The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1844-09-04
The First fur HAT.
Correspondence of the Ohio Statesman
ANECDOTE OF JAMES K. POLK.
NASHVILLE, June 20, lS43.

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NASHVILLE, June co. lS43.
Dear Sir:-Thirty-six years ago, the father of
James X. Polk, having emigrated to the fertile
valley of Duck river, which had Just then been
acquired to the Chickasaws, was followed by en-
igrants from the East until there was a consd-
cradle neighborhood i'll the forest. Each emf
grant raised cotton enough for his own consump-
ton; but there was no cotton gin in this section
of the country, and it was with great difficulty
that it could be manufactured. At their unan-
nous request, the father of Mr.. Polk erected
cotton gin, and entrusted it TO the management
of his son, James K, whose duty it became to
devote every Saturday to ginning the cotton of
the neghbors taking given small quantity Of
the contents of each bag for the service. He
was the regular ginner of the establishment for
years, always attending it in person. About this
time halter settled in the neighborhood, and
gave notice thathe would make fur hat IA luxury
by the way, in which very few of the pioneer
boys felt able to ndulge) for any person who
would furnish him with coon or for skins enough
to make tlro. Young Polk was so constantly en-
Igaged for five days of the week IN working on the
farm, going to mill, and attending the village
school, and in ginning cotton for neighbors on
the sixth, that he had no leisure to devote TO the
ways and means of obtaining the requisite num-
Der of skins; so he applied to his father for the
means to procure him fur hat His father re-
piled that he must earn the means himself, and
gave him the privilege Of appropriating for that
purpose all the avails of the gin on the next Sat
urday The first man that came to the gin on
that day with his bag of cotton was approached
with an offer TO gin his cotton for two coon skins;
but having none the toll was extracted as usual.
Another and another came; but coonskins being
a species of ready change with the pioneers, they
would not be given instead of the small quantity
of cotton deducted as toll. AT length a man
came who was followed by dog that was known
to be expert at catching coons, when young Polk
proposed to gin his bags fhe would give him that
dog. The man accepted the propostion-the
cotton was ginned and repacked upon his horses
and the coon dog delivered to the young gnner
who was all the while delighted with the idea
that he had at length found the means of raising
the fur hat, and fancying to himselfhow fortunate
he would now be, after the labors of the day
were over, in salyng out into the forest with his
dog at night TO tree, catch and skin coons for the
halter He took the dog from the hands of the
settler, and placmga trace chain round his neck
tied him to saphng, and resumed the dulles OF
the gin. Before the settler had gone two hun,
dred yards on his way home, he gave shr
whistle, when the dog, springing towards his old
master, loosened the chain from the sapling, and
bounded off with it dangling at his side, Young
Polk took after him on the run, and followed hin
for more than mile; but finding it impossible
to overtake the dog and his deceitful master, gave
up the chase and returned TO his gin. "Wel
James," (said a man who was in waiting for hi,
lservices,) "did you recover your dog2" "No
sir" said the boy, Shut recovered my trace
, chain" Bafled in every attempt TO earn the re
quisite number OF, skins to procure hat by The
service of the cotton gin, he was compelled to re
sort TO other measures He resolved therefore
to attemptto kill them, which resolve he adher
ed 10 perseveringly, until he had taken sixteel
and having skinned them with his own hand, hc
carried them to the hatteI, who reserved to him
self one half the number for manufacturing the
other half into the first fur hat that ever gracet
the head Of Gov. James X. Polk, the Democrat,
4 Republican nominee for the Presidency Of tho
/, United States. ~ se
An honest mans the noblest work Of God.