Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-06-26
Oavy Crockett.

1t was during his first session as
Legislator" that Davy met with James
h. Polk, afterwards President of the
United States, but then only an unnO-
tice young lawyer. Both happened one
day to be standing in crowd of MEM
bers. Polk remarked that bill would
be Immediately introduced to alter the
judiciary. Crockett, who did not know
what the deuce the word judiciary
meant, briefly replied, 81 s'pose SO"
and to cover up his ignorance hastily
slipped away from the crowd. Some
time after he got to Nashville. never
having been in town before, Colonel
Crockett became the hero of another ex-
perlence, which, afterwards, when a
member of Congress, he was fond OF
relating to his friends. He was invited
to pay visit to billiard saloon-the
best in Nashville. He had never heard
of billiards much, and had never seen
them played. Arriving at the saloon.
his curiosity was greatly excited at see
ing some men with long sticks showing
and punching at pretty red and white
balls, which would roll off into their
proper receptacles. He left highly
pleased. 1t was during the same period
that Crockett was invited to splendid
supper and banquet at the fine and ar
istocratic mansion of Mr.. Irwin, i'm
Nashville. Colonel Crockett, arriving
at the house, strobe across the gallery
or piazza to the door. Looking in, he
was surprised to see the table-cloth
spread all over the floor, never having
before seen a carpet, except the one OF
bearskin which he had use1 on his cab
in floor in the woods. Not knowing
what the carpet was, and seeing no
way to get to the fireplace except by
crossing what he believed to be the Ia
ble-cloth, Colonel Crockett, in full view
of the other guests, cautiously looked
this way and that to see if there was
any chance except by crossing. At
last he muttered to himself, who in
the -is afraid?" He crept around
the carpet till the fireplace was reach
ed. Before supper was announced,
Mr.. Irwin and the ''boys" had high
old time listening to Davy's bar stories.
Now, he had never been at a banquet
before, and after the guests were seated
at the table, negro waiting boy came
up to the back of his chair and asked
if he would have tea or coffee. Crock
EFT replied, "Coffee, though have plen-
ty of sarsaparilla at home" Up step
ped the boy with the coffee on waiter.
Crockett, insisted not only on taking
the coffee, but the waiter also, and so
he and the boy had it lively for a while. |
Crockett was an old line Wing. and in
his first race for Congress from Tennes-
see clicked" Colonel Hunt, Democrat, !
awfully, beating him by tremendous
majority. While a member of that
body, and TO his daughter, who wrote |
asking his advice about accepting the |
hand of young man in marriage, he
addressed the famous expression,
First, be sure you're right, then go
ahead" And she did, to her satisfac- !
ton. Years rolled on. and Crockett, |
singularly enough, went to Texas, as
General Houston did, in time to take |
partin the great struggle of 1886 against
Santa Anna and the Mexican power. !
While Houston was appointed to COM
mand the Texan army, Crockett went |
TO San Antonio and offered his services |
to Colonel Travis, commanding the ILL |
fated garrison of the celebrated Alamo |
fortress. He perished with its defend I.
ers, all of whom were put 10 the sword I
by the Mexicans. Crockett's body was /
found in a corner of the fortress sur
rounded by a number of the enemy.
His name is embalmed in Texan history I
as one of Travis immortal band.