Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-01-23
KNIVES THAT KILL.
Blades That Were Made for Business In
the Early California Days.


In 1858 NJ. Price, who then had a
small cutlery shop, sat up nights and
made fine bowie knife, which he ex-
hibited in the first Mechanics fair held
in San Francisco. After the fair Ward
Eaton took the knife to the Bank Ex-
change and ratified it for $3.50. Price had
taken great care in tempering the blade,
and had offered to forfeit 500 If any
better steel could be found. At that
time Billy Allison, of Yolo. was MAX
ing knives, which were sought by all men
who wanted reliable weapons. Surveyor
Gen. Higley had an Allison knife, and
be backed it against Prices blade. The
test was made in the Bank Exchange
and aroused as much interest as Il ma
tional election. Gen. Higley laid half
dollar On the counter and drove the
Allison blade through it without turning
the point OF edge. Ward Eaton WELD
ed the Price blade with steady, strong
arm, and achieved the same feat. Gen.
Higley then tried two half dollars, ana
and the point of his knife turned.
Eaten piled up three of the coins, drove
the Price through them, and when he
raised the weapon the three half dollars
were impaled on the point, which was
not turned.
That made Prices bowie knives as
famous on this coast as Toledo blades
were in Spain, and every man VINO went
heeled had to have one. Marion
| Moore, noted mining and sporting
| man, whose nitro-glycerine blew up
Wells, Fargo & Co.'s express Office on
| the corner of California and Montgom-
cry Streets, ordered of Price the best
knife he could make. Moore gave
Price gold brick and piece of gold
quartz that he had taken out of a mine
| with his own hands, and told him to
work the metal in. Price made an
eight-inch bowie, having a gold handle
inlaid with quartz. Moore paid $I75
for the weapon, and handed back to
Price the gold that was left over.
Moore's lawyer, McCabe, got a gold
mounted knife for 800, and these
two expensive weapons played lead
ing part in bloody tragedy in White
Pine, New. Moore had a mine there
and, as was usual in those days, some
body tried to jump the claim. Moore
and McCabe were caught In the tunnel
by band of fighters hired by the other
claimants, and cut their way out with
their bowie knives. Several men were
killed in the fight, and as most of the
dead had only knife wounds, it is sup
posed that Moore and his lawyer did
some game and lively work.
A little gambler named Barney Ken
nv used 6a-inch bowie of Price make
with deadly effect about eighteen years
ago. He was playing poker with three
other sports In saloon in Portland,
Ore. Somebody was caught cheating,
and Barney grabbed the pot. Instantly
the three confederates pulled their pis-
| tolls and blazed away at Barney, who
drew his knife and waded In desperate
ly. After brief but furious combat.
in which fifteen shots were fired, Bar
ney walked out of the room. leaving
the other three on the floor. One was
dead. second MORALLY wounded, and
the third cut so badly that he had to be
in hospital for months. In 1861 Price
made two knives for Col. Jack Gamble,
who supplied Mexican gold onzas for
the handle frames. The handles were
! inlaid with alkaline shell and gold
| quartz, and the colonel paid $500 for the
two weapons. Gamble gave one to his
| friend, George Norris, who lost it some
years later. It was a mere fancy of Gam
ble's to have such weapon, as he was
never known to use 1t. Joe Winters, in
1864, walked into Prices place with two
| friends. saw three $75 knives in the
| case, bousht them, and turning around
| presented one to each Of his cOmpan
10 ms just as he would hand about cigars.
| One of the men who bought an extrav-
agantly expensive knife from Price
came into the shop some time after
| fight had occurred in mine and several
men had been carved to death, and ex-
changed the weapon for some other
wares. AS he put the gold-mounted
bowie down he said with SILVER that
he would never use knife again.
When the weapon was examined the
blade was found rusted with blood, and
there was blood even in the crevices
between the slabs of the handle and
the frame. There were no guards on
the hits of these knives, because the
men who bought them carried them for
sudden use, and guard is likely to
catch in the clothing and delay the
draw.
The first big knives made by Price
were for party of United States sur
veyors. who wanted them as substitutes
for axes in cutting trails through the
brush. The blades were twelve inches
long and very heavy. and in the hands
of strong man would cut a persons
head off at one blow.