Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-19


eral Grant while he (the friend, not
General Grant, was prosecuting his
favorite pursuit of an autograph fend. "
He says:
They who know best the occupation
and affairs of business life in New
York City can well appreciate how a
man feels when he packs his trunk
and starts for quiet Shaker town
some. forty miles from Albany, leaving
behind him the heat, dust and worri-
ment Of great city; and when I add
to the above the information that 1
carried upon my shoulders the head of
q man who bore the burdens of twenty
years, and knew everything worth
knowing, and dealt largely in the
crafts of "cheek," besides having a
remarkable fancy for meeting all
the great personages possible, and
transacted this line of business
with rare oficious ability, and
made it my particular pleasure to be-
come as "chummy" as possible, and
always obtain the signature of those
great people, under the most adverse
circumstances, you will not be sur
prised when / tell you that 1 had only
enjoyed short time of quiet at Leb-
anon when I decided to forsake it all
for Albany. I had accidentally learned
that General Grant was to be there on
the Fourth of July, 49,, on the occa-
sion Of d presentation of flags. 1t was
the third day of July, and was only
forty miles away.
The pleasure of gazing upon Ulysses
Simpson Grant, the eighteenth Presi-
dent of the United States, the General
who never backed down from any en-
counter, the hero of the war of seces-
sion, this was too great an opportunity
to be lost; and accordingly-my trunk
packed started.
Who can understand the feelings
that inspire and take possession of q
man of twenty when he comes face to
face with o hero, and that hero the
grand General and the President Of
his country.
There is good deal of nervous tre-
NOR and a queer swelling feeling
about it just before you are presented
to him; but when YOU stand close by
him Imagine it the hero!-and
touch his hand, why, he really looks
quite natural, and, in fact, is like other
people, on the outside; of course, on
the inside it is quite different-im.
mense head, great brain power, etc.
So I informed my friends afterward
when wished to impress upon them
that I knew Grant well, "a grand old
chappie, you know" The truth was,
I was only introduced among great
number who went to the Delavan
House. where he held his reception
after the pageant of the day, and was
introduced by John s. Peck; a mo.
ment Of handshakin and then we
passed on.
That days episode made SO great an
impression on me that / hardly know
how to explain to you my feelings when
4 I trod the city pavements again. ]
could not free my mind from the fact
that and General Z. s. Grant were
the two important people in the world,
and to pass SO many common people in
the street who didn't even know that
had met General U. S. Grant, Oh
course, II tney nau hnoWu IL Jney Woulo
not have brushed past me in that @gei
out Of the way" style. q.
However, the day came to a close
and the boat was to take back to New
York was to leave at o'clock. paced
the deck long after everyone else hat
retired to their state-rooms, but thu
boat still remained tied up at the dock
An hour passed, and finally I inquired
why she did not start, and then
learned that we were waiting for Gen
eral Grant and his party to com,
aboard, This was pleasant surpris'