Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-12-24

Miss Dents parents to the union,
which had not been asked for before. :"
An incident occurred on his steam
boat trip up the Mississippi that illus
trates Grants ready resources in emer-
gencies-
In those days the steamboat was the
aristocratic mode of travel. Money
was plenty with planters in the South,
and they spent it freely. The magni-
fieent boats were the rendezvous of the
professional and accomplished gamb-
Ter. Almost any afternoon or evening
men could be seen at the tables, with
piles of money, and not infrequently
beside it their bowieknives and revolv-
ers. When the latter were not in
sight, il was always known that they
were within instant reach in case of a
disagreement. This was part Of the
gamblers code on the Lower Mississ-
ippi steamers On this occasion gam
bling was in progress as usual. The
Young husband of a beautiful and ac-
complished lady was playing at one of
the tables with an elderly man who
was evidently a professional" The
young wife was anxious. She walked
in and out of the cabin repeatedly to
attract her husbands attention, but he
was too absorbed to notice her. Grant
observed that he was losing, and that
the stakes increased at every game.
The wife walked the deck. in front of
the cabin where the play was progress
ing, in the utmost agony. She en-
tered the cabin again, brushed past
her husbands chair and touched him,
then came out on the open deck, but
the husband was completely absori 81
in a venture that meant his ruin.
Tears rolled from her beautiful eyes,
and she sank into chair near where
Grant sat with a book in his hand
which he had been reading, and in
tones as agonizing as they were des-
pairing and pathetic, sobbed out the
inquiry, directed to no one in particu
lar, ..Oh, can nothing be done to save
him from ruin, from Destruction"
Others we're sitting there who knew
as we'll as Grant did what was trans
piring. But he quickly responded.
MADAM, you must make diversion,
a strategic movement. and help or
force your husband to retreat before
the game is concluded; do something
desperate. create some excitement"
The little woman was equal to the
emergency, and was as prompt to act
as was any one of Grants most trusty
generals on a hint from him during
his later career. She promptly sprang
upon a chair. put her foot on the rail-
ing and jumped over before any one
could say a wordi Every one set up a
cry of horror. Grant. who knew the
husbands name, put his head into the
cabin door and shouted to him that his
wife was overheard! Everybody cried
TO the Captain. on the deck above, to
stop the boat! A woman overboardm
The husband sprang up. scraped his
own money into his sack amidst the
laundering trotests of the gambler (for
the game was not quite fnished) and
flew to the scene OF the excitement.
The steamer was stopped. One of the
aft boats was lowered by deck hands.
not waiting for orders!
The reader can imagine how
thorough the diversion" was, and
how strategic" The young husband
was in a state of terror and agony. He
threw his sack of money on the floor,
and someone carried it to the clerk,
who put it in his safe. 1t took two or
three strong men to hold him and pre-
vent him plunging down into the
murky water in search of his wife.
Grant silently hoped that they would
let him do so. lit would cool him off
and bring him to his sense" he said
in a low tone 10 friend. The captain
seemed to learn in very few minutes
probably through tube from an OFF,
Ger on the lower deck) that there was
no need of waiting longer, for he rang
to the engineer. and away the boat
steamed again. This more than ever
excited the husband. and in his frenzy
he had to be disarmed and prevented
from shooting the captain for steam
ing ahead without stopping longer 70
fish his wife out of the depth!
Grant stood, meantime. silent and
unperturbed. He knew exactly what
had happened. but be meant that the
reckless husband should remain igno-
rant of it as long as possible.
Several moments elapsed. during
which time the inf riated husband had
TO be held by several stalwart men to
prevent him from Hing the captain
or jumping into the river. The pas
sengers moved to the lower deck and
around the locality where the lady
must have gone overheard. Soon an
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