The Republican journal., 1877-11-15
Who the Doorkeeper Is.
From the st. Louis Times |


Colonel John W Polk the Doorkeeper of the
| United States House of Representatives-elec
on tine organization OF the present extra session
was born in Logansport, Ind, in 1919 and is con
sequenty, about fifty eight years of age. In youth
| he enjoyed such educational advantages as were
| afforded by the few country schools kept in his
| neighborhood and which like most Of the educa
uonal institutions OF that day, We're none Of the
best In 1910 he removed with his parents to Mis-
| souri,, stopping at Westport jackson County
| Here they remained but short time, removing
| to the then Territory Of Kansas John w i'll
| company with his father, engaged i'll the Indian
| trade-furnishng supplies to the Pottawattames.
| Little more tnan year elapsed before the father
| died, leaving John the business which he contn-
| ued with good success. Not long after the death
of his father Colonel Polk was united in marriage
| To Miss Chick of Westport. sister of Mr.. Joseph
| Chick, at present banker Of Kansas City. Two
children were born of the marriage but they both
died IN infancy the last one being followed by the
mother i'll 1913. Colonel Polk continued in the
| Indian trade till 1850, when taking the gold fever
| he went to California where he remained several
years When he returned he settled in Jackson
County Mo. There is said to be a romance in the
| life of every individual Not long after Colonel
Folks return from California he experienced what
might be termed the romance of his history. Pre-
yious to his first marriage he was a sutor for the
hand OF Miss McClanahan. with such encourage
ment as induced him to believe his addresses sue
cesstul. But he poor and, as has been told
many thousand times before and since, in and out
OF novels. the parents eXerted an influence against
him in favor of another sutton IN a little while
They married her to forty thousand pounds
And messuages in ork"
In other words. to Mr. .Iahez Smith sixty wears
of age, worth S200,000. Not long after the Colonel
formed his matrimonial alliance with Miss Chick
During his absence in California Mr. Smith died
leaving the Colonels old fame rich young widow
We will not say that the knowledge of this fact
haStened Colonel POlk- return from the golden
coast but he and and
4uered. The old love was soon famed into new
life, and sincere as though no other attach
ment lay between its first blosSomng and the rip
ened fruit which was sOonreazed in the marriage
OF John ". Polk to Mrs ,;bez Smith to whom
her late husband had hcqueathed unconditionallv
all his large property consisting OF about 100 slaves
and large landed property in Jackson County Mo
Colonel Polk then devoted himself to the manage
ment OF his wites property. il which he was quite
successful. Some three years before the breaking
out OF the war between the States he purchased
plantation III Mississippi and one i'll Arkansas
making his residence Ill the former but managing
IN general way, the business Of both He was
Just getting these ventures Il paving basis when
the war broke out and he entered the Confederate
service, being Colonel of a Mississippi regiment
and did good service i'll the trans Mississippi De
partment. One performance for which he received
honorable mention, was the bringing through of
tram with supplies from Memphis to Prices army
at Springfield. Mo. He came out OF the conflict
like thousands of others, totally broken in fortune
but with will to work and the determination to
DO what in him lay to recover his fortune In this
he has been only partially successful After the
war he settled III W yandotte, Kan. opposite Kan
Sts City. where he has since resided. Colonel Polk
is man of fine business capacity, great native
energy and engaging manners and is well qualified
to secure the confidence Of all with whom he comes
IN close relation, either socially OF in the way Of
business. In early life he was, in politics a de
voted " hlg, being an ardent admirer and support
er OF Mr.. Clay After the demise of the Wing party