The Virginia enterprise., 1898-08-12

! ] { ! ! : ] ! ] 4: ]; ].
horse. George p.
49, U Floyd, who was
S3 familiar with this
81 ~ side of the Gener-
W. ais character, has
written an article
-\N-A- on the subject in
~ the American Cul-
- NJ tIvator. He de-
clares that Grant lost all his reticence
and coldness of manner in the presence
OF good horse; the hinges of his
tongue were losened, and he became
eloquent, and even gesticulated, almost
like a Frenchman. The late Colonel
Peyton, who has written a book Of rem
iniscences, tells In that volume the
story Of his first meeting with Grant.
It was in 1888, when Peyton, as a boy,
was working in store at Flat Rock,
KY, and Ulysses Grant, then 16 years
old, lived at Georgetown, Ohio, not
many miles distant. - -.
ulysses, who, according to Peyton,
was then awkward, ungainly, deter
mined, Industrious and very poorly
dressed" drove over to Flat Rock on
an errand. He had to stay all night,
and slept at the store with young Pey-
ton. 1t was very cold, and the boys
kept close to the lee of the counter"
In the morning Grant asked Peyton If
he could help him. Peyton said '''Yes,"
and Grant helped sweep out the store,
take down the shutters, and put the
stock in place. - ..-. t,.
After breakfast young Grant drove
OF; but his horse was a vicious one,
and he had not gone far before 1t ran
away, and brought up in a fence corner.
Fortunately no damage was done.
Grant jumped out, seized the trembling
horse by the bit, and tied his handker
chief over it's eyes. Then he drove the
horse blindfolded all the way to George
town.
But at 16 Grant was an old horseman.
BE. began his driving at Z, when, Mr..
Floyd says, he hitched an unbroken
colt to a sled, in the absence of his
father, and hauled brush all day. At 10
years Of age he drove spirited pair of
horses alone from Georgetown to Gin
cinnah, forty miles,.
The familiar story, told of so many
famous people, of blundering bargain
ing, Is told also-and very likely with
huth-of Grant as boy. Ulysses
father, it is said, had offered a neigh
bor twenty dollars for colt, but the
neighbor wanted twenty-five. Finally
Grant sent his boy for the colt, with in
strnctions to get him for less If posi-
Die, but If necessary to pay the twenty
hYe dollars. When he arrived at the
neighbours Ulysses was asked how
much his father had told him to pay for
the colt.
Father said," replied Ulysses, "for
me to offer you twenty dollars, and If
that did not get the colt to offer you
twenty-five and a half, and if that did
not fetch him to give you twenty-five"
It is not necessary to say how much
he paid for the colt. = >5.sss.:. :.
At West Point Grant was the best
horseman among the cadets. he rode
horse named York, known to be the
most ungovernable animal at the acad-
emy. With this horse Grant made q
leap over five bars, the topmost about
SIX feet from the ground. He was also
an adept in changing the gait of horse
from q trot to a pace, and back again
then a rare accomplishment.
Then, as always, Grant was peculiar
ly successful in breaking intractable
horses through the exercise of his quiet
and gentle disposition, coupled with a
remarkable degree of firmness.
Such rider would naturally have
preferred to go into the cavalry on his
graduation from West Point, but his
scholarship was low, and, as is COM
monty the case with such cadets, he
was assigned to the infantry.
General Grants blographers would
ind 1t impossible to deny, if they wish
ed to do so, that he was, in his later
years, fond of fast trotting; but he can
not be accused of encoura ging any rae
Ing Of a demoralizing character, nor of
any Speeding which involved the
slightest cruelty. He liked to drive,
even during his Presidency, in his mo-
ments Of relaxation, team of horses
that could ''go." Mr.. Floyd tells an
amusing story in this connection.
On the road from Long Branch to Ea
tontown, n. j., in June, 1869, Mr.. Floyd
was driving an old staSer named Sorrel
Dan, who could 60 his mile in two min
utes Observation-Disclosures. While he
was jogging along, team Of chestnuts,
hltched to light road wagon and
driven by a sedate-looking man, came
up and attempted to go by. Sorrel Dan
was unwilling to be passed, and Mr..
Floyd allowed him to 60. Nevertheless,
the chestnuts went past. r. -;
After the two drivers had slowed up,
and were walking along the road, Mr..
Floyd looked at the chestnuts a great
deal more closely than he did at the
driver. ~. *..ses.. :a*.s., -, :
That's good team you have there"
Floyd said. '"rhey look like the Cold
dust breed" =.s....s 81 ~
$50 they are, and think they go very
well" said the man. '''They belong to
Mr.. Lew Pettee, Of New York, and he
lent them to me for drive"
"You handle double team to perfec-
tion," Mr.. Floyd went on. You must
have had good deal Of experience - i
II have driven good deal when not
engaged In the army"
"Oh, then you were soldier? Which
side were you on n .s-.s . .s.. 4.