Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-20
SENATOR HANNA AS A BOY.
One of His Playmates Recalls the
Statekman's Youth.

Oue Oh hlB fl0ymatcS nccaub inc
Statesman'S Youth.
From the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
Lisbon is the second Oldest town in the
state, and many of its historic events date
back into the eighteenth century. Just OPP
posite tie present court house in Lisbon
stands an old brick building occupied as a
harness shop and the Hesson shoe store,
the latter being an antiquated affair.
In the earlier days of the town this old
shoe store vas occupied in part by DR..
Leonard Hanna and family as living
apartments, and in Of these rooms
Mark A. Hanna was born. His father,
DR.. Hanna. was man of great intelligence.
who was highly respected by every citizen
of the town.
He was equally adept at talking poll
tics, making a temperance speech or sell
ing yard of Calico said Captain j. l..
Straughn, the present coroner of Column
biana county, who was boyhood friend
of Marcus. Even at that day the elder
Hanna had advanced ideas regarding a
protective tariff, and freely expressed
them. His abrupt and frank speech, as
well as many other characteristcs, are
Familiarity known to the boys at that time.
DIR. Hanna's general store fiourished to
such an extent that he gave up his living
rooms and established his family in large
house on the hill, near by.
At this time Mark was school boy, and
Captain Straughn relates the following
stories of their early life:
Mark was a great boy, and we all liked
him. l shall never forget our sports and
the pranks that we played. One day, In
the old log school house. which stood where
the Central school house now does, the
master gave a very difficult problem in
mental arithmetic. 1t went the rounds OF
the class without being answered, until 1t
reached Mark. The teacher repeated the
problem. Mark listened with his usual
close attention, and when the master had
finished, said: Well, can do that example
on paper, but 1t is too difficult mentally.
But the scheme did not work, and Mark
was checked down with the rest of us.
He was unwilling, though, to let the mat
ter drop there, and at recess several of us
boys got together and Mark took the same
problem and simply changed the figures.
We then went to the teacher and told him
that we had a trif1ng mental problem that
We wished he would solve, and Mark read
his revised version. The master looked
wise, adjusted his glasses and asked to see
the paper.
But that isn't mental arithmetic pro-
tested Hanna. He read it again, and the
pedagogue figured long and hard, but
couldn't get the answer, and he sharply
ordered us all out of the school room. Of
course we were all tickled beyond meas
ure over the lesson which Mark had taught
the master, who never gave US another
such problem to solve.
Il remember very distinctly an old boat
ny 1OlOHel ii veteran Ol lIe
war of 1872, who was shoemaker at the
time. 1t was operated by a hand-pOwer
paddlewheel. My! but boys used to
have fun with that old boat. Mark and
the other lads spent all their spare change
renting the boat and taking our girls out
for ride. One time we appointed Mark
captain. 1 handled the rudder and the
other boys took turns at working the
wheel. Mark would call out his orders in
true ship style, and / would flop the rudder
as he directed. A contention sprang up
among US regarding the captaincy, which
several of the boys coveted Mark readily
gave way and took his place at the pro-
pelling crank. Our new captain ran the
boat aground one day, which caused a re-
bellion of the crew, and Mark was restored
to his command.
Mark was a sturdy youth, of keen fore
sight, and was never known to whmper
when he was bested. He took his medi-
cine silently and bravely, but with a stern
resolve to wait for an opportunity to get
even. which he usually did.
Several years ago Hon. Marcus A. Han
ma. as our boyhood friend is now called.
brought his family to Lisbon on special
train and passed several days visiting
scenes of his happy boyhood, the old home
of his father and grandfather, and the
cemetery where many of his ancestors are
buried. Politicians have q good deal to say
about Hanna and his trickery, but here
whore We know him-well, if you want to
find stanch Hanna men, just come to Lis
bon.