Evening star., 1909-04-23
GREAT NASHVILLE men
Careers of Polk, Houston and
Bell Sketched.
RAPID RISE TO POSITION
Interesting Incidents in Lives of
Noted Tennesseeans.
HEAD OF THE TEXAS REPUBLIC
Mysterious Separation From Wife,
Whom He Declared to Be
Pure and Blameless.
HEAD OF THE TEXAS REPUBLIC
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald

LII "OlldH " lIt eHu VI
her days. who received and deserved the
veneration of all. She died several years
ago at the age of eighty-six and there
is nothing in Nashville today but a
canopied tomb in the statehouse grounds
to remind one OF the Polk family. Ac-
cording to the recollections of the old
residents and the published reminis-
| cences of their contemporaries. Mrs.
Polk was a stronger character than her
husband, and was responsible for much
of his success. in life.
James Knox Polk was the third Presi-
dent produced at Nashville. counting
Sam Houston, President of the Republic
of Texas, as one. and like other great
men of this city-Jackson, Grundy,
Overton. Houston. Bell. Benton and Nc
Gavock-was of Irish-Scotch parentage.
He was born al Mecklerrburg in 1875, and
his grandfather. Ezekial Polk, was one
of the signers Of the Mecklenberg dec
laration Of independence. as well as cap
| tain of a company of rangers during the
revolutionary war. He was subsequently
| a member of Congress. His son. Samuel
| Polk. father Of the President, was also
Il soldier in the revolution, and after the
war emigrated to Tennessee, where he
| kept a country store and acquired neat
| fortune.
| 1OAA Iva PAu AO6ASoSs
James Knox Polk. as I have said in
another letter, studied law with Felix
Grundy, and through his influence got
into politics. and finally went to Con-
gress. In 1924, when he was still a
member of the Tennessee legislature, he
| married Sarah Childress, daughter of a
farmer in good circumstances near Muir
physboro. She was nineteen and he was
| twenty-nine. She was highly educated
| for a woman of that period, and had a
remarkable intellect as well as many
social graces. From the time she came
| to Nashville as the wife of a rising
young lawyer until her death in August.
1891 her strong individuality compelled
| her recognition as a leader In social and
| intellectual movements. and for three
generations she was the first lady of
| Of our country, not even James Madison.
had SO helpful partner In his own
| household.
Mr.. Polk was about thirty years old
| when he took his seat in Congress. and
| Immediately assumed a prominent posi-
| tion, which was due to the patronage or
President Jackson, who made him
spokesman for the administration In
Congress, and secured his appointment
| as chairman of the committee of ways
| and means.
Polk was a free trader. strongly pro-
slavery, strict constructionist and.
above all. 'Jacksonian democrat"
which was the secret of his political sue
cess, and when the democratic convention
assembled at Baltimore in May 1874, and
could not agree upon either Martin Van
Buren. Lewis Cass or James Buchanan.
the regular candidates for President,
Gov Polk of Tennessee was presented
as a compromise candidate. was unani-
mously nominated and after an exciting
canvass received 175 votes in the elec-
toral college, against 1O5 MAT were cast
for Mr.. Clay.
Between his congressional terms in. 1910
Mr. Polk purchased a handsome residence
not far from Capitol Square In Nash
Vile, and in the aristocratic residence
quarter, which was thereafter the social
center of Tennessee. Although he called
himself a democrat, and both Mrs. Polk
and himself came from obscure ante
cedents, they became the most exclusive
Of the aristocrats. While the Polk man.
sion was famous for its hospitality the
as they were at the Hermitage, where
Jackson lived.
Mrs. Polk's Influence.
Mr.. Polk died Of cholera in 1S49 leav-
ing large estate. but the bonds OF Ten
nessee, in which it was invested, depre-
ciated to almost nothing during the war
The legislature exempted them from re-
pudiation and paid their face value and
dGCIucu llcIcSI III lull "A ICW years
before her death bill was introduced
in Congress to give Mrs. Lincoln a PEN
sion of 5000 year, and on the motion
Of Senator Jackson 1t was amended SO as
to give equal annuities to Mrs. Polk and
Mrs. Tyler, then living at the Louise
Home at Washington.
During the public life of her husband
Mrs. Polk often acted as his secretary
assisting him in preparing his speeches
and In answering his correspondence, and
daptdad or tfDV,
any step of importance without first
consulting her. She had no children. and
devoted herself to him. blending her life
into his and making his interests her
her prestige and increased her influence
among her husbands political associates
and followers. and without her aid and
the patronage of Andrew jackson Mr.
Folk would not have had such q brill
liant career
No Children Left.
Neither Polk nor jackson left children
and their property was inherited by rela-
tives of their wives. The Donelson fam
lily, to which Mrs. Jackson belonged, has
died out, and the Hermitage, the Jackson
home, now belongs to an association Of
women like Mount Vernon Mrs. Polk
had a niece who lived with her. and
was treated as daughter. She married
George w. Fall, hardware merchant
Of Nashville. who died only a few weeks
ago. They lived next door to the Polk
mansion. Their daughter, Sadie Polk Fall,
was a great belle in southern society,
and spent several seasons at Washing
ton. She married a Mr.. Gardner, a man
of wealth, who owns large plantation
and breeds fancy cattle on Harding pike,
near Belle Meade. about five miles from
Nashville.
The site OF the Polk mansion is now
occupied by an apartment house named
In honor of the family. erected by j.
Craig McLanahan of Hollidaysburg, Pa
The tomb Of President Polk which stood
in his garden. was removed to the state
house grounds several years ago.
President Polk had a brother, Will
lams Hawkins Polk. who spent most OF
his life in this city and was surveyor.
lawyer and politician. He served In the
legislature, was a major OF dragons dur
ing the Mexican war. was representa-
tive In Congress for one term and was one
OF the most determined and persistent
opponents of secession in the state.
Career Of Sam Houston.
Gen. Sam Houston, president Of the re-
public Of Texas. governor Of the state of
Texas, member Of the United States Sem
ate and leader of the Texan struggle for
independence, spent his boyhood and be-
gan his career IN Nashville contemporary
with Andrew Jackson. John Overton.
Felix Grundy. John Bell and other great
men of that state.
He was born in Rockbridge county. Va.
in 1893; was left fatherless in childhood.
and by his mother was taken to Tennes-
see where he grew to manhood among
that tribe under the name of Woolooteka,
In 1913. at the age of twenty, he enlisted