, 1881-07-09
JAMn BOWIE
Ansedotss " the Inventor Of The Bou1e Knife
Told By One Who Knew HIM

On one occasion Bowie, whose repura
ton had reached Memphis, arrived b,
boat AZ That city or wha. was then kniocwr
as the Third Chickasaw Bluffs. The bank.
from the boat landing to the top, wa,
sbou, one hundred and fifty feet high,
and large number Of people were wa,ch
ing the arrival Of the strangers. Look,
ing down, one Of them recognized Bowie
as he stepped ever the gang plank, and
made the remark, "There comes jim
Bowie"
""Whst shouted big flstbaa,man,
then known as the Memphis Terror" a.
lie looked down the bluff = what jim
Bowie That's the fellar I've been look
ing for for months. Jim Bowie Why,
him, I'll whip him 50 quick be
won't know what hurt him. I'll whip
him if 1 never whip another man as long
as live. Stand by, boys, and see the
iun y
Bowie came slowly up the bank In his
hand he carried an Old umbrella He
had ne pistols, and was evidently not ex-
pccting, or fact, prepared for tight.
This faet die not escape the POW thor-
oughly interested spectators. Up wen:
the hatboatman promptly, as Bowie
reached the top Of the bluff as your
name Jim Bowie p he asked.
Bowie replied that it vas.
'.Then," shouted the fiatboatman, As he
squared off, 81 think you damned rascal
and am going To whip you right here and
now. slsi.s-'. --.a- e. ,.-..
Bowie was Man Of few words He
stood and looked at his adversary, who
was more emhcldened than ever -
think you're coward, he yelled, "and
I'm gong to knock your head OFF, and So
saying, the Memphis Terror" advanced
TO the conflIct-
Bowie never tiinched. His keen eye
was fixed on the Terror, who at this
moment Mas face to fncc with him. But
as the man Of Memphis drew dirk from
his breast, Bowie stepped back foot and
thrust ont his umbrella as If To keep his
antagonist at bav The ''Memphis Ter
ror, seizing the 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 the right hand of Bowie bis muir
derous We .pon, which to this MON Mt has
been conc aled in the folds of the i'm
promptu sheath. The. sight of Bowie
standing there, with the knife in his
and the CLEAN OF veng ance in his eye,
Mas too ff,o'nH 'mnHuch' for thu; ''The Terror"
Bowie advanced step,
.:Don't-don't kill ME ;" beseeehed the
bully. "For Gods sake man don't go
for me with that scy,he, and | swear T."
you I'll never attack anoth-r man as long
as live"
Bowie looked at his row thoroughly
demoralized opponent for moment, and
then turning on his heel with the ex-
preston Coward" walked rapidly away,
Thenceforth the Memphis Terror WAS
a changed man, and until the day of his
death Le never lost TIE soubriqust Of
'Put-np-tlat-seythe."
Bowie was very fond of music and
aaacing,n and on occasions where he
could enjoy both he invariably appeared
in the best of humors, and the reserve
which had began to characterize HIM al
thistime appeared to thaw out Ii was
on one occasion at a dance, when he naS
in such favorable cindition, that | hal
a chance for free and easy chat with
him about some of the encounters IL
which he had been engage Referring
to the disparity In size between himself
and some of the men whom he had me;
in conflict, | asked hun how he regarded
his chances under such circumstances.
"Suppose, snid l, referring to man
of herculean build, who stord near,
" suppose you were attacked by such a
man as Hob johnson there. What
then
"Oh," dryly responded Bowie, 81
wnuld cut him down To nv size