The Cairo bulletin., 1906-07-26
WHERE BUCHANAN WAS BORN
Birthplace of Former President Now
the Home of Negro
Family

How few pennsylyanians ever stop
I To reflect that the Keystone state has
given birth to but one president OF The
! United States James Buchanan.
Franklin county claims the distinct IA
u being The birthplace Of this uuta-
bic executive. says a Mercerburg cor
resppndeEce OF the Philadelphia Rec
ord. He was born in gorge in the
mountains just oil the turnpike which
leads from Mercersburg TO Neon
nellsburg on April %. 1874.
The house In which he first saw the
light OF DAY considering that there
were bu. two tiny windows TO admit
the light, the expression seems rather
paradoXicall was a little log cabin. In
late years this cabin has been removed
to Mercersburg, where it still stands
IN Fayecte street, and is now occupied
by a colcrad family
Think Of the policies for which Blu
chanan stood touching the negro race,
add the fact that negroes now live in
the ediice OF that presidents nativity
and surely you have the irony Of fate
in one OF It's most startling twentieth
century cNempidcatiuns,
A few Of the foundation stones are
left to mark The place where the Bu.
chanan cabin stood in The mountains
bat mos OF them have been used lol
the foundation of a sehuolhouse mean
by. At The time Of his birth the turn
pike had not been made. bat there
are still traces OF packers pach
which ran ON one side Of the house
and Of a wagon road on the other sido,
stony Batter as his birthplace is
called was one Of the few places in
those days where farmers from the
western counties came with pack
horses laden with the products OF
their lands which they exchanged for
the necessaries of life brought there
from the city Of Baltimore. Near
where the cabin stood iows little
stream called Trout Run, and all
around the mountain peaks tower
aloft in surprising grandeur and sub
Unity
These mountains were and are even
at the present time infested with
bears, pauthers and wildcats, AMI
there is tradition that the solieitou,
mQlher OF buchanan was wont 20 tie
around little Jimmy's neck a bell 20
that she might know in the midst Of
her household cares that her boy was
safe
In the year 1896 Mr.. Buchanan re-
moved with his family to the village /
of Mercersburg, where he sought a /
wider field for his business career /
that of a country merchant At this .
time young James was about FIVE .
years of age, and here he attended .
school aud was instructed in Latin F..
and Greek until the year 1907, when
he was sCnt to Dickinson college, Car .
Isle, from which institution he was
graduated with honor in 1909.
An amusing incident is told regard
Ing his trip TO Carlisle, which he made
IN horseback behind his father As
they left the town neighbOr woman
raa out Of her house crying: 1T yol
take James TO thar bad school he VIII
be ruined and come home good for
nothing"
There are many reminders of the
I'm the town. Here is the
Did Buchanan house, on Main street
now usej ass a hotel. and so changed
from its original state that 81 would
lot be recognized. Just opposite IS the
lane house. whore Harriet Lane
Johnson. Buchanan's beautiful and ac-
niece. who afterward pre-
.ided az the white House. was born
md lived One Of the oldest men in
he town well remembers having
played with her when they were chill
lren together
Here on West Fminary street the
pire Of the Pre- byierian church is
against The background Of
Al this church. which g.
ne of the oldest IN the valley. the
luchanaus. the Irw'ns. the mlterna'
ncestors Of Eeuiamin Harrison. Gov
-indlay and many others who in later
ears rose 20 eminence. attended serv-
rpe