The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-09-06
Correspondence Of the Ohio Statesman.
The First Fur Hat.
NASHVILLE, Jane

NASHVILLE, Jane 20, lSl4.
Dear Sir-I'hirly-six years ago, TIT
father Of James X. Polk, having emigra
ted to the fertile valley of Duck River
which had just then been acquired from
the Chckasaws, was followed by emf
grants from the East, until there was
considerable neighborhood in the forest
Each emigrant raised cotton cnough'for
his own consumption; but there was ne
cotton gin in this section of the country
and it was with great difficulty that i
could be manufactured. At their unani
nous request, the father of Mr.. Polk
erected cotton gin, and entrusted it to
the management Of his son, James Il.
whose duty it became TO devote every
Saturday to ginning the cotton of the
neighbors, taking given small quantity
OF the contents of each bag for the ser.
vice. He was the regular ginner of the
establishment for years, always attending
1t in person. About this time halter
settled in the eighborhood, and gave no.
tlce tina. he would make fur hat-a lux
ury by the way. in which very few of the
pioneer boys felt able to inGulge-for any
person who would furnish him with coon
or jor skins enough to make two.
Young Polk was so constantly engaged
for five days of the week in working on
>farm. going TO mill, and attending the
village school, and ginning cotton 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 hat. His father
replied that he must earn the means him
seE, and gave him the privilege of appro-
prlatIng for that purpose all the avails of
the gin on Saturday. The first man
that came TO The gin on that day with his
bag OF cotton, was approached with an Of
fer to gin his cotton for two coon skins;
bn! having none the toll was extracted as
usual. Another and another came; bu,
coonskins being species of ready change
with the pioneers, they would not be Civ
en- 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
At he would give him that dog. The man
accepted the proposi,ion-.he cotton was
glnned and repacked upon his horses,
and the coon dog delivered to the young
glnner, who was all the while delighted
with the idea that he had at length found
the means of raising the fur hat, and fan.
cying TO himself how fortunate he would
now be, after the labors Of the day were
over. in sallying out into the forest with
ins dog at night. to tree, catch and skin
ooons for the halter. lie took the dog
from the hands of the settler, and placing
a trace chain round his neck, tied him to
a sapling, and resumed the duties of the
gin. Before the settler had gone two
hundred yards OH his way home, he gave
a shrill whistle, when the dog. sprnging
towards his old master. lnssened the
chain from the sapling, and bounded Off
with it dangling at his side. Young
Folk took after him on the run, and fol-
lowed him for more than mile bu,
hnding it impossible to overiake the dog
and his deceitful master, gave up the chase
and returned to his gin. "Well James,"
said man who was in waiting for his
services ibid you recover your dog 2"
"No, sir" said the boy, "bu, recover.