Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-02-19
THE LAST JUMP OF SAM PATCH.

Il LII CEhAA1o WfAtcS W TIC INcW Il Ofk = UNI
mereiaI Advertiser as follows;
While in Rochester met Mr.. Hebbard
an old resident Of Genesee county, who saw
Sam Patch make bis famous jump of Gem
esee Falls, thirty or forty years ago. he
says that jump day was q great day in
Rochester. The people gathered for miles
around to see this intermittent America u
| jumper as he performed bis last feat.
| shouldn't say intermittent jumper, but
| chronic jumper, for Sam was all the time
as crazy TO jump down waterfall, As George
Francis, our chronic candidate for the Pres.
ldency, Is crazy to run for the White
House.
Sam Patch had previously jumped over
Niagara. Then, saying "some things can
be done as well as Others" he sIashed
around like Sergeant Bates through the wes-
tern part Of the State to back up his prov
erb. Before bis last jump be bought big
black bear OF circus man, and led over the
turnpike TO Rochester.
Sam was queer philosopher. He had
theory that each new generation had more
knowledge and could do greater deeds than
his predecessor. He often said that his
father knew more than his
grandfather, and that he knew more than
bis father.
"Why, thunderationl Sam, by your ar
guefying, your grandfather must have been
darnea fool" interposed bystander; but
only turned around and commenced talk
ing about something else.
Sam was great taIker. His tongue was
always con the run" and his body son the
jump" and all for notoriety. a... q.
One day when he was q little boy, his
mother who lived in clearing near Bro C. k
port, speaking of Sans precocity.
"Why, said she, sour Sam can read the
the Bible like spelling-book, repeat the
catechism from ind to ind, and slice apples
as wei as his mother" 1919
"Yes," said Sam; sam yesterday I licked
Bill Simpson, throwed the kittens In the
well, and jumped off the saw-mill into the
fume."
Sam himself said be once came homs
tight, washed the face the clock, and then
wound up the baby and set it forward fif-
teen minutes.
But about the great jump. /
The morning of the day came. Sam had
arrived in town with the black bear, and
the crowd rushed into Rochester from miles
around. Twelve O'Clock was the hour to
jump-tOj jump hundred feet downtown
the terrible fall into the boiling cauldron be-
low. A staging had been built out over the
water, and Sam appeared on the staging
dressed in a sailor's fancy jacket. His
friends now took up collection on shore,
while Sam swung bis hat and said after
jumping himself he would return and throw
the bear over. Then, amid a death-lke
stiffness, he ran few steps and gave one
leap into the air and fell, cutting the mist
like lead-sinker, two hundred feet into
the seething whirlpool. As he left the stag
ling his body assumed an obliqne position,
his head foremost, above his feet. Is he
struck the water there was q dreadful sill
ence, while the populace awaited with chok-
Ing breath his temperance. One minute
two minutes-three minutes-snd no
signs of the daring jumper. Then the peo-
pie sent up loud Wail-a long murmur Of
sorrow.
This was the end of Sam Patch.
They say he had been drinking during the
morning, and failed to keep his feet togeth-
er and his body perpendicular, as on prev
ious occasions. So when be struck the
water the breath left his body and be was
knocked senseiess. A month or so after
ward they found his body away down be-
low Rochester, drifted upon the rocks. He
claim the money collected.
believe in the doctrine of transmigra-
ton of souls, but on looking at the alma
nae nobody was born during the whole of
that fatal day but George Francis Train.