The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-07-05
Correspondence of the Ohio Statesman.
ANE CDOTE OF JAMES K P o X
ITO be concluded ncrt reek.]

Correspondence of the Ohio Statesman.
ANECD DoTEoF JAMES X. POLK,
NASHVILLE, June 90, 1874.
Dear Thirty-six years ago the
father of James X. Polk, having emf
grated to the fertile valley Of of Duck
River, which had just then been acqir-
ed of the Chickasaws, was followed by
emigrants from the East, until there
was a considerable neighborhood in
the forest. Each emigrant raised Get
ton enough for his own consumption;
but there was no cotton gin in this sec
ton of the country, and it was with
great difficulty that it could be manu-
featured. At their unanimous request,
the father of Mr.. Polk erected cotton
gin, and entrusted it to the manage
ment of his son, James X, whose duty
it became to devote every Saturday to
ginning the cotton of the neighbors,
taking a given small quantity oft the con-
tents of each bag for the service. He
was the regular ginner of the establish
ment for years, attending it in person
About that time a halter settled in the
neighborhood, and give notice that he
would make a fur hat ia luxury by the
way in which very few Of the pioneer
boys felt able to indulge) for any per-
son who would furnish him coon or for
skins enough to make tDo. Young
Polk was so constantly engaged for
five days of the week in working on
the farm going to mill, and attending
the village school, and in ginning cot
ton for neighbors on the sixth, that he
had no leisure to devote to the ways
and means of obtaining the requisite
number of skins; so he applied to his
father for the means to procure him u
fur hat. His father replied that he
must c,trn the means himself; and gave
him the privilege, Of appropriating for
that purpose al the avails Of the gin on
the next Saturday. 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 ex-
tracted as usual. Another and anoth-
er cane; but coon skins being species
of ready change with the pioneers, they
would not be given instead ofthe small
quantity of cotton deducted as TOLL
At length a man came who was fol-
lowed by dog who was known to be
expert at catching coons, when young
Polk proposed TO gin his bags ifhe would
give him that dog. The man accept
ed the propostion-the cotton was
ginned and repacked upon his horses,
and the coon dog delivered to the young
ginner, who was all the while delight
ed with the idea that he had at length
found the means of raising the fur hat,
and fancying to himself how fortunate
he would now be, after the labors Of
the day were over, in sallying out into
the forest with his dog at night, to tree,
catch, and skin coons for the hatter.-
He took the dog from the hands of the
settler, and placing a trace chain round
his neck, tied him to sapling, and re-
sumed the duties Of The gin. Before
he had gone two hun dred yards on
his way home, he gave shril 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 HIM
for nearly nile; but finding it be impos-
sible to overtake the dog and his deceit
ful master, gave up the chase and re-
turned to his gin. "Well, James, said
man who was in waiting for his SER
vices, ssdid you recover your dogp-
mo SIR" said the boy, "but recovered
my trace chain" Baffied in every at
tempt to earn the requisite number OF
skins to procure hat by the service Of
the cotton gin, he was compelled to
resort to other measures. He resolv-
ed, therefore, to attempt to Kill them,
which resolve he adhered 10 persever-
ingly, until he had taken sixteen; and
having skinned them with his own
hand, he carried them to the halter, who
reserved to himself one half the number
for manufacturing the other half into
the first fur hat that ever graced the
head of Gov. James X. Polk, the dem
ocratlc republican nominee for the
Presidency of the United States.
Very truly yours.
S. MEDARY, Esq, Columbus, o,