Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-01-18
Sam Patoh,s Last jump.

While in Rochester, says Ell feTklhs'
met Mr.. Hebbard, an old resident OF Cen
esee county. who saw Sam Patch make
his famous jump off Genesee Fails, thirty .
or forty years ago. He Gays that Jump day .
was "A pre4t day in Rochester The people /
gathered for miles around to see this inter
mittent American jumper, as he performed ,
his last feat. ! shouldn't say Intermittent
Jumper, but chronic jumper, for Sam was
all the time as crazy to jump down a
waterfall as George Francis, our chronic
candidate for the Presidency, Is crazy to
run for the White House.
Sam Patch had previously Jumped over
Niagara. Theu, saying some things
can be done as well as others" he s|ashed
around like Sergeant Bates, through the
western part 0f the State, to back up his
proverb. Before his last jump he bought
4 big black bear OF circus man. and led
him over the turnpike to Rochester.
Sam was queer philosopher lie nad
a theory that each new generation had
more knowledge and could do greater deeds
/ than its predecessor. lie often said bis
father knew more than his grandfather,
and that he knew more than his iather.
"Why, thunderation Sam, by your
arguefving, your grandfather must have
been darned fool, interposed bystander )
but he only turned and commenced talk
ing about something else.
Sam was a great talker. His tongue
was always "On the run aud his body
con the Jump ;''and all for notoriety.
one day, when he was little boy, his
mother, VINO lived in a clearing near
Brockport, was speaking OF SANS pre-
cOeity.
the Bib.e like a spelling book, repeat the
catechism from ind bind, and slice apples
as well as his mother"
s'Yes," said sam San yesterday
= licked Bill Simpson, throwed the kittens
/ in the well, and jumped of the saw-mil
4 into the llume.
q Sam himself said he once came hom'
e tight, washed the face of the clock, anC
= then wound up the baby and set 10 torwdr,
c fifteen minutes.
- But about the great jump.
v The morning of the day came. san
had arrived i'm town with the black bear
: and the crowd rushed into Rochester frou
u miles around. Twelve O'Clock was tn
d hour to jump-to jump hundred fee
n down-down the terrible fall into the boil
g.; ing caldron below. A staging had bee
l. built out over the water, and Sam NJ
Is peafed on the staging, dressed in sailor
n fancy Jacket. Ills friends now took up
3
d and said after jumping himself he wOul
st return and throw the bear over. 1her
n amid death-like stiffness, he ran fe
s. steps and gave one leap into the air, an
ut fell, cutting the mist like a lead-sinke
X two hundred feet into The seething whir
ID POOL. As he left the staging his bod
Id assumed an oblique position, his hea
~ foremost, but above his feet. As
to struck the water there was a dreadf
" silence. while the populace awaited Wi
IN choking breath his temperance. o.
,ir minute, two minutes, three mintues, al
Id no signs of the daring jumper. Then u
" people sent up loud wail-a long mu
es mur of sorrow.
ed This was the eud Of Sam Patch.
x They say he had been drinking durii
the morning, and failed to keep his fe
of feet together and his body perpendicula
N, as on previous occasions So, when
s., struck the water, the breath left his bod
en- and he was knocked senseless, A mon
he or so afterward they found his body aw
ne down below Rochester, driited upon I
he rocks. He never returned to throw 10 I
he bear, or claim the money collected.
me believe in the doctrine of transmigl
its ton of souls, but on looking at the alma
be- ac nobody was born during the whole
that fatal day but George Francis Ira