The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-12-19
DANIEL BOONE.
Local Facts Concerning Him-De-
scriptiOn of His Old Rifle.

Kentucky, an interest in the pioneer in
Western daring and enterprise whose
name heads this sketch, and locally as
we'll as elsewhere new facts concerning
the man who dared and accomplished so
much. are likely TO prove of interest
There is held to-day in St. Louis, a
souvenir of Daniel Boone, ,smo-e interes-
ting in It's character, perhaps, than any
other that could be suggested. Not the
deadly rifle of Leatherstocking, the he
70 of Cooper, has been made more ia
nous than the weapon of Boone,
and the identical rife which Boone
once carried MAJ be seen at almost any
time BY one who has curiosity to make
a short trip from the vicinity of the
Court House. Mr.. J. p. Bates, the
taxide-mist, whose location IS at No.
2O94 Sixth street, has in his possession
the arm around which cluster so many
interesting a@oc;ations. As II IS usual
ly represented in the school books, the
old rifle rests IN immediate jnztaposition
with the fruits Of :ne hunters skill. In
Mr.. Bafes' place the antle-s of elk and
deer are suspended about, and the stuff
ed form of va.i..us animals and birds
add to .he appropriateness of the sur
rounding The gun, upon which, 1t is
needless. TO say, Mr. Bates sets great
store, bears not much resem alliance 30
the finished breech-loaders of the pres
ent dav. It was not perhaps SO conven-
lent as they, but if history be correct 1t
answered every purpose OF more i'm
proved model. Probably Boone wanted
only a gun hat would kill. The arm is
an old Kentucky rife, with n long bar
rel and a carved wooden stock, the wood
extending, as was once customary, to
the muzzle of .he piece. The gun was
originally provided with a flint lock,
but has been altered to cap-lock. The
bore is large and takesa ball of sufficient
size to prove very Difficult of carriage for
bear or Indian. A hickory ramrod oc-
cupies its appropriate place below the
barrel, where it is secured by three
thimbles fastened to tie long wood. 1t
is not probable that the ramrod is OF
corresponding antiquity with the gun,
for ramrods are proverbially perishable
property. This is, however, -"goOd
stick" and fits well in It's place
An old-fashioned patch-box is set into
one side of the stock, and opposite the
patch-box is silver plate bearing the
name of Colonel William Whitley
Such is description of this famous gun
Attached to The piece is a card which
reads: "This gun was purchased from
Daniel Boone, in 1768, by Col. William
Whitley, of Crab Orchard, KY, who
was killed in the battle of the Thames
1872"
The gun was bought of Boone, as sta
ted in the card, in 1868, and upon the
death of its purchaser was still retained
in his family. Some years before the
late rebellion, when NJ. Bates was
manager of the St. Louis Museum, the
sun was left in the hands of Mr.. Bate'
for safe keeping, by Andrew L. Whit
lev, its then owner. The war came, and
the gun was never called for again.
The facts in the case are such as to leave
little room for doubt regarding the ac
tual history of the piece. The date a
which the gun was purchased from Dan
iel Boone indicate that it must have
been used By him in one of the mos
exciting occurrences of his life; and look
ing at the weapon, it requires no stretcl
of the imagination to conceive that /
has been the instrument of death t.
many a red-skin and other "yarmint" o
the forest. There is a history written IL
the scratches and indentations on it
stock and long barrel. The most ex
travagant stories are told of Boone's skill
with the rife, as, for instance, the shoot
ing of an Indian at long range while tn
red-skin was holding the captured bab
of a settler before his body as shield
) to deter Boone from firing. Numerou
instances Of similar feats are given b
the backwoods historians, and it is be
yond doubt that, for steadiEess of Derv
and for excellence i'll all kinds of from
tier mplishments, he was without
master. As one looks on this pattere
old rife, which he used to carry throug
the Kentucky wilds, one feels that it
worth while seeing the most celebrate
rifle in the world AS is well know
Boone moved west when the soil of Ker
lucky had become inconveniently crowo
ed with population of ten to The squa1
mile, Notwithstanding the fact that b
died in the present century, there al
varied conflicting accounts regarding tn
' circumstances of his death, and the sui
s sequent removal of his remains frol
!, Missouri. One account says he die
|, near and was buried on the banks
e Tuque creek, in Warren county, viii
Y an older account is that he was burie
= at Charrette There is a general beli'
e prevalent, howe yer, in Phelps count
n that he died and was buried near tt
# great spring which forms the source
= the Meramec. This was one of his f
h vorite hunting ranges, and about th
r. neighborhood he passed large portic
It of his time The spring in question
d at no great distance from Rolla, and
l. also about six miles distant from
e James, on the Atlantic and Pacific Roa
II Boone died in 1922, and when his I
l. mains we're first disturbed they we
taken to Moselle. Afterwards the Sta
d of Kentucky had his remains remove
is to her own soil, where they now rest.
" REMEDY FOR CHAPPED HANDS.
= An exchange says: The easiest and sir
p plest remedy is 70 nd in every sto
= room. Take common starch and gril