Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-01-03
REAL DAVID HARUM.
he WAS "OAvE" HANNUM OF
HOMER, N. Y.
Original of westcott's Hero Was q
Isauker and Horse Trader Like HIS
Prototype, and Died as Poor as When
He Began Business.

Edward Noyes Westcott has done for
Homer, a little village Of Central New
York, what others have done for New
England, Kentucky and the South.
Within the narrow confines OF Its rural
surroundings he found one of the most
characteristic types, from childhood 70
old age, in American fiction. Mr.. West
colt embellished this type with q mas
ter hand, but when Homer first read
David Harum" it recognized under
meath the literary paint with which the
original of the hero hal been retouched
the rugged, wide-awake, homely coun-
tenance of David Hannum, who had
been a character in a town of quaint,
ong-headed, dryly humorous charac-
ters up to a few years ago. 1t was
Homer's first literary sensation, and 1t
was no nine days wonder In the little
town. The good people are wondering
even yet that one Of their number
should get into print.
Il don't see why this here Westcott
picked out Dave Hannum to put in
book" said one old resident to me the
other day This town had a heap
sight bigger men than ever Dave Han
mum wuz. We sent men to Congress.
and there's lots of fellers who has gone
West and made their fortins, and wuz
a darn sight more distinguished than
Dave. Now. II wuz writin' book I'd
have picked out some fellers as those.
Dave wuz an ordinary kind of amusin'
cuss, but he never done anythin' much,
and he died poorer an church
mouse"
Nevertheless, Homer is full of stories
Of Dave" Hannum, banker and horse
dealer, droll. shrewd, sharp, yet ten
der-a character they love to talk
about. He always had a supply OF
"hoss-swapping' stories, and would
rather trade horses and make $500 than
make $1,000 in a business operation.
He began without a cent In the world.
made a fortune and died with no more
money than he began with.
Next to being a horse trader. Dave
perhaps would rather have been
Snowman. He had all the instincts OF
Barnum. In 1853 New York gave
grand exhibition at the famous Crystal
Palace in Bryant Park. Dave" found a
horse whose name was so thick that 1t
gave him somewhat the appearance
of a buffalo. Hannum bought the ami
ma. at once and took him to New York,
trim ned it's name so as to heighten the
illusion, and exhibited him-as the "buf-
falo horse" New 'Yorkers fiocked to
see the curiosity and added many dol
lars to Dawes" stock. Then came the
famous Cardiff giant When "Stub"
Newell dug up the, strange image on
-. -, a =-s.A A5.--r-s-=ee7,s'.--- III. ed r
the thousands to sc what they consid-
cred to be the remains of some prehis-
toric man. David Hannum was among
the first. Tie saw the money-making
possibilities in the thing. and set out at
once to secure an interest He succeed
ed, as he usually did. and for time
reaped a harvest. Then he sold his
share to DR.. Westcott, the father Of
Edward. but took it back after DR..
Westcotts death, and was probably the
sole owner of the famous humbug at
the time of his death. Among his pos
sessions when he died was found the
key to the vault in which the giant lay.
The writer called to see David Han
num's sister. Mrs. Gibson, while at
Homer. NO" she said. II have never
read Westcott's book and never will,
SO there. now. He put words and spell
ing into David's mouth such as anyone
in Homer will tell you he never used"
He was certainly a notable charac-
ter. His charity was of the slyest and
most wholesale kind. No one will ever
know how much he gave to the poor.
because 1t is probable that he didn't
know himself. He saw to it at Christ
mas and Thanksgiving that no poor
family went without their turkey, ever
though he was compelled to borrow
the money to pay for it. His was a
wonderfully large heart, and there was
nothing mean or petty about his moral
or mental makeup.
"People live and die here in Homer
every day" exclaimed a citizen, "but
there never was but one Dave Han
mum, and he was the livin.' breathin'
David Harum.' Home Magazine.