The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-02-28

in his best days was accustomed to
charm Il cr0wdiug circle of eager
listeners ut an evening reception, but
it was the plain simple talk of neigh
Dor, of Il man of accurate observation
aud wide experience, saying exactly
what he knew in the cOmmOnest
language, with no effort To make it
telling by any strain of emphasis or
exaggcration. Every word weighed, ,
and, in its effect upon me. reminded of
Daniel Webster's speeches. NV share
in The conversation decreased us nv
wondering curiosity increased, until
late in the evening the gentleman rose,
and as he turned to bid me goulmight
the light from the vestibulc shune fu II
upon his face, and saw that il was
General Grant.
My first thought was. in the words of
the worthy Mr.. Hobbs: .'Well, | will
be jiggered!'
Here had | heen for more than three
hours, assuming perfect equality and
talking like a runaway mule, uphill
and down. with t e man whose name
was ut that time known to more peo-
pie than that of any other man on the
foOtst0ol, the man whose Vicksburg
campaign had been favorably COM
pared with the famous peninsular cam
paign of Wellington. who had saved
the country from the rebels, who had
been twice president of the nation and
since been received as an equal visitor
by all the crowned heads of the world.
After moment of confusion |
turned my eagle eye on the young man
opposite, who had taken little part in
the conversation and was still answer
ing my own with responsive puffs.
''Have the pleasure of addressing
Colonel GrantP"
He lowed 1 had.
''Then l wish to apologize to you,
and through you to your father, for the
freedom have taken in my conversa-
ton with man occupying the station
of General Grant. NV excuse is a
good one, however Till the moment
he left me l had not the faintest sus-
picion with whom / was talking"
Colonel Fred laughed cordially and
said he inferred rs much, but that
need not feel the slightest uncasiness.
as there was nothing the general liked
better than TO meet just such sturdy
opponent, who would talk to him with
out the slightest Difference to his rank
or achievements; that he had been
so long in public life that he was
known now to all he met, and the
natural Difference to him prevented the
free exchange of thought to which he
had become accustomed in his early
life. He really thought the general
had enjoyed his incognito as much as
l had.
Tho rroDarol ~, 9, = ~, =. H., A. - ,,o...
day, and several times during the day
we exchanged few words, as he
seemed to have no acquaintance on
the car, but the consciousness of his
great history was so present with me
that my freedom was all gone, and 1
was but poor companion. l noticed
that he enjoyed Il good story, though he
did not tell any; and confess that the
straight, honest look from those gray
eyes of implicit belief in everything
one said, rather checked the eXuber-
ance of the imagination so necessary
to ill out the details in way to make
a common story interesting.
We parted at Syracuse, where the
separate trains were made up for New
York and Boston, and / reelected on
the plain, simple ways of man who
had held all power in his hands for so
many years, and chose now to travel
a thousand miles across the country
that he had saved and ruled, without
a single attendant except his son, and
with no provision for his comfort or
convenience beyond that furnished for
tho humblest traveller that buys a
ticket from Chicago to New York.
1t was this freedom from all affecta-
tion and display that so endeared him
TO tie whole people that they watched
his final struggle at Mount McGregor
with an interest and attention never
before accorded to private individual.
- Seth Clapp im Chicago Globe.