St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-21
GEN. GRANT.
His Pecuniary Straits--HOw He
Came TO Write the War Articles
for the ssCentury.7,

His Pecuniary Straits--HOw He
Came TO Write the War Articles
for the ''Century.''
| From the New York Mail and Express
Gen Grant and all the members of his
family have been-as might have been ex-
pected-very retcent as to the privations and
anXieties they have suffered since the failure
of the firm of Grant d Ward. But the facts
communicated to old friends in confidence
have been gradually coming to the public
without any intentional betrayal of trust any
where. So much, however, Is known, that il
occurred to the writer of the communication
herewith published that connected and care
full account of Gen. Grants pecuniary straits
would be more satisfactory to the people, and
would give juster view of his situation and
of his trials and conduct than the more or
less exaggerated stories that are afoat. The
communication which follows was writ
ten by one whose relations with the Grants
have been and are such as to insure the most
intimate knowledge OF the interesting facts
stated. OF course the writer prepared and
furnished this communication without the
knowledge of any member Of the Grant family
and without any solicitation on the part of
any one connected with the Mail and Express.
But SO interesting story will speak for it
self Here it is:
''Four days after the failure of Grant 81
Ward Mr. Charles Wood of Lansingburg,
n. Y, wrote to Gen. Grant, whom he had
never seen, Offering to lend him 81, 900 for
bis note at twelve months without interest,
with option of renewal at same rate. He in
closed check for $500, 'on account of my
share due for services ending about pril,
1885,
cat this time Gen. Grant had absolutely
not money for current expenses Everything
he owned in the world had been invested or
deposited with Grant d Ward. About $50 in
his pocketbook and S130 in cash belonging to
Mrs. Grant was what he had to live on. The
! trust fund had been invested In Wabash secu-
| rites, and the company at this iuncture de-
| faulted payment. while the guarantors, the
L. d. Morgan estate, could not pay until the
company had defaulted for six months Gen.
Grant accepted the timely offer Of Mr.. Wood
very gratefully.
"About the same time Mr.. Romero, the
Mexican minister. came to Gen. Grant and
also insisted on aiding him with a loan Of
81 900. The General atfirst declined to receive
the money, but Mr.. Romero left the room
abruptly, placing the amount on the table.
But for these two acts Of friendship-one
from a man whom Gen. Grant had never
seen, the other from a gentleman by no
means wealthy-the distress of the General
would have been actual. The checks which
had been paid out few days before the fail
ure were Of course not met the payment May
1 4ha frv Ivy
Ward, and there was absolutely for time
no other resource.
mrs. Grant, however. had a little house
in Washin gton which she had bought some
years before for 1880, and she was able 10
sell this in few weeks for 81, 300. check
was at once sent to Mr.. Romero for the debt
10 him, the outstanding checks On Grant q
Ward for personal or family expenses were
paid. and little was left for living during the
summer The sons had all been ruined by
the failure as absolutely as the father, and
two of them, with their families, were obliged
| for time TO live with him.
SIN this emergency the General was asked
TO write a couple Of articles for the Century
magazine. He was offered 81 900 for the
two and consented 70 try his hand at litera-
ture. The articles we're written and the pay
rneut made, and about Christmas the General
was able 70 pay of the pecuniary indebted
uess TO his friend Mr.. Wood with whom he Is
still personally unacquainted. The occupa-
ton of writing interested him: the story Of
his old campzign distracted him from the
thoughts Of his Wall street troubles; he con-
tinued TO write. and finally decided 10 com
nile his military memoirs. The first volume
Of these IS com plete. and the second nearly
go The work gives details Of his early his
tory not previously known, and q graphic
picture Of life ia Ohio before 1888, when he
went 70 West Point His account Of the