The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1914-05-28

- - ~ been so eXhaustVely written
about as the great emancipation,
but in the American Walhalla a niche near to
his proclaims the fame of the warrior to whom
Lee surrendered.
Rarely does it happen that who
recognition a total failure in life afterward
achieves exalted success. This was exactly what
happened however, to Ulysses s. Grant who not
only struggled through many years of grinding
and almost hopeless poverty but actually fell into
such disesteem on account of his inability to
make good at anything, that people generally
were disposed to look upon him as an undesirable
person to employ
There are people still living in st. Louis who
remember Grant a shabby little man who
brought loads of cordwood into town and sold it
from door to door He had been captain in the
army, but had resigned, and at the period in
question he lived on a farm some distance out of
st. Louis, the Gravois road.
But, III order to make it clear how this state of
affairs came about, one must go back few steps
in fact, to the boyhood of Grant, who was born
at Point Pleasant, Ohio April q, 1922 His name
was Ulysses Hiram. His mothed used jokingly
TO say to him: BE sure you don't become
less" Not much is known about his early youth,
except that at eight years of age he could ride
horseback standing foot. He had remark
able skill with horses and story is told of his
volunteering to Desirable, at a circus an unman-
ageable pony which nobody else dared tackle. At
the bidding of the ringmaster a large monkey
Jumped up behind him on the horse, and thence
upon his shoulders holding on to his hair but
he hung on like grim death, unperturbed
Another anecdote has to do with horse which
his father sent him to buy. How much did your
father tell you to pay for it," asked the owner
of the animal HE tod me-" replied the boy, TO
offer you $50 and If you would not take that to
make it $50 or even SEQ, If necessary"
Naturally, the man said that the price Of the
horse was sec Whsreupon the lad added: But
have made rp my mind not to pay you more
than $50; and you take that nothing"
He got the horse for $50.
1t so happened that General Hamer the mem
Der of congress from that district, friend
Of Grants father and he took the trouble to
obtain for Ulysses appointment at West Point.
In sending in the requisite papers, he mixed up
the name of Ulysses with that OF his brother
Simpson, so that young Grant found himself put
down the roster of cadets as U. S. Grant. This
accident earned for him at the Point the nick.
name Of Uncle Sam'-afterward abbreviated to
Sam" by which title of intimacy he was known
for many years after he left the military academy.
He is described at this period of his career as
an understood, awkward youth, much frecked,
with high spirits, and very careless about his
dress Many Of his feow-cadets, who prded
themselves upon birth and breeding, manifested
an inclination to look down upon him. because he
was only tanners son. While at the Point he
himself chiefly by his horseman-
snip, ana one leap tnaI ne maze on horseback
Is sad to remain to this day an unequaled record
At the academy.
Scarce was young Grant graduated from West
Point when he fell In love with girl named
Dent the daughter Of man who owned consid-
cradle farming property on the Gravois road not
lar from ST. Louis Her father did not approve
Of the match but her mother favored It, and the
lpshot of it was that they became engaged. Then
he Mexican broke out in which Grant fought
with credit and at the termination of the conflict
he went back to st. Louis and married the young
ady
Six years later in 1854, he resigned from the
army, and with this separation from the military
service began long struggle against poverty.
he was unable to hold to any sort of employ
nent, and finally, to help him out, his father-in-
aw offered to give him 40 acres of the Dent farm,
On the condition that he would clear the timber
off of it, This task he undertook, incidentally
building log house of four rooms, in which he
lived with his wife and children.
1t was at this time that he made a meager liv-
ng by hauling wood to town and selling it on
he streets. Usually he dressed In
,ut private soldiers uniform. But it is a matter
Of record that he never lost his cheerfulness
hough everything he tried seemed foredoomed to
allure He was defeated in his candidacy for
alter application for appointment county engi-
1eer was turned down with the simple ndorse-
nent Rejected"
At length he decided to abandon his little farm
which he had called by the appropriate name OF
and moved with his family to ST.
Louis There he tried the real estate business,
but as usual failed at II. AS commonly happens
when a man is persistenty unsuccessful. friends