The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-01-01
Gen. Grant ON Smoking.


From a Conversation With the General
Five Years Ago Now Related by Rev. s.
II. Lee in New York independently
odd you tell the Girard college boys
the other day, as the papers reported,
that you were glad that they werefor-
hidden to smoke, because if they did
not smoke now, they would be less
likely to do SO IN later years."
did the papers say | said that?"
eyes"
"Well, then, / said it," Then after
a brief pause, rs if trying TO recall the
circumstance: SAT any rate, that is
what | think. If / could have my way,
| would let nobody smoke under 81
years of age. 1t is much more injuri-
Gus to boys than to adults. What
eyer it may do to men, it is certainly
bad for the young" Then, as if the
questionable side of the practice were
still before his mind, he went on:
'"The newspapers are responsible for
my smoking"
"How is that? Do they charge you
with smoking more than you do"
eyes; but that is not what | mean.
| mean that it Is because of what they
did that / am q smoker. Before the
war | used to smoke very rarely; once
in SIX months, perhaps, / would
smoke a pipe; but / had no taste for
smoking, no habit, and was not a
smoker. When | went into the army,
at times of liesure,I smoked more; but
not much at first. In those days the
papers did not think much of me. I
did not pay much attention to their
men In the army. | did not have
them at my mess. They used to
speak of me as inaccessible. They
called me you know, the man on
horseback the silent man. the man
with a cigar in his mouth and when
Fort Donelson was taken they got me
into trouble. To be sure, | was pro-
NOTED; / was made a ma~ior-general
right of, but the papers were down on
me, and on account OF what they said
| was put under arrest, and my COM
mand taken from me for a week.
However, the people up North
were SO glad to have 10000 or 49,
O0Orebels to feed that they said 'Ifthat
man has a cigar in his mouth, he ought
to have a good one;' and they
began to send me first-class cigars; in
end from that time there was always
a box of the best cigars in the United
States on the table In my tent, open,
and free to everybody; and | never
bought any mora cigars from that
time until | came East. Of course,
c,,oh nioa o,rn ,u a,o N 4nnnno4iNn.
everybody else enjoyed them, had
continued opportunity, and | began
to smoke as never before. That is
what Imean when Isay the newspapers
are responsible for my being a smok-
err"
"Well, general, one question more,
if you please"
Certainly"
"Did you ever suffer any inconven-
fence from the practice?"
"Not that | know OF. ! cannot say
what injurious effects it may yet pro-
duce; but | have never felt any. Yet
/ often wish / was not a smoker.
Especially when / 60 to supper, sit
down at 6 and stay till midnight, and
there are ladies present, or for some
other reason / donotfeel at liberty to
smoke. That is just the time when |
most want to smoke, and, if Icannot,
/ wish / was not a smoker"
A few more words, and I withdrew,
impressed, in a conversation of which
a small part is given, with the clear
ness of his vision, his rare command
of language-always saying just ex-
actly what he meant-his simplicity,
genuineness, and unostentatious great
ness. Would that the boys who adj
mire him might heed his counsels to
them! Subsequent events furnish
adults an impressive commentary on
his words: 81 cannot say what In
furious effects it may yet produce; but
have never felt any"