Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1844-08-08
The First FUR HAT.
CorreV0asence II The CaiO Salesman
ANEIDOIE Of JAMES n. POLK.
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at.-4s t.fi. aAAl" -- -
Oar sir .-Thir;y-sx years ago. the father If Jas:
X. Fulk. having ofaigreicd 10 tic fertile valley 81
Duck River. when had JUS; then been acquired OF the
Chicka.aws. was followed - cmigranis from The
East. until there was n considerable nclghborhood I'm
the forest. Each cmlgrant raised Gotten enough for
his own consumption tut there IVES no cotton GIN IN
this section Of lie country. and II was with great dif-
fculty that IL could b. manufactured Vt their unan-
imous request. the a.her # Mr.. Polk erected a cot
ton gin. ana entrusted 1t to the management OF hrs
son. James h. whose duty Il became to devote every
Saturday to ginning the cotton of the n~eighbors. TAX
ing a given small quantity ofthe contents Of each bag
for the service. lie was the regular gInncr Of the cs-
adjustment FIR years. always attending II IN person.
About this time a halter settled IN the nelghborhood,
and gave notice that he would make fUr hats "a luNu-
nv by the way. in which very fcw of the pioneer boys
felt able to indulge fr any person who would FUR
ni>h him with coon or for skins enough to make fro.
Young Polk was 80 constantly engaged for five days
# the week working on the farm. going to mill. and
attending the village school. and an ginning cotton
for n~eighbors on the sixth. that he had no leisure TO
devote to- the ways and means OF obtaining the
requisite number of skins: so lie applied TO his father
for the means to procure HIM a fur hat. HIS
father rcplcd that he must earn the means himself,
and gave him the privilege Of aPpropraiing Tor that
purpose all the aVaIl> of the gin On the next saturday
The first man who came II tic gin on that day with
Ia, BAG of cotton. was approached with an offer to
,rn his Gotten for two coon skins tut having none
the tai vas extracted sS usual. Another and anOtli-
er came: Lat cconskln5 beng a sFcc.e> OF ready
chance with the pioneers, they would moi be given IN
stead e the small quantity of cotton deducted as TOLL
At length a man came who wa> followed by a dog that
was known to be expert at catching cOcns. when
Young Polk proposed 10 GIN his bags II ne would give
him that dog. The man accepted the opposition
the cotton was ginncd and repacked uTOn has horses.
and the coon dog delivered to the young ginner. who
was all the while delighted with the idea that he has
at length found tie mean, # raising tie fur Lat, and
f,nc-tnr "a iis.4plf fr,v frfru--e 10 WgulI now he.
after tie hhors of tie day were over. in sallying out
INTO the forest with lS dog nj night, To tree. catch
and skin coons for the natter. He took the dog from
the hands Of the settler. and placing a trace chain
round his neck. tied him 10 q s~aIling. and resumed
the duties of the Gin. Before theSc;tl,r had gone two
hundred yards On his way home. he gave a sErill
whsle. wien the dog. springing towards hlS old mas
ter. loo.cnci the cha.n from tie sapl NJ. and bounded
Of with il dangling at his side. Aoung Polk took af-
ter hm on tic run for more than 4 mile; but finding
it imposs Die - oycr'akc tie dog and his dccciiful
master. gave up the chase and returned - lis gin.
We'll James," sand a man who was waiting for his
services. odd yDu recover voUr dog :" sir,"
SAID the box. .bat | recovered my trace chain"
Iailcd in every at.enaFt - ocra tic requisite number
of skins t. procure a bat by tie service of The cotton
ON. he was comnclicd to resort 10 other measures.
lie resolved therefore II aticmrt 20 XII item. which
resolve he adhered 20 Tersc.crlnrlv. until lie had TAX
ca sixteen. AID having skinned them with bis own
hand. be c2rr.cd item 10 tie halter. who reserved To
himself one half tx number fr manufacturing the
ctlcr half INTO the frst idT lat that ever graccd the
head # GOV. James X. Polk. the Democratic Repuh-
Lean nominee for the Presidency Of Tie United States.