San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-08-10
DAyY CROCKETT.
u,r lie Came to Seek the wilds OF Texas.
San Francisco Examiner.


But our purpose is to relate the Incl
,.nt which led Davy Crockett to aban-
son his home in Tennessee, and the
s Genes of his earlier activities and
fame and seek the wilds of Texas.
navy was what We might call king
sos in border life, and in many respects
"a character was sal generis. As it
.oouires centuries for the production
n a character like that of Washington,
90 we'll poised, rounded, and in all
no;pts fitted to the place and work
ass;pned him, so man like Dayy
crockett, in the peculiar adaptation to
his life work, does not appear in gener-
atoms. The detail of his career are
familiar to most Americans. For q
time he represented district of Ten
nsssee in the lower branch of Congress-,
and he was recognized as a political
mower in that State. Bluff, brave, and
endowed with remarkable shrewdness,
he possessed also bearing and mag
netism which could not fail to attract
the regard and inspire the confidence
of his rugged constituency. .,
These qualities, supplemented by
the common relation among the people
of the tales of his wonderful feats and
ventures in the wild contests of border
life, suggested his political leadership,
and procured his selection as their rep
resentative. But Davy like most rep
resentatives, has hid political enemies;
and as every representative should. be,
he was held to strict responsibility
and accountability as their public serv-
ant by the "fierce Democracy"
On the expiration of his last term in
Congress, his heart was very much set
upon reelection. He saw that this
was impossible, however, unless he
could manage to conciliate large and
influential family connection in por-
ton of his district who bore the name
of Murray, and whom he had alienated
by some public act. So he set about
tocapture The influence of this Murray
crowd" as they were called there.
There happened to be member of that
family whose name was John Murray,
and who was sort of chief in the
clan, in consequence of his conceded
superior intelligence. This he had
acquired by unusual advantages of
travel and contact with the outside
world, which necessarily attached to
his vocation-that of driving mules
down into Georgia and the Carolinas
to sell and trade with the planters.
This experience made John quite
talker, and raised him to the position
of kind of Sir Oracle in his circle.
In fact he ahad achieved from his &C.
quaintances the adulation Of Gold
smiths Village Pedagogue,
"For still he talked, and still the
wonder grew
That one small head could carry
all he knew"
Crockett saw that to capture his favor
was to secure the support of the whole
tribe, 50 he made this his objective
point. With him, to decide was to act
First be sure you are ri 3ht, then 60
ahead" was his motto and inspiration,
and afterward his bequest to his coun-
trymen. So, mounting his old gray
mare, followed by her yearling mule
colt, he rode off to crossroad grocery,
located in the Murray settlement, a
noted meeting place of the citizens OF
the yicinage for barter, trade and poll
tical discussion, with the usual accom-
panlments. The Murrays were con-
slant attendants there. On his arrival
be found quite number of the sover-
eigns loafng around, and after saluta-
lions, and having refreshed the inner
man of himself and the crowd, he de-
,ided to spring his trap.
well, boys" says he, Il come down
here for purpose. I have been think
ing the matter over, and I want to make
John Murray sheriff of this county"
The remark eIiciting a general ex-
preston of surprise, the storekeeper
made bold to declare that it would not
10, as John did not have the necessary
he could not write.
WELL" replied Crockett, that