The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-01-10
A KENTUCKY PATRIARCH.
An intimate Friend of Daniel
Boone Still Alive and Active at
the Age of Ninety-eight.


DR.. Graham, of Louisville, Kentucky,
aged ninety-eight, is perhaps the sole
wing representative of the early pio-
1eers of that Safe. The Doctor was.
an intir ate friend of the redoubtable
hunter. Daniel Boone-hunted with him.
camped with him, heard the wolves and
The owls howl and boot about their camp.
fires, and saw the eyes of the panthers
in the darkness, and listened for the
steaIthy tread of the savaae-yet he is
sti alive and active, and draws a bead
with rifle at the age of ninely-eight.
A correspondent OF the Cincinnati
Commercial met the venerahle Nimrod
as be was assisting HE daughter, The
widow of the late Governor Brarhiette.
into the cars. In the course of f1fs
conversation he was asked as to The
truth Of the report that be had once,
when over seventy, offered to shoot
against any man in the world with
rife for $40, 600.
mo, SIR he replied, 81 ain not q
betting man. do not thiukI ever made
wager 10 my lie. though l was oncs
sorely tempted to do go, and this fdri
nishes the foundation of The story you
have heard. A gun maker, or a drum
mer Of concern in st. Louis, which
sold guns, named Dimmicl5, visited Ken
lucky nearly thirty years ago, and chal:
.enged everybody to shoot with him. IL
was done to advertise the superiority of
his rifles. He did have several shoot
ing contests, and was invariably success
ful, nearly all the old hunters being dead,
or unfit from age to compete with him,
while the younger generation wefe se.
customed only to hunting small game
with the shotgun. He issued printed
circulars headed, * ntucky Humhug,"
and Dragged loudly of his achievements
had heard of this, and when he visited
my town, Harrodsburg, l fell, disposed
to, try conclusions with him, although I
was very busy at The time, having at least
five hundred guests At my sp ings 10
look sitter. He kept at his boastings,
and one day | shouldered my rife and
hunted him up. found him at gun
smiths shop, and was introduced to
him by the proprietor, who said Here's
an old man that can beat you shooting
! was old enough to have been his grand
father He laughed, and said be thought
not. then told him that had specially
sought for him. having heard of his
boasts that he could beat any man in
Kentucky with rife. would now
shoot with him and we settled the poirt
in fifteen minutes. He asked what
amount / wanted to shoot for. / replied
that / never shot for money; but was
willing to test our respective skill and
attempt TO maintain the ancient credit of
Kentucky for rife-shooting. He said he
would not shoot unless for stakes. 1
got little ried and asked him what
amonnt of money would induce him to
test his skill; that would shoot for $50
He said that was not enough Then
make it five hundred said i haven't
that much with me, he answered. Well
said ], i don't know you from Adams
of OK, but / will put up $500 cash
against your note for. thst amount, il
you will shoot with me- He again ex-
cused himself. and said he vas not very
we'll, and that he would see me again l
noticed that he was pale, and that bis
hand trembled, and although l had new
er seen him fire, L knew that had him.
"The next day Beriah Magoffln, after
ward Governor of Kentucky. who was
of the Boone Shooting Glib, CT
which was President, met the. fellow,
and made wager with him. the amount
Of which have forgotten, but forfeit
Of fifty dollars was put up, that / could
beat him at hundred yards. .zsOn the
lay fixed for the match, he called upon
me and explained that his business was
to sell guns; that to beat me would not
be particularly advantageous to him, but
20 be beaten by me might greatly injure
him, and be had wife and children to
he could not afford to make
The trial nor to lose the money. and he
begged me to let him off. told him
lad nothing to do with the wager, but
would consent, as far as / was concerned,
20 let him off. Magoffin, ! believe, re-
turned him his forteik d 81 esr ~
"After- he got back to St. Louis he
published boastful account of his prac.
lice in Kentucky, never alluding to bis
affair with me, when the Boone Club
publicly advertised that it would back
me to shoot against any man iu the world
Tor the sum of $4,000
"The challenge stood for long time
without acceptance, when 1t was an
bounced in San Francisco paper that
an expert of that city had taken it up.
As soon as the intelligence came East, l
was beset by gamblers and Others, for
points as TO the match, and fearing some
.ascality and the disturbance of a mob
u roughs, l purchased lumber and was
about to erect an inclosure to accommo-
late the judges and myself and opponent,
md few invited guests Near the time
he trial was TO take place the Californian
arrived, and who do you imagine it was?
MY son Jim-the scamp--who had emil
grated to the Pacific coast in 184S. He
had played 1t as q joke upon me-"