The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-13
GRANT AT THE MESS TABLE.
He Ate Very Little Meat, but was
Fond of Fruit.

Gen. Horace Porter gives many inumate
and familiar pictures OF Gen. Grant In MS
series of articles. Campaigning with
Grant" now running in the Century In
the April number he says OF Gen. Grant
at the mess table:
About the only meat he enjoyed was
beef and this he could not eat unless II
was 50 thoroughly well done that no ap-
pearance OF blood could be seen. IL blood
appeared In any meat which came on the
table tho sight OF IL seemed entirety 10
destroy his appetite. CThis was the man
whose enemies delighted IN calling
hutcher) He enjoyed oysters and rruit.
but these could not be procured on an
active campaign. He never ate mutton
when he could obtain anything else. and
fowl and game he abhorred. As he used
TO express IL: IT never could eat any
thing that goes on two legs" Evidently
he could never have been converted TO
cannibalism. He did not miss much by
declining to eat the chickens which were
picked up on campaign, for they were
usually tough enough TO create the sus-
picion that they had been Matched from
hard-boiled eggs and were so impenetra-
bic that an officer said of one OF them that
he could not even stick his fork through
the gravy. The general was fonder OF GU
cumbers than OF anything else, and often
made his entire meal upon a sliced Gu
cumber and a cup Of coffee. He always
enjoyed corn pork and beans. and buck
wheat cakes. In fact. he seemed to be
particularly fond OF only the most indi-
gestible dishes
When any fruit could be procured IL was
placed on the table by way of helping 10
ornament il, and afterward used as des-
sert. Between the courses Of the dinner
the general would often reach over to the
dish of fruit and pick out a berry or a
cherry and eat Ii slowly. He used TO do
this in sly way. like child helping it
self to some forbidden dish at the table.
and afraid of being caught in the act. He
said one day: II suppose l ought not TO
eat course out of its turn. but | take the
greatest delight In picking out bits OF
fruit and eating them during a meal One
of the reasons / do not enjoy dining out
as much as do at home is because I am
compelled to sit through a long list of
courses, few of which | eat, and TO resist
the constant temptation TO taste a little
fruit in the meanwhile TO help pass away
the time" Napoleon was famous for eat
ing out OF the various dishes before him
with his fingers. Gen Grants use of the
fingers never went beyond picking out
small fruits He was always refined In his
manners at table, and no matter how
great was the hurry, or what were the
circumstances OF the occasion, he never
NlOtalSu tno requirements OF true pOille-
ness.
He ate less than any man in the army:
sometimes the amount OF food taken did
not seem enough to keep a bird alive, and
his meals were frugal enough to satisfy
the tastes ofthe most avowed anchorite.
IL so happened that no one in the mess
had any inclination TO drink wine or spir-
its at meals, and none were carried among
the mess supplies. The only beverage
81 - 49, a
was water. although on the march Il was
often taken from places which rendered
it not the most palatable or healthful OF
drinks If a staff officer wanted anything
stronger he would carry some commissary
whisky in canteen. Upon a few occa-
sions. after hard days ride in stormy
weather. the general Joined the officers OF
the staff in taking a whisky teddy in the
evening. He never offered liquor OF any
kind 10 visitors at headquarters. His hos
pitality consisted In inviting them to
meals and TO smoke cigars.