Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-05-19

away, and bring home a load OF pas
sengers. His mother was sweet,
lovely woman, beloved by everybody,
and she agreed in her husbands eff.
forts to educate Ulysses and saw that
he was always well dressed and
ready for school. Ulysses, either on
account Of his superiority or because
Of his quietness, was always an OBJ
ject of ridicule among his mates; yet
he commanded respect. He kept
among the better class Of boys, never
swore or used vulgar words, or used
tobacco in his youth, or drank: and
he was the soul of honor.
At ten years of age he astonished
everybody by his ability to manage
horses. He liked farming; he saved
his money; and he was always will
ing to haul and plow. When he was
not busy otherwise he would haul pas
sengers to Ripley, to Maysville or to
Cincinnati When he was thirteen he
drove two lawyers to Toledo; when
his father was asked II he was not
afraid to trust his boy on such long
trip, he replied that he could take
care of himself. From eleven years
Of age until he was seventeen, he did
all the work done with horses, break
ing up the land, furrowing, blowing
corn and potatoes, bringing In the
crops when harvested, hauling all the
wood. besides tending two or three
horses. COW or two, saving wood for
stoves, while still attending scnool.
He was never scolded or punished by
his parents. No objection was made
to rational amusements, such as fish
Ing, going to the creek mile away
to swim in summer, taking horse to
visit his grandparents Is miles off, or
taking horse and sleigh when there
was snow on the ground. Ulysses got
his share Of punishment at school,
however; the teacher, John D. White,
used to compel the boys to bring in
switches in bundles from a beech
wood near the school house, and often
bunch would be used up in a day.
Ulysses was a good swimmer, could
play ball we'll, and could ride stand
ing on one foot on the back of a gal
Looping horse. The girls liked him; he
had team and sleigh to take them
riding. He was short, strong and
sturdy. His parents belonged to the
Methodist church and Ulysses was
trained to respect the Sabbath, and
his mothers religious spirit made a
deep impression upon him.
When he was sixteen his father
wished him to help in the tannery.
He told his father he disliked it, but
he would work for him till he was
twenty-one but not day more. His
father replied that If he did not mean
to stick to it he need not go into the
tannery now, and he asked what he
would like. The boy said he would
be farmer or a river trader or get
an education. So his father arranged
for him to go to Ripley O., to an acad-
envy there That winter be spent the
Christmas holidays at home, and dur
ing his vacation his father received a
letter from the United States senator
from Ohio When he had read the
letter he turned to Ulysses, saying:
ulysses, I believe you are going to
receive the appointment" What ap-
pointment?" the boy asked. ITO West
Point. have applied for it." But
won't co." Ulysses said. His father
replied, II think you will" And
Ulysses thought SO, too, If his father
did for his father expected obedience.
Ulysses had no objection to going ex-
cept that he had very exalted idea
of the requirements necessary to get
through and could not bear the idea
of failing. He had always desire to
travel, and to go to West Point would