Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-16

very fond, he always suffered pain. sal
DR.. Da Costa, one-of the most eminent ply
slclans In the country, was coming down +
Long Branch to spend few days with me
BE was an old friend and would be glad t
look into the matter. DR.. Da Costa, on ar
irving, went over to the Generals house
examined his throat carefully, gave pre-
scription and asked the General who hi
family physician was. General Grant sait
DIR. Fordyce Barker, and he was advised t.
see him at once. / could see that the Gen
| eral was suffering a good deal, though h'
was unoomplaining, aud during the summer
| several times he asked me if had seen DR.
| Da Costa, and seemed to want to know ex
actly what was the matter with him. Gen
eral Grant, after he got worse, said to me
81 want to come to Philadelphia and stay q
few days with you and have talk with DR..
Da Costa" He was not afraid of the dis
ease after he knew all about it, and the last
time I saw him, just before he went to
Mount McGregor, he said: "Now, Mr..
Childs, have been twice within half a
minute of death, I realize it fully, and my
life was only preserved by theskill and at
tention of my physicians. have told them
the next time to let me CO."
The General had great will power, and
the determination to finish his book kept
him up. He quickly made up his mind
that mis- disease would prove fatal, but he
was resolute to live until his work was done.
He said: "If had been an ordinary man
I would have been dead long ago."
In good health General Grant would
day; but he could stop smoking at any
time. He told me that toward the latter
part of the summer of 1884 he was smoking
fewer and milder cigars, perhaps two or
three day. In February of 1885 he ex-
pected to pay me a visit. He wrote saying:
''The doctor will not allow me to leave
until the weather gets warmer. I am now
quite well in every way, except swelling
of the tongue above the root, and the same
thing in the tonsils just over it. 1t is very
difficult for me to swallow enough to main
tain my strength, and nothing gives me so
much pain as to swallow water" I asked
him about that, and he said: eff you could
imagine what molten lead would be going
down your throat, that is what feel when
am swallowing" In that letter he
further said: 81 have not smoked cigar
since about the Goth of November; for a
day or two I felt as though would like to
smoke. but after that Inever thought Of it. !"
HIS CLOSEST FRIEND.
The man who was perhaps nearer to him
than anyone in his Cabinet was Mr.. Hamil-
ton Fish. He had the greatest regard TOR
the latter's judgment. 1t was more than
friendship-it was genuine affection be-
tween them, and General Grant always ap-
preciated Mr.. Fish's staying in his Cabinet,
as Mr.. Fish, if he had been governed by his
own feelings, would not have done so. I
know it was General Grants desire to have
Mr.. Fish as his successor to the Presidency.
Apropos of the Indian matter, he told me
that, as young Lieutenant, he had been
thrown among the Indians and had seen the
unjust treatment they had received at the
hands of the white men. He then made up
his mind if he ever had any influence or
power it should be exercised to try to
ameliorate their condition, and the Indian
Commission was his own idea. He wished
TO appoint the very best men In the United
States. He selected William Welsh, Will
lam E. Dodge, Felix Brunot, of Pittsburg;
Colonel Robert Campbell, of st. Louis, and
George H. Stuart, OF Philadelphia. They
were of the Indian Commission which he had
endeavored to establish, and they always
could count upon him in aiding them in
every possible way. He took the greatest
interest always in the commission, and
never lost that interest. Even to his last
moments he watched the progress of the
matter, but it was a very difficult affair to
handle at any time, and then especially, as
there was a great Indian ring to break up.
He was of very kindly nature, generous
to fault. would often demonstrate with
him, and say, General, you can't afford to
do this" and would try to keep people
away from him. In the case of one SUBJ
scription, when they wanted him to con-
tribute to certain matter which did not
think he was able to do, would not let
them 60 near him. Some injudicious per-
son went, and he subscribed 81, 900.
General Grants home life, his veneration
ment by General Aalleck, his life at Long
Branch, etc., are then related, and Mr..
Childs, resumlng, says: Once he had two
cases of petition. He said, 81 did thing
to-day that gave me great pleasure. There
was poor Irish woman who had boy in
the army, and she came down from New
York and spent all her money. She had
lost several boys in the army, and this one
she wished to get out of the service to help
support her. gave her an order and was
very glad to do it, but he did not add that
he gave her also some money. SIN contrast
to that there was lady OF very distin-
guished family OF New York, who came
here and wanted me to remove her son from
Texas. He was an officer in the army, and
I told her could not do that. My rich
petitioner then said, Well, could you not
remove his regimento' This would have in
volved cost of 500, ,000." General Grant
didn't hesitate a moment to refuse rich
unreasonable request, but it gave
him pleasure to grant the petition Of poor
Irish woman.
KIND TO THE POOR.
He was very kind to the poor, and in fact
10 everybody, especially to widows and
children of army officers. gave him the
names of quite number of army officers
IONS for appointment in the navy or army.
He said: 'tI am glad to have these. I
ike to appoint army and navy mems chill
iren, because they have no political in
iuence." One-tenth of his appointments
we're the children of deceased army or ma
7al officers, young men without influence to
ret into West Point. There was hardly an
rmy man, Confederate or Union, who was
lot friend of General Grant. For Gen.
raj Sheridan he had an afectionate regard,
md have often heard him say that he |
hought Sheridan the greatest fighter that |
ver lived, and if there was another war he |
Tould be the leader.
As to General Fitz-John Porter's case, I |
poke to him during the early stages of it,
t a time when his mind had been preju- |
iced by some around him, and when he |
ras very busy. Afterward, when he looked |
nto the matter, he said that he was only
orry that he had go long delayed making
he examination he ought to have done. He |
cit that if ever a man had been treated |
.adly Porter was. He had examined the
ase most carefully, gone over every. detail,
nd be was perfectly well satisfied that Por-
sr was right. He wanted to do everything
q his power to have him righted, and his
My regret was that he should have neg
scted it so long and allowed Porter to rest |.