The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-04-29
From dc Direetory lor january.
A Remarkable Coat.

1t is not the the 'Iittle coat" of Sam
uel which 'his mother made and
brought him from year to year, when
she came up with her husband to offer
the yearly sacrifice" Nor is it Joseph's
''coat of many colors," which his cruel
brothers, when they had sold him TO the
Ishmaelites, dipped in the blood of kid
newly slain, went home, and with all
the apathy of guilt said TO their father,
"This have we found: know now
whether it be thy sens coat or not" at
is my sons coat" cried Jacob; "an evil
beast hath davoured him: Joseph is
without doubt rent i'm pieces. I will go
down into the grave unto my son,
mourning" Neither is it the seamless
coat of Jesus for which the soldiers
gambled while yet his blood, not fully
dry, stood warm upon Mt. Calvary. No,
no it cl inns no such sanctity as any of
these and yet its history is not without
interest. 1t is now in the possession of
the venerable Thomas F. McCanless,
a worthy citizen OF Giles county Tenn.
He was born of John C., and Susan Me-
Canless, was named for Thomas Farmer,
an American Colonel III the RevOlu-
tiOnary war, and was the eighth of thir-
teen children, of whom seven were sons,
six daughters OF these sons two died
in infancy, and five were soldiers in the
war of 1912.
| As early as 1776-peThaps earlier
John @. McCanless wOOed and won
the fair young being who afUerward be-
came the companion of his lite, the
| partner of his joys and SORROWS. The
/ engagement was agreed upon, and the
wedding garment purpcased. But
alas, alasi 1.-THE best laid plans of men
and mice gang aft aglee-" The war
came on, the wOuld-be bridegroom be-
came soldier boy, and the marriage
was postponed. During all these years
of battle and blood the volunteer escap
ed the perils of camp and field except
an Imprisonment of six months. Al
length the cruel war was over, the tree
of liberty was planted, and beneath its
shade the ''rehel" was free to claim his
/ bride the light of his eyes, and the idol OF
/ his heart. Then the coat was called into
requisitiOn. AT a subsequent period
Jno. McCulloch, a kinsman OF the late la
mented General McCulloch, of Missouri
was married in the same coat. 1t is
made of blue cloth, has a large collar,
straight breast, and belongs to the style
usually known as the swallow-ta OF
claw-hammer coat. Ii is at least
uinety-eight years old, and is still in a
! pretty good state of preservation. I'm
Gle TOmmie keeps it carefully, as he
does everything useful. He is still using
a wash-pot, an oven and a skillet, all of
which have "seen service" since 1919.
| On the Goth of last month the writer ate
a dinner at his house that was cooked i'm
Il cast-irOn stove which has been in use
! tYenty-One years, and its days of use
| fulness are not yet numbered, Bro
McCanless was born i'm Orange county,
! North Carolina, Decent Der 13, 1894, and
removed, with his father, to what is
now Giles county, Tenn, in the year
! 1909. He helped to cut the cane out OF
the road now leading from Pulaski to
! COrnersVille. He has reared nine child
rem, two others died i'm childhood, and
six are now living, all members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
! His wife, who is now with God aud the
angels, protested religion in June, 1927
ut classmeetlng. Subsequently he
himself was happily converted while on
his knees in his crib, whittier he had
gone for corn for his fai tening hogs.
Like Wesley, he felt his heart strangely
warmed, and the holy fire is glowing
still. After this his house became 4
preaching place. In 1912 he and his
nsighbors built temple for the Lord,
the first sermon in which was preached
by the Rev. James Henning, a son of
Ju6 mcJilOulSJ preacher ifOBl WHoil
John A. Murrell stole the negro who
gave him so much trouble. Through
the energy and efforts of "Uncle Tom
mic" and others this church is now SIT
perseded by another more com
mOdiOus, convenient and comfortable,
as well as more tasteful and elegant.
May our dear old friend live to see
many souls born for glory there! And
when, at last, he lays his earthly gar
ments by, NAV his spirit rise to the
realm of the blessed, and his body rest
in peace:
''Till the trump, which shakes creation,
! Through the circling heavens shall roll,
] Till the day of contamination,
Till the bridal Of the SOUL