The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1881-07-21
u n WI E:ss HID w -.
Aaa aaecd1Otes of tzae EmyeRatOr of 4fae
Bowie Knife. Told by One
who Knew Eisaa.

Anecdotes of tzae Enyentor of afae
Bowie Knife. Told by One
who Knew Hisn.
On one occasion Bowie, whose reputa-
tion had reached Memphis, arrived by
boat ut that city, or rather at what was
then known as the Third Chickasaw
Bluffs. The bank. from the boat landing
to the top, was about one hundred and
fifty feet high, and u large number OF
people were watching the arrival Of the
strangers. Looking down, one Of them
recognized Bowie is he stepped over the
gang-plank, and made the remark, *'There
comes Jim Bowie.
"W hat ~ shouted a big tiatboatman,
then known us the t'Memphis Terror" ae
he looked down the bluff; "What! J i'm
sowie? That's the fellow I've been look-
ing for fol. months. Jim Bowie. Why
---hinl,. Ill whip him SO quick, he WON'T
know what hurt him. I'll whip him, If |
never whip another man rs long as ! live.
stand by, boys, and see the fun.''
Bowie came slowly up the bank. III
his hand he carried an old umbrella. He
had no pistol, and was evidently not ex-
pecting, or Ill fact, prepared for fight.
This fact did not escape the now borough
" interested spectators. Up went the
tlatboatman promptly, as Bowie reached
the top Of the bluff. ssls your name Jim
BoWie:" lie asked.
Bowie replied that it was.
stThcn, = shouted the flatboatman, as he
squared off, Il think you a damned Ias-
cal, and I'm going to whip yoll right here
and now
Bowie was man Of few words. He
stood and gazed at his adversary, who was
more emboldened than ever. Il think
you're a coward" he yelled, ''and I'm
going to knock your head off, and SC
saying, the Memphis Terror advanced
to the conflict.
Bowie never 1iinched. His keen eye
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 rs If to keep his
antagonist at bay.
The ',Memphis Terror" seizing the UNI
brell;l with one hand, made u pass at The
inventor OF the famous knife with the
other. In so doing he pulled the nn1bTel,
III To himself, leaving free III the rigSt
hand OF Bowie his murderous weapon
which to this moment had been concealed
ii the folds Of the ilnpromptu sheath
The sight Of Bowie standing there, with
the knife in his hand and the CLEAN q
vengeance in his eye, was too much fol
stl'he Terror.
From the bouncing bully he became
transformed into craven coward III ;
second His face turned pale and lii
knees trembled, while the dirk dropped
from his hands as he gazed Oh BoWie's
weapon with staring eyes.
tsPub it up! Put away that scythe, fo1
Gods sake, Bowie. | was mistaken il
my man. =
! Bowie advanced q step.
/ stDon' 't---don't kill me-" beseeched tlt
bully; for Gods sake, man, don't go fo
me with the scythe, and ! swear to yot
| I'll never attack another man as long as
| live
Bowie looked it his now thorough,
6emoralized opponent for a moment, thel
ttrning on his heel with the expression
.sCowmd,', walked rapidly away Thence
| forth the Memphis Terror was
changed man, and until the day Of HI
death he never. lost the sobriquet Of sPtl
] up-that-scythe.'
Bowie was very fond ofmusfc and dane
] mo. and on occasions when he could en-
l ioy both he invariably appeared n RI
! hest of hunnor. and the reserve which ha
! begun to characterize him 1T this time ap
reared to thaW out. 1t was on one Of
easion it i dance, when he was II. sue
favorable conditions, that | had an Of
! portllniry for d free and easy chat VT
Z # a
i him about some Of the encounters in Whic
i he had been engaged. Referring e Il
1 disparity ii size between himself and som
] Of the men whom he had met IN contlic
i i asked him how he regarded his chance
under such circumstances.
s.suppose, said I, referring Go 9 ma
i of heleulean build, who stood near, 'snI
Il nose you were attacked BY such man !
: Bob j Johnson there. What then =
..Oh, sllyly responded Bowie,
j would cut him down e ny slze "
i Philadelphia Times.
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New London, Connecticut, oIl Jtll
lst, the Yale crew beat the Harvard :
u ID seconds