The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-01-08
Gen. Grant ON smoking.

[From a Conversation With the General
Five Years Ago Now Related by Rev. g..
h. Lee in New York independently
did 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"
"Yes."
"Well, then, / said It'll" Then after
q brief pause, as if trying to recall the
circumstance: cat any rate, that is
what / think. II / could have my way,
/ would let nobody smoke under 81
years Of age. It is much more iniuri-
Gus to boys than to adults. What
ever 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 o than youdo?"
Eyes; but that is not what / mean.
l mean that it Is because OF what they
did that am @ smoker. Before the
war | used to smoke very rarely; ono
IN SIX months, perhaps, l would
smoke a pipe; but | had no taste for
smoking, no habit, and was not a
smoker. When | vent into the army,
at times OF leisure 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 q cigar in his mouth and when
Fort Donelson was taken they got me
into trouble. To be sure, / was pro-
noted; | was made u major-general
right off but the papers weredown On
me, and on account OF what they said
l was put under arrest, and my com
mand taken from me for a week.
However,. the people up North
were so glad to have $4,000 or 49,
600 rebels to feed that they said 'Ifthat
man has q cigar in his mouth, he ought
to have q good one;' and they
began to send me first-class cigars; in
and from that time there was always
q box OF the best cigars in the United
States on the table in my tent, open,
and free to everybody; and ! never
bought any more cigars from that
time until | came East. OF course,
such nice cigars were a temptation;
everybody else enjoyed them, I had
continued opportunity, and l began
to smoke as never before. That is
what Imean when saythenewspapers
are responsible for my being a smok-
err"
"Well. general, one question more,
ifyou please"
Certainly"
"Did you ever suffer any inconyen-
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 1 was not a smoker.
Especially when / 60 to D p 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 I
most want to smoke, and, if Icannot,
l wish | wasnot
A few more words, and.I withdrew,
impressed, in q conversation OF which
a small part IS gwen, With the clear
ness Of his vision, his rare command
OF language-always saying just ex-
actly what he meant-his simplicity,
genuineness, and transformations 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: II cannot say what in
furious effects it may yet produce; but
/ have never felt any,"