Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-31
SIandcrous Gossip.

1t is one of the penalties OF fame, that
every famous person is subjected by cranks
and gossips to false and often SANDER
GUS stories concerning his personal habits
Few have experienced more of this than
Gen. Grant. We happened once to be go
ing up Lake Champlain, when General
Grant then President of the United
States, was passenger on the same
boat He was returning from the White
Mountains to Washington, and was ac-
companied by General Sheridan, Governor
Stearns of New Hampshire and Mrs.
Stearns, and other ladies and gentlemen.
General Grant sat in conversation with
these, in the forward part of the boat, I'LL
the party went down to dinner, and I'M
medately after dinner landed at Ticonder-
oga to take Lake George on their way TO
Saratoga. Judge Benedict of Brooklyn
and the writer of this, who had been
sitting with them up to that point, went
straight on to Saratoga, arriving there
several hours in advance of the Presl-
dents party A few minutes before the
latter reached Saratoga, New York
gentleman said to Judge Benedict Too
bad about General Grant, isn't it y
"What now ?" "Why that he should dis
grace himself SC" "What do you mean?'
"Why he came up Lake Champlain to-
day, and was on regular spree, was
tipsy all the way and drank so much
more at dinner that he could not walk OIL
the boat at 1iconderoga without help.
"May | ask where you got your news p
"From Recorder Hackett, who told me all
about it not ten minutes ago"
Here was a pretty straight story-almost
at first hand and with a responsible name
attached But it was pure, unadulterated
falsehood, except as to the single fact that
General Grant was passenger on the
Lake Champlain steamboat that day. The
gentleman was informed that the persons
he was speaking to happened to know the
circumstances a little better than Recorder
Hackett that President Grant was as
sober as any person on the boat ; that he
took no wine or other stimulant at
dinner or at any time on the boat and
that as he was soon to arrive in Saratoga,
it would be easy for any one who cared, to
satisfy himself by personal observation
whether the General was drunk or not
A few minu ties later General Grant step
ped off the train, evidently in excellent
condition of mind and body, and showing
it is not necessary to say, not the slightest
indications of "spree." AS it happened,
his arrival and the contradiction the story
received from various sources, Knocked
the Islander on the head but if General
Grant had happened to remain at Lake
George, thousands would have believed
that he was staying to recover from de-
bauch and that the United States had
been disgraced by the conduct of its
Many similar piacps of SIanI-
derous invention concerning him did not
have as prompt contradiction, and are
perhaps believed to this day.
This incident is recalled to us, by find
ing in the New York World a statement
by one T. c. Crawford to the effect
that he had been informed by "a
gentleman" who went over to
England on the same steamer with
Senator Edmunds, that this representa-
tive of the temperance State of Vermont
drank a quart bottle of wine with every
meal, including breakfast and late sup
per with the comment that -four quarts
of wine day with the incidental refresh
ments," made a pretty good load" for
him to carry. Why this individual did
not make it four gallons instead of four
quarts while he was about it, does not APP
pear.
We do not allude to this story TO con-
tradict it. Any person who can believe
that Senator Edmunds, travelling in com
pany with his wife, daughter and another
lady, made a sot and spectacle of himself
at the public table, by steadily swilling
wine, quart at every meal, and kept him
self intoxicated all day long with these
and 'incidental refreshments through
out the passage, would believe that or
anything contradiction or no contradic-
ton.
But we venture the assertion that the
man who started this slanderous yarn is no
gentleman - and that the accompanying
gossip attributing to the Senator churlish
replies to civil requests, has no better
basis of fact than the drinking part of
his romance. 1t may be noted that he
ISLANDERS the passengers generally as well
as the Senator for he says finally that the
latter became very popular" during the
voyage,-the obvious inference from
which is that the passengers were set
to whom gross excess and uncivil speech,
We're objects of admiration. Mr.. Craw-
ford and his informant should try again.