympathy has taken the form of
extreme sorrow, aud more genuine love for Gen
eral and Mrs Grant has come to the surface
since the failure of the former than was ever be-
fore manifested. Should they determine to re-
turn to their modest little home here they will
be most aHectionately and enthusiastically re-
ceived,
The old law offica in +his nitv Of ax M;pic+ar
Washburne. aud occupied by him for more than
thirty years, has recently been converted into
boot and shoe mandatory. The rooms were
long object of interest to tourists stopping in
Galena, and were frequently visited and inspect
ed by more curious ones. The books furniture,
etc, remained as they were when Mr.. Wash
burne hurriedly departed for France, until
his return ard more recent permanent removal
to Chicago They were plain, unpretending
suite of rooms yet in them have frt .uently as
sembled some of the most distinguished civic
and military lights in the more modern history
of our community. They we're the acknowl
edged headquarters of The Wing and Republican
leaders, before the war in Illinois, and the polit
zeal schemes that have been there Matched, aud
plans laid out and set on foot, could scarcely be
told in any ordinary volume
The mining interests of this section are on the
wane, although in the opinion of experts, but
small percentage of ore has been taken out of
the ground There are several furnaces in OPP
Grafton here and hereabouts, though the number
The output of pig lead from this point during
the past year aggregated 10000 900 pounds.
Mining is done by drifting and shaftng.
Many OLD drifts running through the heart
of the city, have been discovered. One of these.
which has been explored for many hundreds OF
feet, furnished safe retreat at time for the
murderers of Col D. Davenport at Rock Island
one of the most horrid butcheries in the annals
Of Western crime The drift accidently
discovered by some nlasons while digging the
! foundation for church. and on being explored
the skeleton of a man, chained to a rock was dis
| closed to view in the remote end of a cross-cut
| drift Old miners have legend to the effect
! that the remains were those of a French ganr-
! bier and cutthroat who came to the mines
| from New Orleans in 1928, and who ruined
and ran away with the wife of one Samuels, a
! lead miner. The pair got further than
! Hard scrabble, now Hazel Green ten miles
from here, when they were overtaken by Sa1nuels
and some of his friends and brought back to
| the then settlement OF Galena The Frenchman
was tried by an impromptu court and condemned
! to death, and the husband of the woman he had
| seduced was appointed his executioner His
fate was not known until the discovery of the
skeleton above referred TO- when it was remem-
bered that the wronged husband had partially
! disclosed to some of his more intimate friends
the story of the Judgment he had melted out to
! the destroyer of his home. Such was frontier
| jus ice III the old Galena lead mines.
The pioneers of the Illinois and Wisconsin
lead mines, and the men who aided largely in
! developing the mercantile resources of Galena,
the then metropolis of the great Northwest,
were from St Louis and noble and sturdy
| type Of humanity they were. They have all
1 disappeared, however, and strange to say, there
are but few descendants of the old families left
| There were the Chouteaus the Hempsteads, the
Soulards the Gratiots, the st. Gyms, the Town
| Sends and other wellknown names which are
indissolubly linked with the early history OF the
SCUM and Northwest. Many interesting sketches
might be told of the hardships they endured, the
achievements they wrought, and the dangers
| with which they were constantly surrounded
during the fore part of their pioneer career.