Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-01-09
SAM PATCH'S JUMP.
ssm.s characteristics and His Ea-
tai Jump.

SANS characteristics and His Fa-
tai Jump.
fAlI Perkins Rochester letter.
While in Rochester met Mr.. Hob. :
bard. an old resident of Genesee Coun-
ty, who saw Sam Patch make his IA /
NOUS jump off Genesee Falls, thirty or
forty years ago. He says that jump
day was a great day in Rochester. The
people gathered for miles around to see
this intermittent American Jumper, is
he performed his last feat. 1shouldn't
say intermittent jumper, but chronic
Jumper, for Sam was sll 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 Pstch had previously jumped
over Niagara. Then, saying some
things can be done as well as others,
he slashed around like Sergeant Bates
through the western part of the State
to back up his proverb. Before his
last jump ne bought big black bear OF
circus man, and led him over the
turnpike to Rochester.
Sam was queer philos pher. he
had a theory that each new generation
had more knowledge and could do
greater deeds than its predecessor. He
often said his father knew more than
his grandfather, and that he kne s
more than his father. .. E..
! "why, thunderation! Sam, by youl
, arsuefying. your grandfather mus
have been darned fool" interposed :
= bystander; but he only turned arount
and commenced talking about some
thing else. .
> Sam was great talker. His tonga
9 was always son the rnn,' and his bod.
II !, son the jump" and all for notoriety.
Il One day when he was a little boy
% his mother, who lived in a clearin
e near Brockport, was speaking OF sam
? precocity. ,....i ,--.,.,- ...t =
=, "Why," said she, "our Sam can fea s
!" the Bible like spelling-book, .rePes
;" thecstechism from ind to ind, an
slice apples az well as his mother. d"
'e eyes" said Sam; San yesterday
y licked Bill Simpson, throwed the XII
~ ~ tens in the well, and jumped off tt
~ saw-mill into the fiume." -
ia Sam himself said he once came hon
40 tight, washed the face Of the cloe
" 10 and then wound up the baby and set
~ torwad fifteen minutes" /" ,',...,. "a. -.
-. - But about the great jump. a 4
l@s @ The morning of the great day cam
:" =, Sam had arrived in town with {
oo black bear, and the crowd rushed in
~ Rochester from miles around. TWel
- o'clock was the hour to jump-to jun
hundred feet down down the ter
BILE fall into the boiling caidren belo
A staging had been built out over t
water, and Sam appeared on the st'
el- ina dressed in q sailors fancy jack
ah His friends now took up collection
-ne shore, while Sam swung MS nat
'ei- said after jumping himself re VT
Ihs return and throw the bear over. Th'
IN amid death-iike stiffness, he ran
he few steps and gave one leap into
ny air and fell, cutting the mist Ike IL
iie sinker, two hundred feet into
'ef' seething whirlpool. AS he struck
1s' water there was a dreadful siien
III while the populace awaited with ch
Il. ~ ing breath his re appearance. I
7ah' minute two rninutes-three minu
oio and no signs Of the daring jumr
W Then the people sent up loud Wall
u" loud murmur of SORROW. 5rl ia-
This was the end of Sam Patch.
They say he had been drinking G
r. ing the morning, and failed to X
;,ot his feet together and his body perr
!, iicular, as on previous occasions.
when he struck the water the bre
!, of left his body and he was knocked SCI
:. = less. A month or so afterward t
On found his body down below Roches
i drifted upon the rocks. He never
'u,o w turned to throw in the bear, or ci
'''o the money collected.
I believe in rhe doctrine of trans
on, grafton of souls, but on looking at
ave almanac nobody was born during
775 whole of that fatal day but Ge'
,riOr Francis Train.