The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-06-21
-. G. o Nj Nj e n T S ..

Through the by-streets of ST. Louis day in
800 lurched farm full of cordwood The
driver stOcky, bearded man clad III shabby
boots aud trousers and patched blue military
blouse. There was nothing dramatic or interesting
about the thick-s fellow under the dusty SLOUGH
hat. He attracted attention as he went stolidly
about his business of delivering frewood to custom
ers He silent and and made few friends
Still fewer people gave him second glance One
two passers- by, who hailed from the coun-
try town himself. could have told you he was the
complete all around failure they had metz
parsons to failures in life who came back" and
which continues this interesting subject as follows
They could have sized up his life-story in a
handful of words by saying he was Ulysses S.
Grant, who had once been an oficer in the United
States army; VINO had failed of rapid promotion
there; who had next failed as farmer; who had
gone into business in small way ard had failed
still more lamentably at that; who now trying
support his wife and children by doing odd jobs
for a relalive-and making mighty poor living at
it at that. Altogether from his appearance and his
friends reports Grant would perhaps have been the
last man whom amateur fortune teller would
have picked out candidate for future success
He a down-at heel middle aged Failure No
more. less. Yet bare nine years later he was
president of the United States And during that
nine years he was destined to become the most ia
nous living NAB of his time.
Grant had begun life as an Ohio tanners son.
He had gone to West Point (irst changing his name
from Hiram Ulysses Grant to Ulysses Simpson
Grant), had done fairly well at the military acade-
my and had later served with conspicuous bravery
in the Mexican war;
But he found no hope of advancement in the
army, he resigned his commission Then things
went steadily from bad to worse Every one of
his enterprises failed Presently he was dead broke
and had to fall back on his father for help Nor
did this do much help him out of the rut of fail
At 80 he seemed to have lost every chance
for
Then in 1861 the Civil War began Grant
at once wrote to the department. Offering bis
services veteran officer, to the Union army.
That letter has never yet been answered AS with
Won Hlndenbure, he coldly ignored Grant did
not sulk because of his governments inactivity He
set to work drilling militia company at Gaena ILL.,
And he re entered the army as volunteer officer.
Within very few months the war department was
to hear of him. Grant may have been wretchedlv
pad FARMER ana business man. but he had a genius
for war, as had many another man who had failed at
all other professions. And his genius gradually
raised him from rank to rank, up to the supreme
military command.
In that position ne smashed the Confederacv
and became popular Idol. His fellow-countrv-
mems hero-worsbip. four years later, swept him in
to the White House.
AT 80 Grant obscure failure At 10 he
president of the United States and crowned
with martial renown second only to George Wash
ington's."
1t is a thing of no difficulty to raise objections
against another mans oratinn,-nay, it is a very
easy matters but to produce better in it's place is