The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1914-05-30

g - ~ been exhaustvely written
about the great emancipator,
but in the American Waihalla a niche to
his procaims the fame of the warrior to whom
Lee surrendered
Rarely does 1t happen that man who earns
recognition total failure in life afterward
achieves exalted success This 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 account Of his inability to
make good at anything, that people generally
were disposed 10 look upon him undesirable
person to employ
There are people st living in St Louis who
remember Grant shabby little who
brought loads OF cordwood into town and sold il
from door to door. He had been captain in the
army, but had resigned, and the period in
question he lived on a farm some distance out OF
St Louis. on 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 born
At Point Pleasant, Ohio. April 81, 1922. His name
Ulysses Hiram His mothed used jokingly
to say him; BE sure you don't become use
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 stcry is told OF his
volunteering to Desirable. at a circus an unman-
Rseahle pony which nobody else dared tackle, At
the bidding OF the ringmaster a large monkey
Jumped up behind him the horse. and thence
upon his shoulders, holaing on 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 told me" replied the boy. TO
offer you $50. and If you would take that to
make it $55 or even $50, II necessary"
Naturally. the man said that the price of the
horse was $50 Wtereupon the lad added: But
! have made Up my mind pay you
"a ake that pr
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 OF Ulysses with that of his brother
Simpson that young Grant found himself put
down the roster OF cadets L. 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 known
for many years after he left the military academy.
He is described at this period OF his career
understood, awkward youth. much freckled.
with high spirits and very careless about his
dress. Many OF his tellow-cadets. who prded
themselves upon birth and breeding manifested
an inclination 10 look down upon him, because he
only tanners While at the Point he
distinguished himself chiefly by his horseman-
ship and leap that he made horseback
is said to remain to this day unequaled record
Scarce young Grant graduated from West
Point when be fell in love with girl named
Dent, the daughter OF a who owned consd-
cradle farming property the Gravos road. not
far from St Louis. Her father did not approve
of the match but her mother favored 1t. and the
upshot OF 1t that they became engaged Then
the Mexican broke out in which Grant fought
with credit, and at the termination of the conflict
he back to ST Louis and married the young
lady
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 any sort of employ
ment. and finally, to help him out. his father-in-
Law offered to give him 40 acres of the Dent farm,
on the condition that he would clear the timber
of OF It. This task he undertook. incidentally
building log house OF four rooms. in which he
lived with his wife and children,
1t this time that he made meager liv
ing by hauling wood to town and selling 1t on
the streets. Usually he dressed in worn
private soldiers uniform. But ii is a matter
of record that he never lost his cheerfulness.
though everything he tried seemed foredoomed to
failure. He defeated in his candidacy for
the place OF surveyor OF St Louis county. and his
later application for appointment, county engt-
neer was turned down with the simple indorse-
ment Rejected"
At length he decided to abandon his little farm.
which he had called by the appropriate name OF
Hardscrabble and moved with his family to St.
Louis There he tried the real estate business.
but as usual failed at 1t. AS commonly happens
when a man 10 persistently unsuccessful friends