The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-05-29

about the great emancipation,
but in the American Walhalla a niche near to
his proclams the fame of the warrior TO whom
Lee surrendered.
Rarely does II happen that a man who earns
recognition as 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
we're disposed to look upon him as an undesirable
person to employ.
There are people still living In ST. Louis who
remember Grant as shabby little man who
brought loads of cordwood into town and sold 1t
from door to door He had been a captain in the
army, but had resigned and at the period in
question he lived on a farm some distance out OF
st. Louis, on the Gravos road.
But IN order to make 1t 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 27. 1929. His name
Ulysses Hiram. His mothed used jokingly
to say to 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 one foot He had remark
able skill with horses, and a story is told OF his
volunteering to Desirable, at 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. ito
offer you $50 and If you would not take that to
make it S55 or even $50, II necessary"
Naturally, the said that the price OF the
horse was $50 Whereupon the lad added But
] have made Up my mind not to pay you more
fhop and faxa fbat nr
He got the horse for $50
1t so happened that General Hamer. the mem
Der of congress from that district. was a friend
ef 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 that young Grant found himself put
down on 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 undersized awkward youth, much freckled.
with high spirits. and very careless about his
dress. Many of his fellow-cadets, who prided
themselves upon birth and breeding. manifested
an inclination TO look down upon him, because he
was only tanners son. While at the Point he
distinguished himself chiefly by his horseman-
ship. and leap that he made on horseback
is said 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 a girl named
Dent, the daughter OF a man who owned consid-
erable farming property the Gravois road. not
far from St Louis. Her father did not approve
of the match. but her mother favored II, and the
upshot OF Il was that they became engaged Then
the Mexican war broke out in which Grant fought
with credit and at the termination OF the conflict
he went back 10 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 a long struggle against poverty
He was unable TO hold on TO any sort OF employ
ment and finally 70 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 H. This task he undertook, incidentally
building log house OF four rooms. In which he
lived with his wife and children.
Il was at this time that he made meager Nv
ing by hauling wood TO town and selling IL on
the streets Usually he dressed In worn
out 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 was defeated in his candidacy for
the place OF surveyor OF St Louis county. and his
later application for appointment as county eng
neer was turned down with the simple indorse
ment Rejected"
Al length he decided TO abandon his little farm.
which he had called BY the appropriate name OF
rardscrahble and moved with bis family TO ST
Louis There he tried the real estate business,
hut. as usual failed at II. AS commonly happens
when a man 10 persistently unsnccsssful. friends