Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-06-05

History Of PlReb-9FIsin Of Tie NsFd.
Immediately north Of the Memphis and
Ohio railrosd depot there Is 3 bend IN the
bayou, which once constituted a consider
abe lake. Its original beauty has been
destroyed, and the bed to some extent
filed up BY the building Of the heavy
embankment or Second street through it.
This lake was nee known by the name
of Catfish Bay, and bsds fair to become 8
place Of n small Importance. The land
ing was then quite contracted, M not
very safe for hatbOats. Those, therefore,
who wished to close out and break up, as
also family boats, found 10 very con-
venient to haul up into Catfish Bay,
which, as lis name indicates, was noted
for its abundance of fish. This fact and
the chespness of old rubbish lumber with
which to build shanties, induced a num-
Der Of poor families to settle upon its
banks. One group OF mean houses, noted
for the apparent restitution of its occu-
pants, a whose masters were
IN constant attendance at the Old Bell
Tavern, rendering important service
TO that institution by assisting to swell
the bills when liquor for all hands was
ordered-tO this group of shanties old
Craven Peyton gave the name Of Pinch
Gut" but whether this name was sug-
ges5ed BY the hungry appearances Of the
wives n children, or by the dUllness of
trade at the tavern, which sometimes sub
jected Che husbands to the ~disagreesble
necessity Of going home sober, I am IN
able to say. As might be expected, the
tOpsrs did not like the mans, and to re-
move it from the locality, they insisted
that it belonged to the opposite side of the
bay, whose residents in turn took UNI
bragg, and a feud was the consequences,
which was greatly enjoyed by those who
faucied themselves beyond the bounds
/ of either; but this proved a mistake.
More distant DeighbOrs settled the dis
pute by Jumping the whole surroundings
Of Catfish Bay under the general appella-
tion Of "Pinch Gut" or /" Pinch Bay"
II did not stop here, but continued to eX-
pand until it not only took in Smoky
Row, but threatened to invade the aristO-
/ cratic circles Of Auction Square. AlIeffOris
to stay its march had the contrary effect,
and a wide district became known as
Pinch. The name did good. It united
the psOple of that end of town to an ex-
tent that made them felt, and "Pinch'
became q power in the lsnd.
DAVID CROCKETT.
As I said before, Pinch was not without
her triumphs at elections, of which csudi-
dates at least seemed well aware. When
the famous David Crockett visited Mem
pbis in 1929, he paid marked respect to
Pinch and made q speech from ths dock
Of a fatboat in Catfish Bay, which was
better recsived though not so lengthy or
well attended as the one he made on the
Bluff, The latter consisted mainly of
anecdotes, in the recital CT which he
callsd all men. The coon in his story cut
a considerable figure; they we're generally
fresh and wholly original, and created
a crest deal Of bois5erous mirth. I haYs
seen most Of them published slnce. His
ulnafnn action in Man nhfa NAV hn Un=fhu
Of mention.
CROCKETT n EPPY WHITE.
He proposed to bet a gallon Of whisky
that he could jump further into the bay,
make bigger splash and wet himselfIess
than any other man in the crowd. To
his surprise Colonel Eppy White, who
weighed about three hundred pounds,
proposed to take b bet. Considerable
merriment wss created and q rich scene
expected. But Crockett, after taking a
survey of old Eppy's dimensions spoiled
it all by backing out, acknowledging the
corn and proposing to pay the whisky,
which he did q dOZsn times over. The
" biggest drunk" ever known IN this
bluff was the result.
Low DOWN sCULDUGGERY.
1 am happy to say that national poll
itics were not then brought into local
elections; but I am sorry to admit that
other subjects even less creditable we're
one Of which, The Poor MGn," was car
risd to a most disgusting extent. The
rivalry between opposing candidates de-
velOred itself in absurd promises to that
interesting bat desperately Wronged class,
the working men. To hear those philsn-
thrOpists talk, Oue would have thought it
was the duty Of the State to legislste every
man into q competency without requiring /
the slightest effort on his part, and if you
81 a1-aNal d. aL- - :
tainly be brought about. 1t is, perhaps, /
needless 80 say that Pinch was sound on
the Poor Man question, and if any snip
posed the old blOats of Catfish Bay welded
no influence they are very much mistaken.
But it was not to Pinch or even to the
State Of Tennessee that this ridiculous
conduct was confined. It psryaded sew
ersl, if not all, the surrounding States,
and that, too, from the high position of
Governor down. Oue man, at least, who
has since filed the Presidential chair,
was wholly indebted to the Poor Man
twaddle for his start in political life.
IKE RAWLINGS.
But let Us get back into Pinch. Amors
direct local triumph was effected by
Pinch in the defeat of old Ike Rawlings
for Mayor in 1881. Ike was considered in
vincible and was the special favCrite of
the upper end and " Uppe ten" It was
CLhlE50 A4Au 10 AaA buAuEA * Al5b 7 4LlELls ]
His opposition to the Bell Tavern and
other sinks Of iniquity was well enough;
when he attempted to enforce some
Of his laws about nUisances in and about
Catfish Bay, the thing Was insuffsrable.
IL seemed that b old fellow did not like
the smell of fish, especially after they had
sweltered several dsys on the bank, or
drif5ed around the bay, belly upward.
nuisance ordinance was denounced
by the Pinch orators as cruel, t~yrannicsl,
an infractiOn Of the poor mans rights and
B violation of the Constitution. This last
I think, was pretty well founded;
for the law was certainly very partial in
It's operation.
mi Of THE Law.
Seth Whestley, a young lawyer, thirst
.ng for knowledge M hOnors, was Sc
.ected as their champion. Being a full
head and shoulders taller than Ike he
thought to breathe a purer abmos-
1bere and to be entirely above vulgar !
scents, But this triumph over Rawlings |
the last Of Pinch, at least for several
years, In a few short months after
not 6 shanty adorned the banks Of Catfish
Bay, not a boat lay in her muddy bed or
on her filthy waters. The place !
lad become an intOlerable nuisance to the !
leighbOrhOCd, but how to abste 1t was I
question. True, il was private prop l
,rby, and one were more anxious TO see /
cleaned out b the owners, and al y
bOUgh nc fOrcible resistance was an1iCi- $
Dated, yet the poor man " cry carried a {
that the most heroic dared not face.
object, however, was effected in a sort
# Ku-klux manner.
DROWNING OUT THE PEOPLE.
The denizens of the bay, to free them I
elves from the charge Of creating q
Uissnce, layed it to Csrr's tannery, a
hort dfaEoupn ahnua which e. uaa gaFI D.,
their Vats sometimes into the
ayOu, rendering the water wholly unfit
D drink and killing the fish. This was n
o doubt the truth. About two nights y
Wheatley's election as Mayor, a per-
3ct sluice of tanOoze and filth was let 81
own upon the people Of Catfish Bay. Of a
purse nobody knew who did it; Il was il
vidently not done by any \ connected p
the tsnnery. Everybody disap- Il
roved of the act, or pretended to, and is
o doubt many Of them were f
ncer9. Providence, however, came to
leir relief, a large eddy had formed in
ont Of the town, covering all that space d
nee occupied by the bstture, making IL
safe for family boats, as also a
-eat resort for fish. The boats were soon
)ated out, the others we're sold and
oxen up, the shanties taken down and
to other localities. Merchants and ci
generally were very liberal, and B
.e whole Was accomplished in q short q
me and with the best of feelings. The
d topers we're kept full for several days,
ter which all quoted down, and Che
Of Catfish Bay was mentioned
Id was almost forgotten What q pity
had not remained sol =,
J. 2. CURRIN. '
It was In the spring of 1887, I
ink, that James D. Currin, a young