The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-04-09
HORACE GREELEY.
Some Of His Peculiarities a. Detailed
by His Son.in.Lav

HORACE GREELEY.
Some OF His Peculiarities as Detailed
by His son-in.Law.
1.-THE peculiaritics Of Horace Greeley
have all been greatly overdrawn," said
his son-in-law. Col. Nicholas Smith, of
New York, to reporter. ut is gcn-
orally thought that Mr.. Greeley was
very much given to profanity when ex-
cited, but all the time that knew him
never heard single profane word fall
from his lips, and my wife has often
said the same. His temperate habits
are we'll known; he never touched any,
thing in the way of liquor, except cid
er. and. singularly enough. was very
fond of cider. l have a boy 8 years
old, who is named Horace Greeley, and
he has inherited this love for cider and
dislike for other liquors from his grand
father, illustrating the great law of
heredity. Mr.. Greeley was very posi-
tive in his convictions. To illustrate:
DIR. White, the late president of Cornell
university, tells this story of him. In
company with the professor of Latin
and Greek at Cornell university, DR..
White called upon Mr.. Greeley. The
professor rallied Mr.. Greeley upon his
known objection TO the dead languages
in the practical education of Young
men, and hot discussion was com,
menced. Mr.. Greeley piled argument
upon argument until the professor was
corncred.
".Yon must admit. Mr.. Grceley,' he
finally cried, that the Latin and Greek
are the great conduits through which
the learning of the ancients have come
down to us?'
"'Yes.' said Mr.. Greeley, Il admit
that, but, pointing to the water faucet,
you see that faucet; drink three or
four glasses of water daily from that,
and the water comes there through the
Croton aquetluct. But, my dear Sir, is
that any reason why should chew so
much lead pipc?'
"Mr. Greeley was not very particular
in regard to his dress. Parton, in his
Life of Greeley tells good story OF
him. Webb, of The EAquirrr. was
very neat in his dress, and was ALWAYS
firing editorial shots at MIR. Greeley for
his peculiarity in this respect. Webb
some time before had been engaged in
duel. and had been sentenced to the
pcnitcntiary, but was pardoncd by Mr..
Seward. MIR. Greeley stood his re-
marks for some time without taking
any notice of them, but he finally be.
came tired, and answered through The
Tribune: 1T is true that am not as
particular in my dress :ls are some pco-
pie. but can say for myself that i do
not wear my costume through the
clcmcncy of the executive when
should be wearing the stripes of the
pcnitcntiary garb.'
',rhis ca,,stic reply stopped the re-
marks from The Enquirer. Work was
Mr.. Grcelcy's ncpenihe. My wife has
often told that he would go out to his
country house, Chapalqua, on Friday
evening to remain until Monday and rest
But Saturday, after working all morn.
ing i'll his grove at his favoritc pastimc
OF saving limbs off the trees, ut noon
he would board train for the city.
There are fifteen or twenty of his old
saws lying in the barn at Chapauoua
now, some of them with handles forty
feet long. to reach the top limbs of the
trees. l believe he gave away more
money during his life than any man
that ever lived. have now at home
abou, ton of worthless paper, and at
least bushel of old watches, which
fellows from the country had borrowed
money on.
'rhc old Quakcrs around Chapauqua
used to be very much amused over his
supposed gullibility. AT one time an
old friend wanted to sell him pair OF
oxen for which he. asked an cxorbtant
price, but Mr.. Greeley, without saving
word, gave him Il check for the
amount. The Quaker, some time later
was heard expressing u wish that ht
had asked twice us much for the oxen.
"When Mr.. Greeley was nominated
for president if the election had taken
place week later he would have swept
the country. But the capitalists Of
Wall street knew he would not serve
their interests and opposed him. His
history of the civil war was being pub
llshcu ~ the Snasc brOlncfS, OF TART
ford. 1t was being sold by subscrip.
tion. and they said they never had q
book which sold so rapidly. Just u,
this time Mr.. Greeley went on JEFF
Davis bond and he was set at liberty
The book dropped dead in the hands Of
the publishers just from this action
Ten years later the country saw tlna,
that was the only civilized way of dis.
posing of Mr. Davis. The work of Mr.
Greeley was all for his contemporaries,
he did nothing to perpetuatc his name
in the minds Of posterity, and his name
will live only in the memories of til,
people as a great and good man" ."-!a
Louis Republican.