St. Clair County Obits

ABRAHAM JINKS

From the Ponca City (OK) Daily Courier, 12 October 1907
THE PASSING OF CAP JINKS. Eccentric Character Who Lived at Tonkawa. HIS LIFE'S ROCKY ROAD. Pathetic Story of the Final Chapters in the Life of an Old Man Whose Only Companion was a Dog. Died Alone Among Strangers. Tonkawa, Oct. 12, The "News" says:

From the Tonkawa News, 10 October 1907
PASSING OF CAPT. JINKS ,
Died at Osceolo, Mo., September 10
AN EXCENTRIC CHARACTER
Lived For A Number of Years in a Hut on the Chikaskia River.
Several days ago R. J. Devore of Tonkawa received the following letter:
Osceolo, Mo., Sept. 20. -- An old soldier, Capt. Abraham Jinks died here on the 10th of September. Was cared for and buried by the Grand Army Post. Do you know any of his relatives or family? If so, please inform them or give us their address. -- C. C. Rubottom.

This marks the passing of an eccentric character who lived in and near Tonkawa for about seven years. Little is known of his past life, save that he had been a soldier in the Civil war, enlisting in the 16th Indiana, and serving three years. He talked very little of the past, but it was gleaned from rambling remarks made while in his cups, which was very often, that he had been a man of means, that he had a wife and family, but they were all dead and with them had vanished ambition, money and friends, and he had become a wanderer.
Captain Jinks drifted into Tonkawa about eight years ago. He was given employment by R. J. Devore on a house he was building. "Cap" was told to go over where the house was in course of construction and report to the carpenter in charge of the work. When Mr. Devore went over a few hours later he found Cap in charge, the men recognizing his superior ability. He had the work laid out in better shape and the frame was planned with greater skill and exactness. But it was not long until Cap showed his failing, for he got "rip-roaring" drunk and remained so for several days.
The then quiet little village of Tonkawa seemed to strike the wanderer's fancy and he built a little cabin on the banks of the Salt Fork and became a fisherman. He cast his net and lines in quest of the festive catfish with varying success for about a year, when he moved to the Chikaskia River east of town. Here he built a cabin and continued his quest for the finny tribe with greater success. He was assisted in his labors by his dog "Bum," which he had trained to dive for fish. Together, the dog and man eked out a living on the river, abetted by a small pension from the government. They lived here for about six years, the monotony of their simple life being broken only by occasional visits to town to market the "catch." On these occasions "Cap" would get drunk and often spent the night in the "cooler." "Bum" would follow his master and they would be locked up together.
With all his dissipation and rude life, "Cap Jinks possessed a heart that beat warm with human sympathy. On one chill October day he had just come to town and had not yet visited the saloon, when he saw two little girls whose bare feet and limbs were blue with cold. He asked them who they did not wear their shoes, and they replied they hadn't any. He took them into the store and had them fitted with warm shoes and stockings, and paid for them out of his scanty means. "Cap" went back to his little hut sober that day, and "Bum" was happy.
A little over a year ago "Cap" and "Bum" disappeared. Not long afterward Mr. Devore received a letter from him dated from a town in Missouri, in which "Cap" said "Bum" was dead. He had buried him on the banks of the Grand River, and he added, "Don't ask me if I cried." This weary, broken old soldier had tasted the depths and dregs of sorrow; his dear wife and children had died, his money and friends had flown and now his dog, the companion and sharer of his poverty and misery, had left him. His life seemed one round of disappointments; everybody and everything he ever loved had withered and died; his youthful ambitions and aspirations had been blighted and now he wanted to die and be at rest from it all. A kind providence finally came to his relief, and called the old soldier from this world of sorrow; called the homeless wanderer from the land he fought to save. When the last trump shall sound and the souls of men are brought before the judgment seat, we feel that Captain Jinks will hear the Master say: "Ye have done it unto the least of these, my children, ye have done it unto me; enter thou into the joys of Heaven." There to be reunited with those gone before.

Captain Jinks, who was said to have been a relative of Ella Wheeler Wilcox, composed the following while living in his hut.

“ON THE CHIKASKEE”
Where, oh where, is that poor old soldier.
Where, oh where can he be?
Over among the Ponca Indians
On the Chiskaskee.
Camping out along the river
No shelter but a friendly tree.
Trying to make a living fishing
On the Chikaskiee,
Once he had a home and money plenty.
Children prattled around his knee.
His money’s gone; his friends have left him
On the Chikaskee.
Three long years I served my country
God knows I served it faithfully,
Pains and aches the war left me—
On the Chikaskee.
Six dollars a month is all my pension;
They think it quite enough for me,
For he can make his living fishing
On the Chikaskee.
The afternoon of life is now upon me
For I am a year past sixty-three
And all alone I sadly wonder
On the Chikaskee.
The shades of night are fast closing around me;
The wolves they howl most dismally,
And the owls they hoot above me—
On the Chikaskee.
If I should die out one the river,
Let Indian hands help bury me,
For they’ve always treated me kindly
On the Chikaskee.
When my boat rocks empty on the water
And Old Cap no more you see,
Please throw my poor dog Bum a biscuit
And kindly think of me.

Submitted by: Loyd Bishop

Cambridge City (IN) Tribune, 28 Aug 1873: "The New Salem correspondent of the Connersville Times
says Abe. Jinks was offered $20,000 for a half interest  in his overshot water wheel." New Salem is in Noble
 Twp, Rush County.

1880 census: Rushville, Rush Co IN -
Abraham Jenks, age 44, carpenter born OH, parents born OH
Sarah, age 33, born KY, parents born KY
 Nathan, age 11, Ross, age 9?, Cora, age 1

Civil War photo of Abraham Jinks, located at:
http://www.civilwarindiana.com/soldiers/reg016.html

Submitted by: Loyd Bishop

Civil War:
16th Regiment Infantry, Company C
Mustered out: 30 June 1865

1870 & 1880 Rush Co., Indiana federal census
Abraham Jinks is found to be living in Essex, Page County, Iowa in 1895.