The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-22
FIRST MEETING WITH GRANT

Grant, then colonel was then in com
mand at Cairo. Mother Bickerdyke had
never seen him, but when she found the
sick men in tents on low, unhealthy ground
and found there was a large, empty brick
building on higher ground she went to him
and told him she wanted it for a hospital.
''Now. Grant is my idol, and 1 think moth
ing shows better what a great man he was
than that, regardless of position, he would
listen to any one who talked sense even II
It was all day. That was just what Moth
err Bickerdyke did. She talked so sensibly
to him that he was impressed with her and
gave her the hospital and all the help he
could. 1t was in that hospital that at first
she had so much trouble with an incompe-
tent house surgeon and thtevish servants.
1t was there she gained fame by tearing off
the officer a suit of clothes sent for the
men, and one night putting tartar emetic
in stewed peaches to ma out VINO was
stealing the sick mems delicacies. Every as
sistant in the hospital but one was made
horribly i'll, and eventually all were trans
ferred. 1t was after that incident that she
telegraphed me to Chicago: Send me big
refrigerator with a patent lock- / sent it,
lust the same as did everything she sent
for whether l had the money or not. L
have gone out and in twenty minutes run
up a bill of nearly 81 900 for things she had
telegraphed for, and then taken the bill
to the Chicago Board of Trade and told
them what 1 had done and that the depart
ment had no money. That's all right, they
would say; if Mother Bickerdyke wants
care of the bill And they did
II began my letter to her yesterday; .
Mrs. Livermore went on, My dear old
Friend and Comrade.' l knew that would
please her. when she was in Washington
a few years ago she said she wanted TO
come on to Boston to see her old 'Comrade,
Mary Livermore.' She came. That was the
time when, because she had telegrapSsd
she was to reach my home al a. M, got
up myself to superintend breakfast, so as
to please her, and she didn't come we
waited all day, but neither for dinner nor
tea did she appear. Finally, after III O'CLOCK
as we were going to bed, the bell rang and
some one asked Does Mary Lvermore live
here?' 1t was she, and as she lay, tired
out on a sofa, while some supper was being
got ready, l found that she had spent the
whole day at the Police Court, House OF
Correction, and similar places in Boston
searching after one of her boys who had
gone wrong She then lived in San Francis
Co and his family also lived there.
II said in despair, Mother Blckerdyhe,
haven't you got through with such work
yet? You are too old 20 be running around
so now. Why will you do it?
"She sprang up from the couch, ana,
standing in. the middle OF the moor, cried
Because Mary LVermore, l am commits
stoned by the Lord God Almighty to help
every poor, desolate, wretched man whom
I can He win always have two friends,
God and me-
''she finally located her boy in the
Concord Reformatory. She got him out,
besieged railroad offices until She got him
made him good man and kept him as
long as he lived.
II haven't seen her since. | wish / could
see her now. l had a letter only a little
while ago from the ladies of Kansas say
ing thexe was plan on foot 10 have her