The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-05-30
NOW HORSE ASYLUM
Historic Dent Farm Made Haven
for Tired City Animals.
Was Owned by Father-ln-Law of Gen.
Grant and Is place Where He as
Young Lieutenant, Did
His Counting.

| st. Louis.-The historic Dent farm,
, just outside st. louis, where Ulysses
| s. Grant, then young heuttnant at
| Jefferson barracks, went acourtin, and
| where he wooed and won Miss julia
Dent, a daughter of the farms owner,
| has been turned into retreat for
| tired horses. 1t is an old-fashioned.
down south befo the wa" sort of
place, and the 80 horses that have
worked hard and faithfully for the city
of st. Louis are now luxuriating in
riotous ease out In the 40-acre field,
with it's long sweep of wooded valley,
through which young Grant and Miss
Dent used to canter on their hand
some. high-spirited thoroughbreds.
There is ample shed and barn room
to afford protection against winter
blasts, to say nothing of the barns
bullying with hay and grain
The farm was owned by Col. Fred
erick Dent, father-in-law of President
u. s. Grant. Up to the very day of
the emancipation act Col Dent owned
slaves, but the time came when the
old colonel called himself Grant
man, and he died In the White House,
guest of his ilustrious sonin-law,
during Grants second administration.
It was in 1891 that Col Fred Dent
came into possession OF this farm.
There is still standing on II Is a block.
house, constructed with portfolios,
used for the purpose. doubtless of
resisting Indian attacks. The building
was constructed originally OF stone
and logs, but ii is now weather
boarded.
The farm itself Is about four miles
south of the city and about eight
miles west of Jefferson barracks.
Grant and Fred Dent, Jr., afterward
Gen. Dent, had been roommates and
classmates at the United States Mill
tary academy, and when Grant went
to Jefferson barracks young Dent
made him promise to call on his
folks. So one day Ulysses rode over
to the l,200-acre farm, where warm
welcome awaited him. He met the
three other Dent boys and three of
the Dent girls
Miss Julia happened to be up in /
the city, and young Grant was destined
to make several calls before he finally
met the young woman who was to
play so important part In his future
life. And then, us Grant himself al
ways frankly confessed, ut was love
at first sight" After that meeting
there was no longer any doubt In the
minds Of any one regarding the young
lieutenant's choice. And as the par
ents watched him ride away they |
both were agreed that some day the |
young man would be heard from.
Just before the outbreak of the |
Mexican war. when his regiment was
ordered south into Louisiana, Grant |
came galloping over the fields to the
Dent place to ask the question that no /
one but Julia Dent could answer. The
dnlSltless young woOer had added |
nothing to his personal charm by hav-
ing to ford the swelling creek In the |
teeth of a tempestuous storm Of rain
and wind, but this in no way detracted |
from his words in the eyes of the
young woman he had come to WOO.
After resigning from the army,
Capt. Grant, as his rank then rated,
erected a small dwelling made of
logs on the land owned by hts wife,
which they continued to make their
home until the needs of his country
again demanded his service. 1t is
tiiis land that Street Commissioner
Travilla of st. Louis has turned into
retreat for tired horses.