The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-07-08
| SOUTH CAROLINA HERO.
UNTRAMaIELLED REcoLLEcr1oNs OF

mountain districts of South Carolina
there was a man by the name oil
Trammel. who, in his declining
| years became notorious in that re.
gion for Munchausenism. It was
his delight and chief source of pleas.
ure at all public gatherings, after
the joyful cup had passed around
quite freely, to relate the many
great exploits of his manhood days
the hardships and hairbreadth es-
capes, incident to pioneer life in the
mountains,-where hunting the deer,
bear, wolf and panther were their
chief sport. His educational facili-
ties were limited, so that if he did not
drink deep from the Pierian spring,
still he had the power to amuse a
crowd for hours with his rustic
stories. He repeated these so often
that it appears that he had actually
become to believe them to be truths.
For if any person seemed to doubt
their correctness, or his veracity, he
instantly took it as an insult. With
your permission, Mr.. Editor, l will
give your readers few of his exag-
gerated narratives, as best 1 can
from memory, though not so full,
and with that zest peculiar to their
author. In those times, he would
say that the winters were more
severe than now, and that they had
- I1ok 4 In nf
these great SHOWS fell during his
absence, on a visit to friends in the
lower &" "end of the district, and on
his return home, his house was in
visible; but riding up to where he
thought, was near the loved spot, he
hitched his /" mar to bush, as he
thought, and started on foot to look
about for the locality of the house.
BY and by he came to a "saft'
place in the snow, and under he
went, right down the chimney
found himself at home, to the great
joy of his wife and children. In
about three weeks the snow had
melted sufficiently for him to get out,
and on looking up in a large tree.
what should appear to his dazzled
optics but his gray "mar'' walking
about on the limbs eating mistleto
for living.
In those days, he said they did
not use trace chains like we have
now. but instead thereof, raw hide
straps. He took his "clitter and
sled'' out one day, to get load of
wood, and while out it rained SO
much as to thoroughly wet his
traces; after loading his sled he took
hold of the briddle and walked on
home, about one half mile but when
he got home the sled was not in
sight; readily divining the cause,
he took off the gears and hung them
over a stump. The next day the
sun shone out brightly, dried the
traces, and up slid the Sled, wood
and all. Said all this was so. and he
could prove it, if his brother was
alive.
He had very gentle male bovine
quadruped, which he plowed until
he layed by his "craps = he then
turned him out in tue range to fatten.
At wheat sowing time he went to
hunt for the same beast, found him
about ten miles from home, and as
wild as buck Now to get him
home and tame the tarnal foor'
was the question. Quick at conclu-
sions, and but little time to spare.
he slipped up cautiously behind him,
being barefoot at the time; with
quick bound he caught the bull by
the narrative, clinched his hams
strings with his toes, and away they
go down the mountain, over hill and
dale, through creeks and branches
until they arrive at home. He then
finds his animal as quiet as lamb,
completely tanned, showing what
perseverance and pluck the pioneers
had. This was also true and he
could prove it if his brother was
alive.
In his manhood days, he was the
lion of the neighborhood-of Hercu-
lean powers "a young American
Samson. He did not have much
fighting to do, however. as the neigh
bors knew full well, that to engage
him in regular fist-a-cuf would be
certain defeat - certain to get a
sound thrashing. He occasionally
had to lick stranger, or some bois-
ferrous bully, in self defence. The
reputation of man of such nerve
and fighting capacity could not be
confined to the narrow limits of the
mountain district of South Carolina.
His name and fame and gone to the
then, far distant West, away out in
the Alabam." A man out there,
claiming to be somewhat of fight
ist himself - well trained in the
pugieistic art, sent him word that
he intended soon to visit him, 10
contest his right to the champion
ship. That was was before the days
of railroads, and when very large
cattle were driven to Charleston.
He was out on the big road one day,
looking at these large steers pass,
when casting his eye down the road,
he saw a stalwart form Of the ge-
nus homo walking leisurely along
with two mill-stones in his hands,
cracking them together with as much
apparent indifference as you would
two common pound rocks. Feeling
that something must be done at
once to scare this man Gnstinctively
knowing it to be the Albanian
come to thrash him. he caught one
of these two thousand pound steers
by the tail and threw him over
two story house, with as much ease
as a boy would an India rubber ball.
The astonished Alabamiau threw
down his miIl-stones and declined to
engage in mortal combat with a man
of such superior strength. He said
de was " monstrous glad of it" did