The laconic Grant had his first experience of Johnson’s long-winded style. As they stood together before the St. Cloud Hotel, Johnson delivered a lengthy welcome speech while Grant, by his own admission, stood “in torture . . . fearing something would be expected from me in response. I was relieved, however, the people assembled having apparently heard enough.”111 Grant charmed the throng by admitting he had “never made a speech in his life, and was too old to learn now.”
