Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-06-25
JAMES BOWIE.
An Anecdste Of the Inventor Of the
Bowie Knife Told by one Whe
Knew Him.


Bowie Knife TOld.by one whs
Knew Him.
On one occasion Bowie, whose reputa-
tion had reached Memphis arrived by
boat at the city, or rather at what was
then known as the Third Chickasaw
Bluffs. The bank from the beat landing
10 the top was about one hundred and
fifty feet high, and large number Of
people were watching the arrival Of tho
strangers. Looking down one of them
recognized Bowie as he stepped over the
gangplank and made the remark. "Thers
comes jim Bowie
What shouted big hat-boatman,
then known as the "Memphis Terror
as he looked down the bluff; "wha., JIM
Bowies That's the fellow | have been
| looking tor for months. Jim Bowie
Why -- him, I'll whip him SO
quick he won't know what hurt him
III whip him if ] never whip another
man as long as live! Stand by, boys,
and see the fun"
| Bowie came slowly up the bank. In
his hand he carried an old umbrella.
He had no pistols, and was evidently
not expecting or in fact prepared for =
fight This fact did not escape the now
thoroughly interested spectators. Up
went the fat-boatman promptly as
Bowie reached the top Of the bluff. 'Is
your name Jim Bowler he asked.
Bowie replied that it was
"rhen," shouted the fat boatman,
as he squared of, ~ think You id
rascal and Pm going to whip you right
here and now"
"Bowie was a man Of few words. Flo
stood and gazed at his adversary, who
was more emboldened than ever. "l
think you're id coward be yelled,
land I'm going to knock Your head off,"
and so saying the memphis Terror" adj
vauced to the conflict.
Bowie never flnched, his keen eys
was fixed On the Terror who at this
moment was face to face with him. But
as the man of Memphis drew dirk from
his breast, Bowie stepped back a foot
and thrust out his umbrella as if to keep
his antagonist at bay.
The Memphis Terror Selling tho
umbrella with one hand, made pass at
the inventor Of the famous knife with
the other. In SO doing he pulled the
umbrella to himself, leaving free in tho
right hand Of Bowie his murdsrons
weapon, which to this moment had been
concealed in the folds of the impromtu
sheath. The sight Of Bowie standing
there, with the knife in his hand and
the CLEAN of vengeance in his eye, was
too much for the ''Terror.n
From the bouncing bully he became
transformed into craven coward ia u
second. His face turned pale and his
knees trembled, while the dirk dropped
from his hands as he gazed on Bowie's
weapon with startling yes. "Put it
up; put away that scythe, for Gods
sake, Bowie. | was mistaken in ny
man"
Bowie advanced step.
'Don't-don't kill mew beseeched the
bully "for Gods sake man, don't 90 for
me with that scythe and swear TO you
I'll never attack another man as long an
l live"
"Bowie looked at his now thoroughly
demoralized opponent for a moment,
and then turning On his heel with the
expression, Coward" walked rapidly
away. Thenceforth the Memphis "Ter-
ror" was changed man, and until the
day of his death he never lost the sobri-
quet of ''Put-up-that-scythe.'
| 1'o"'N WIS wi iolAi Va iH'i1tL bbt
dancing and on occasions where lie could
enjoy both heinvariably appeared 10 The
best Of humor, and the reserve which
had begun TO characterize him al this
time appeared to thaw ont. Ii was OF
one occasion at a dance, when he was 10
such favorable conditions, that ! had an
opportunity for a free-and-easy chat
with him about some of the encounters in
which be had been engaged. Referring
to the disparity in size between himself
and some of the men whom he had net
in conflict, l asked him how heregarded
his chances under such circumstances
Suppose" said /, referring TO man
of herculean build, who stood near,
Suppose you were attacked by such .
man as Hob johnson there. What them;
"Oh," dryly responded Bowie, III