Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1914-05-28


CO - ~ been extensively written
about as the great emancipation
but In the American Walhalla a niche near to
his procaims the fame OF the warrior to whom
Lee surrendered
Rarely does 1t happen that who earns
recognition as 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 people still living in St Louis who
remember Grant as a shabby little who
brought loads of cordwood into town and sold IL
from door to door. He had been a captain in the
army, but had resigned, and at the period in
question he lived a farm some distance out of
st. Louis, on the Gravois road.
But. IN 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 81 1922. His name
Ulysses Hiram His mothed used iokingly
to say to him: BE sure you don't become use
ess" Not much is known about his early youth
except that at eight years of age he could rido
horseback standing foot. He had remark
able skill with horses and a stcry is told of his
volunteering to Desirable, at circus unman-
ageable pony which nobody else dared tackle. At
jumped up behind him on the horse. and thence
upon his shoulders. holding 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 told me-" replied the boy, TO
offer you $50. and If you would not take that to
make It $50 or even $50. II necessary"
Naturally, the man said that the price OF the
horse was sec Whereupon the lad added: But
have made up my mind not to pay you more
than $50, and you can take that or nothing"
He got the horse for $50.
It so happened that General Hamer, the men,
Der of congress from that district, was a 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 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 o. 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 as
an understood 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 a tanners son. While at the Point he
distinguished himself chiefly by his horseman
ship, and one 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 girl named
Dent, the daughter of a who owned consid-
cradle farming property on the Gravois road not
far from St. Louis. Her father did not approve
OF the match. but her mother favored it, and the
upshot of It 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 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 a long struggle against poverty.
He was unable to hold on &c 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 1t. This task he undertook, incidentally
building a log house of four rooms in which he
lived with his wife and children
II was at this time that he made a meager liv-
ing by hauling wood to town and selling 1t on
the streets. Usually he was dressed In worn
out private soldiers uniform But 1t is a matter
of record that he 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 county engi-
neer was turned down with the simple indorse-
ment Rejected"
At length he decided to abandon his little farm,
| which he mad 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 It. AS commonly happens
whom q man IL persistently unsuccessful. friends