Evening journal., 1911-09-04
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
An Incident Of Grants Last
Illness
BY Holland.

The last official act OF President Ar
thur was the signing of the bill on
March 4, 1885. by which General Grant
was restored to the retired list OF the
regular army with the rank Of general
and with full pay. This made 1t pos
sible for General Grant, then in his
last illness, to rely upon an income Of
about ten thousand dollars a year, and
that WAS all the income he could look
forward to with assurance, for at that
time there was no certainty that he
would be able to finish his personal
memoirs for publication.
About a month later General Grant
suffered from the first of several Sc
we're relapses, each one of which, II
was feared, would terminate his life.
He was prostrated by the agonizing
pain, and though by sheer force Of will
he maintained outwardly a wonderful
mental composure and moral courage,
those about him believed that they de-
tected evidences that the sufferers
stout heart failed him for a time.
Just at this time the mornings
mail one day brought him a letter from
Washington With feeble hands, and
yet with somewhat eager eyes. lie
opened the letter II was found TO
N1hAHiA a. AnANfH oifAAlc AhH''N
for the amount of the first months
payment under the act restoring him
to the army on the retired list as gem
eral with full pay. The amount was
approximately one thousand dollars.
Summoning his friend of many years
Ex-Governor Chaffee of Colorado, to
his side, General Grant pointed to the
draft Then he wrote on the pad Of
paper that he kept at his elbow:
II wish you would take this draft
TO a banker friend Of mine" naming
him. Il know he viii cash 1t. And
when he has done so | wish you would
bring the money to me as soon as pos
sible"
General Chaffee took the draft, say
/ Ing that he would get It cashed I'M
mediately. General Grant smiled up
at him In thanks, and then once more
wrote on the pad:
II am sure that my friend will cash
the draft, although | have never had
any banking dealings with him. Tell
him | want it in bills of small denomi-
nations. We need the money In the
house, and first Of all | want to pay
the servants what we owe them, for
they have been very kind and patient"
When Governor Chaffee appeared be-
fore the banker a little latter and eX-
/ planned his mission, he was barely able
TO restrain his tears "It was the most
pathetic sight / have ever seen,' he
said. There that great man sat, SUI
fering intense agony. and yet his first
thought despite his pain. was for 9th
ers. his servants And it was all the
more pathetic to me because I have
known all along that he has been hard
pressed for ready money; but his
sense of honor is so keen, and until
now he felt so small ah assurance that
he would be able 20 repay any debt
that It was useless for me to ask him
to accept a loan however small"
The banker gladly cashed the drafi
in the manner General Grant had re-
quested. and Governor Chaffee hurried
away Later he reported to the banker
when l placed the money in tn
FL Generals hands, he looked freer fron
care and worry than he had for weeks
He smiled his thanks to me, and h
wrote on his pad that I should than
You most heartily for your kindness
Then he took from the money a sui
fcient amount TO pay the servant
what had been owing them for som
time and directed that it be distribute
among them at once. That act wa
characteristic of the man-it showed
in a small way, the real nobility of hi
character"
Greatly to his peace of mind, Gen
eral Grant little later received assuI
ances that, in addition to the pensio
which Mrs. Grant as his widow, woul
receive under the act restoring him
the retired list Of the army, his pei
sonal memoirs would bring so large
sum to Mrs Grant that the incom
from It would make her comfortabl
for life.
Copyright. 1911 by e. J Edwards. A
rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will te