Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-08-03
Correspondence ofthe Ohio Statesman.
ANECDoTE OF J. *. POLK.

Correspondence ofMe Ohio Statesman.
ANECDoTE OF J. X. POLK.
NASHVILLE, June 20, 1874.
DEAR SIR :-Thiry-six years ago, the father
OF James X. Polk, having emigratcd to the fer.
tile valley Of Duck River, which had Just then
been acquired of the Chicksaws, was followed
by emigrants from the East, until there was a
considerable neighborhood in the forest. Each
emigrant raised cotton enough for his own con-
sumption but there was no cotton.Cn in this
country, and it was with great difficulty that it
could be manufactured At their unanimous
gin and entrusted it 10 the management of his
son. James H., whose duty it became to devote
every Saturday TO ginning the cotton of the
ne'ghbors, taking given small quantity ofthe
contents Of each bag for the service. He was
the regular ginner of the establishment for
years, always attending it in person. About
that time halter settled in the neighborhood,
and gave notice that he would make fur hat
Ia luxury by the way, in which very few Of
the pioneer boys felt able to induge)-for any
person who would furnish him with coon or foe
skins enough TO make t,oo. Young Polk was
so constantly engaged for five days of the week
in working on the farm, going to mill, and at
tending 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 OBJ
tanning the requisite number of skins /; so 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 pro.
cure him fur hat. His father replied that he
must earn the means himself; and gave him
the privilege approprating for that purpose
all the avalls 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 extracted as usual
Another and another came but coonskins be-
ing species of ready change with the pioneers,
they would not be given instead of the small
quantity OF cotton deducted as toll.
At length man came who was followed bv
dog that was known to be expert at catching
coons, when young Polk proposed to Gin his
bags If he would give him that dog. The man
accepted the proposition--the cotton was GIN
ned and repacked upon his horses, and the dog
delivered 10 the young ginner, who was all the
| while delighted with the idea that he had az
length found the means of raising the fur hat. q.
and tancying to himself how fortunate he would
now be, tter the abors of the day were over,
i'll sallyng out into the forest with his dog at
night, to tree, CATCH and skin coons for the hat
ter. He took the dog from the hands of the set
tier, and placing trace chain round his neck,
tied him to sapling, and resumed the duties of
the gin. Before the settler had gone two hun
dred yards on his way home he gave shrill
whistle, when the dog, springing towards his old
master, loosened the chain from the sapplinr,
and bounded off with it dangling at his side
Young Polk took after him on the run, and to-
lowed him for more than a mile but finding it
impossible 10 overtake 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 servlces) "dd You recover your
dog ~ mo SIR" (said the boy,) "but recover
cd my trace chain" Baified IN every attempt
to earn the requisite number ofskns to procure
hat by the service of the cotton gin, he was
compelled TO resort to other measures. He re-
solved, therefore, to attempt to kill them, which
resolve he adhered to perseverngly, until he
had taken sixteen; and having skinned
them with his own hand, he carried them to the
I ha,ter who resprvcd ia bimSa lf one. half IN ,
number, for manufacturing the other half into
the first fur hat that ever graced the head of
Gov. James X. Polk. the democratic republican
nominee for the Presidency of the United
States.
The GREAT Coal TrNNEL.-This mammoth
passage into the Coal Mountain at the head OF
the Bear Mountain Railroad in Schuylkill coun-
ty, Pa, is now fairly commenced by the Compa,