The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-27

lots in Old Hickory's" interest. The Wings
laughed aud hoOtcd. but made no attempt TO in-
terfere with the freedom OF tho ballot. John
becamc an earnest Jackson boy, and learned
the favOrite song:
hcgubean. cheer the hickory ,gcei
Its boughs IN times OF war have sheltered thee.
Nv.
The boy was early taught habits Of industry
AS spring approached school was closed and
he went into the tobacco fcld. When very
young he dropped plants in planting time, and
took an active interest in worming. suckerinR,
and prming. Once n week he took out the tops
OF tho plants, and at stated intervals cut out
the suckers and killed the worms. After hnr-
vest the tobacco was dried in outhouses. AS
winter came on John assisted In stripping and
packing About the first OF the year men called
" frelghters" came around. took the tobacco to
New Orleans via tho Cumberland River and
sold ii. Tho planter received much Of his pay
in sugar. mackerel. rice. and other supplies.
sent him on the return trip John became n
thorough tobacco planter and probably under-
stands its cultivation to-day us well as any
planter In Kentucky.
The boy liked to 'ish and hunt. but was no
export. Wild turkeys and deer roamcd tho
woods, and, when his father settled in Chris
tian County were frequently shot from tho
doors and windows Of the house. John became
the owner OF nintlock shotgun with a barrel
hunter. He used nul weeds for turkey calls,
and hunted long and faithfully. One morning
he sounded his call, and got an answer from
magnfcent gobher. He knocked over tho
bird. and proudly went to the settlement There
was some public gnthering and among those
present was Tom Waihall. n strappins KEN
tuckian. brimtu Of humor and good nature.
1ni9a 19hn WIS WIS eNhl6itlpgg hS turkey with great
killed that gobhler2"
:. No.,"' replied q neighbor.
Well" said Tom. " he got grain o. corn
and Iut II into the muzzle of that gun. Then ho
hid behind a log, and poked out the muzzle.
when the turkey came along he went up to the
gun Tor the grain OF corn. and John shot his
The story was repeated amid great laughter,
until John became incensed and threntened
MMthall. wh"roupon the Inter turned and guve
the hoy sound thrashing. And | deserved
it, John niterward said. " II tnught mo TO tako
n Joke and keep civil tongue in my head"
Illinois, friend says: HIS very ioni q fishing.
telling some story. or gets 10 thinning how hen
scoop somebody In a lawsuit. and lots the fish
be- a hunter hut he "G never Sr can h hit anything.
HIS eyes nre too close together"
v.
In 1891 the Palmer family left Kentucky.
John was then IA years old. His father bought
farm in Madison County. H.. ten miles from
Alton. and his stout boys began to break the
glebe OF the prarics. They raised wheat and
corn in abundance but there was no market for
the cereals. Wheat sold at 81, cents per
is..'.s \. .',.s,s,.. -Vtvi'g IoOS
the family. The boys were restless. EIihu. the
eldest. wanted to be IL Baptist minister. and
John began 10 feel the need OF elucaion He
adturncd his seventeenth birthday. HIS father
said. John. can't do ANYTHING ior you. III
to be u valuable git John wns dciglt"d.
About this time Alton College was opened on
the plan Of manual labor II WIS crude at-
tempt b give poor but industrious and descrv-
ing young men Hn edu alton bJsed ON the sys-
tom afi"rwlrd So sur,rssftly mt in operation
lty Iil d..
entered the college in 1884. Th'y Ind very it
ile money. John arose at daylight. went to tie
building. swept scrubbed. ana hult lrrs uhttl
school hours. and then prosecuted his studies,
\ farm was attn he'd to the college and be- spent
several hours day in III cultivation. He was q
p'rs 'vrrlng student. ana 'NGrii'd 'h grammar.
geography, mud history; II" wandered INTO
tAry Latin grammcr and reader, but went no
further Times were hard, ana hr found II
difficult To- keep himsrll deeenily clothed. Ait9r
remaining at tho college, OYER year he grad
uatcd Tor want OF money TO pursue his studies,
IIo was, in debt for 6oari and clothes. and
Larkins STARK was the first man whose ac-
quaintance he made after entering the state.
Stark was u cooper. living ON the open prairie.
at tho head Of Wood River. about a milo from
tho town OF bunker Hill. He offered Palmer
cooper. The offer was gladly accepted. The
youth quickly mastered tho trade, As soon M
he could mike barrels Stark paid him wages;
-four barrels and young Palmer began TO earn
money; He thought himself doing well when
ne InNte MY Genus n uhN. All'lkut lNNlnfnl Oh
his debts all surplus money was spent Tor BOOKS
and newspapers History poetry. novels. srr-
mons and scientific works were poured into his
intellectual houper until he had ground out
respectable but ill-arrangcds tore ot knowledge.
II gra uatrd ms cooper in the fall OF 1886. and
aiterward worked MS n Iournoyman Tor Mr..
Miller at Alton.
vi
II was the era of wooden clocks. The great
West was overrun with Yankee pedders. They
buz,ed the settlers like an army OF locusts and
the ticking OF their clocks was heard in the most
remote cabins. Rcpressiye measures were
taken. A license fee Of $50 per county was
| charged every three months. In the spring of