state that the "Gold Fe-ver of 1849" is
a well known term to-day.

While Polk was in the chair, three new states came in; and two of them
were free states; that is, no slaves could be kept there; just at this
time some men formed a band, and said that no slaves should be kept in
an-y new state which the U-nit-ed States should gain.

In 1849 Polk went home to Nash-ville, Ten-nes-see; he was on-ly
fif-ty-eight years old; but was so worn out with years of work that he
lived but a few months af-ter he got home; he died on the 15th of June,
in the same year.

ZACH-A-RY TAY-LOR.

Zach-a-ry Tay-lor was born in Vir-gin-i-a, on No-vem-ber 24th, 1784; but
when he was a small boy his fa-ther went to live in Ken-tuck-y; and long
af-ter the rest of the land was at peace this state was the scene of
such fierce fights with the In-di-ans that it was known as "The dark and
blood-y ground." It is not strange that this boy, who lived at a time
when wo-men as well as men had to know how to load and fire guns, so
that they could help to keep the red men from their homes, should have
grown up to be a brave, strong man.

As a boy he went to good schools, but cared far more for the tales of
war which his brave fa-ther told him than he did for his books; he did
love books which told of great fights and brave men, and read all that
he could get. When he was just of age he went to war, in place of a
friend, and was so brave and fear-less that he soon took a high place.

He was in the great fight of Tip-pe-ca-noe; and all through the War of
1812 he showed great skill in his fights with the red men;--well he knew
all their tricks and modes of war. He gained great fame in Flor-i-da,
when he was sent there to make the Sem-i-nole In-di-ans keep the peace.
For years had this tribe of In-di-ans made war on the white men; their
chief, Os-ce-o-la, had, years a-go, gone to one of the forts with his
wife, who was a slave girl; he had been put in chains, and she held
at the fort. In his rage, he had sworn to lead his men in war, when he
could get to them; at last his chance had come, and he had fled by night
from the fort. To rouse his tribe and hurl them at the whites, was
his first thought; and long and cru-el were the fights that went on for
years. At last Tay-lor was sent to Flor-i-da; and now a trick was played
on this great chief of the In-di-ans; with a flag of truce, he came
to the fort to talk with the gen-er-al; and by the or-ders of