The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-10-06
WHERE GRANT WAS a BOY.


hood days of Cen Ulysses S. Grant
1t is one of those well-kept, county
seat towns so situated as not to bs
too far away to feel the pulse beat:
of the great world beyond, and moi
near enough to absorb too much oi
the hurry and hustle of this nervous,
excitable, strenuous age. The town
is progressive enough to keep itseli
well groomed, and lazy and sleepy
enough to be reminiscent.
The first man you meet after get
ting off the car tells you that this was
the home of Grant the second one
proceeds to show you the scenes OF
the youthful activities of the future
leader of the American army. Half
a dozen people will tell you that their
families are connected with the Grant
family by the ties of relationship.
The court house, in the center of
the public square. with its decided
colonial architecture, breathes the
spirit of the Old Dominion and we are
reminded that we are in the Virginia
Military Reservation.
A stranger carrying a kodak in a
village the size of Georgetown at
tracts immediate attention. His mis-
sion is quickly guessed. A score of
persons will volunteer information
and the "oldest citizen" stands ready
to tell you all the lore and legend of
the community.
The school-house at which Grant
attended school is still standing. A
negro family now occupies the build
ing, which is much the worse for the
wear of time and the elic-hunter. A
board sign on the building tells you
not to carry away any of the bricks,
and adds that ice cream and pop are
for sale within.
Only few minutes walk and you
stand before substantial brick dwell
ing which was the boyhood home of
our hero. Across the street still
stands the building in which Grant
learned the trade of tanner, and in
which he became so proficient that
be carried his adeptness into his mill
tary life. Tanning" seemed to be
his forte.
Then, toe, the visitor must see the
residence of Congressman Hamer, the
man who put Grant into West Point
after another candidate had failed to
pass the very elementary entrance
examination.
One of the points about Grant
which the average Georgetownian
wants to make plain is that Grant was
not stupid" T" as has often been said
of him. The things said and done
which are attributed to Grant would
be indicative of anything but a dull
mind.
For instance, when one day he and
some of his companions were swim
ming in the creek near town, Grant
hurried out of the water and hastily
donning his abbreviated summer at
tire, grabbed the clothing of the
others and started for town. There
was a rush from the water, and a
warmly contested foot race imme-
diately ensued. The race was not
completed until the youthful Grant
had led the bathers through the viii
lage streets, greatly to the amaze
ment of the citizens.
A story that was verified by the
father of Grant, is to the effect that,
when the boy was only about seven
years of age he harnessed and hitched
a three year-old colt to a sled and
went out into the woods and brought
in load of bark and chips.
His passion for horses was the most
prominent feature of his boyhood
days. 1t is told of him that he could
break trotting horse to pace without
any apparent difficulty. So skillful
did he become in the management of
horses that when a circus came to
town and the Snowman offered sum
of money to the one who would ride
the trick mule" Ulysses accepted
the banter, kept his seat on the mule.
and walked away with the money,
much to the admiration of the audi
ence, the wonder of the Snowman.
and, no doubt, the surprise of the
mule.
That the "boy is father to the man"
is vindicated in the life of Grant. The
one great element that made for sue
cess in his career was also the most
salient characteristic of his boyhood.
He was not precocious as boy nor
brilliant as a man ; he was plodder
he often erred, but he never turned
back; he stuck to it; he himself tells
US in his memoirs that often, in his
younger days, when riding across the
country, if he happened to take the
wrong road he would not turn about
upon discovering his mistake, but
would proceed oy circuitous route
and approach the town from another
direction that people might not see
his error.
The case is para!leled IN the battle
of Pittsburg Landing. Grants con-
fidence in himself. born at Fort Dom
elson, had carried him too far. He
had not taken proper precautions for
an attack. When his Sunday morn
ing slumbers were disturbed by the
roar of artillery he FASTENED by
steamer to the scene of battle and he
found his troops giving way. There
was little for him to do except to keep
up courage, and this he did. He
allowed no sign of uneasiness to es-
cape him. His men were being beaten
back steadily from place to place, yet
his army of 90. 900, broken into frag-
ments, driven piecemeal, dwindled to