The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-23
TALES OF THE TIMES.
Colonel wstrous Yields TO the Demand
For More Grant Stories.

"More Grnnt stories,
Before mo are four letters, all asking for
| more Grant stories. Only one of these let
ters was written by an ex-soldior. ono Is
from a high school hoy, one from a min
lister, one from a farmer boy and the fourth
from an ex -soldicr whose service did not
give him an opportunity to SEQ tho old
commander during tho business days OF
the war. Those -four lottcrs possess deep
meaning for me, They tell that more than
c x.soldiers are reading these sketches and
wstories. | am glad OF that. There Is a vein
of history in most OF those letteis-history
that In the main has been overlooked.
The country around Galena and through
southwestern Wisconsin abounds In Grant
stories. Find "a man who lived In that sec
ton from so to 81 years ago and IL Is not
difficult, If he be properly shaken, 20 dis
cover a Grant story. l met an ex-south-
western Wisconsin man, who had also
been n Galcna boy, last Tuesday-Colonei
Nicholas Smith, editor OF the Fond du Lac
Commonwoalth-and | tapped his mem
CRY. Here is the result:
"when I lived In Prairie du Chen, 20
years ago, / picked up several Grant sto-
les. l have just time TO tell you the best
! ono before taking the train.
"Grant d Son had sold a largo bill Of
eeeAs 10 a Prairie du CAlen merchant n
manufacturers. A few weeks later IL came
to the knowledge Of the company that the
merchant had taken a suspicious step
that no had made out a bill Of sale OF his
stock-hls object being 10 get tho best OF
Grant & Son. 1t was decided to send the
captain To Prairie du Chen with authori-
ty 70 protect tho company. Upon reaching
there no discovered hat matters wero seri-
Gus. He callod upon a young lawyer for
help. The young lawyer was o. B. Thorn
as, afterward u captain I'm the war, several
times a member Of the legislature and
three or -four times In congress from the
Seventh Wisconsin district. Aftor Grant
and Thomas had talked the matter over
somewhat, Grant quietly asked, Mr.. Thorn
as, what is necessary TO DO done In order
To get possession Of those goods, or pay for
themS'
"'Tbc best way is to attach them.'
livery well; make out the necessary
papers
"Whon the papers wero ready, 1t was
discovered that the shersf was out OF
town, but there was a deputy sheriff, Il.
G.. Brunson, somewhere about tho village.
Grant had n long hunt, but finally dug
him out, put the papers In his hands and
both went to the store, which they found
locked. There were no signs OF life inside.
"'Well, now, this is bad, said the dep
uty sheriff, known as the boss What
shall we dor
why, got into tho store md serve tho
papers, to bo sure, said Grant.
"'But how can We, with the door lock-
od?'
-"Grant looked his contempt ut tho Off.
cial, and asked, Cant you get into this
store, Mr.. Deputy
81 don't think / can
"'Then / suggest to you that you dcpu.
tize some one who can get in
"'Well, sir, l deputize you
al accept the Office
"Then, moving pack two or three steps,
no advanced rapidly, threw out bis right
foot against the door and 1t few open. A
man was standing inside with n gun.
"'Drop that gum, said Grant, AN as
sist In taking these goods from the shelves
And he assisted, for Grant was in command
and knew how to DO 10 successfully.
THAT is tho way Grant moved on tho
enemy's works Mt Prairie du Chien-the
way he collected a bad account"
"That deputy sheriff and the man he
deputized To get into the Prairie du Chion
store met at Chattanooga about four years
later. Brunson had charge of a force IN
loading army stores from a train. Grant
recognized his Prairie du Chen coworker,
withdrew from his staff, rode up to Brun-
son, and asked, Are you from Wisconsin,
81 am, sir; from Prairie du Chien.'
"'Are you the man who assisted me In
getting into "a store IN your town q few
years agoP'
"'Good heavensl Is General Grant the
man who wa my deputy on that COCA
sionY'
"'The same, sir
"'Well, General Grant, / was your boss
then, but you are my boss now
"Tbe deputized deputy sheriff was a
lieutenant general, or about to DO made
lieutenant general, and the deputy sheriff
was the sergeant who later became a lieu
tenant" z
Colonel Smith continued: Before tho
wa I went to learn the saddlery trade at
the establishment Of w. w. Vanable a.
Co., Galena. Their establishment was
next TO Grant g. SONS leather store. Tho
custom with the saddlery people was to
send the cub tthat Is what the newest ap-
prentice was called I'm those days) to some
other store I'm search OF strap oil. The fore
man said to mo the morning after / reach-
ed Galena, Smith, you step into Grants
n get some strap oil
"'What shall l get IL In, and how
muchy'
"'Tbey will give you something to
bring it in. and the right amount
81 went into the store. There was only
one man there. I walked up to him and
asked, Are you SIR. Grant,
Yes, sir
THE foreman Of our shop sent me
here 90 get some strap OIL
Grant looked me over deliberately
sized me carefully. Twas rs large as I am