The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-05-30

ed around the off hind foot of Cincinnatus, and
Grant dismounted and UNFINISHED it, examining
the leg in a leisurely and deliberate manner, not
withstanding the protests of his companion.
Then, having mounted again, he said: Dent,
when you have got a horse you think a good
deal of, you should never take any chances with
him. If that wire had been left there a little
longer, the animal would have gone dead lame,
and he might perhaps have been ruined for life"
To which Dent replied: II am your brother-in-
law, and want no favors on that account, but I
shall insist upon looking after your personal
safety, and If you are hurt l will try to do better
by you than you did by me in Mexico"
This was an allusion to a happening during the
Mexican war, when Dent, having been wounded,
was picked up by Grant and laid for safety upon
a fat-topped wall, the idea being that Grant
should come back for him later. Unfortunately,
Dent rolled Off the wall and broke two or three
ribs. being much worse hurt thereby than by the
shot that had hit him.
During the siege of Richmond, 1t is related,
Grant was making an inspection of the docks at
City Point, and stopped to look at a couple OF
negroes who were trying to roll a barrel of bacon
aboard a boat. They we're unable to move 1t.
and a young lieutenant, standing by, said:
Push harder, you niggers, or go get another
man to help you"
The commanderin-chief of the armies of the
United States thereupon rolled up his sleeves and
helped roll the barrel aboard the boat, wiped his
hands on his handkerchief, and walked away. It
was not until later that the lieutenant, to his
great modification, learned who the man was.
Abraham Lincoln once remarked: Grant Ia
the first general I've had, I'll tell you what /
mean. You know how it's been with all the rest
AS soon as 1 put a man In command Of the army
he'd come to me with the plan of a campaign,
and about as much as say, I don't believe j
can do it, but if you say so I'll try it on'-and SO
put the responsibility of failure or success upon
me. They all wanted me to be the general.
Now, It isn't so with Grant. He hasn't told me
what his plans are. l don't know, and I don't
want to know. I am glad to find a man who can
go ahead without me-"
A senator's son in one of the departments in
Washington drank hard and was discharged. His
friends gave him up as hopeless, and he came
pretty near to the gutter, Then he reformed, and
struggled hard for years to support his family.
President Grant heard about the case, and sent
for him. He said: Il want to help you. What
can l do for your"
az want work." replied the young man.
you shall have it. Where would you prefer
to go-in new scenes or old?"
Send me, sir, where l left a blackened record.
l could be useful in my former position"
Grant gave him a note to the secretary of the
department, asking that the young man be rein
stated. But soon he came back, saying; THE
secretary sent out word that my application
would go on file" Whereupon the president, with
some show of anger, remarked: you can't put
your wife and children on file, can you?" and
gave him another note, saying; present this IN
person, and bring me an answer" The answer,
duly returned, was mo vacancies" Grant wrote
In red ink across the face OF the note: Make a
vacancy, or l will" But, strange to say, even
this did not accomplish any result
No further notes were exchanged, but on the
next day, after the cabinet meeting. the president
tapped the secretary on the shoulder, and said 10
him: Whom would you recommend as your
successor"
The secretary, having no alternative, wrote his
resignation. AS for the young man, 1t is relatsd
that he made good" and rose to a position Of
honor and dignity in the world.