The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-05-10

story deals the feNOlNef Was not per
fected A man about feet Z inches
In stature. named James Bowie, had
made knife of peculiar pattern. very
famous by reason Of the deadly man
ner IN which it was welded. 1t was
as a maker Of bowie knives that Pedro
the cutters renown spread from Louis
vile to the Rio Grande. He had
models Of bowie knives, of poniards,
Italian stilettos, Spanish cuchillos
(the true Spanish fighting weapon,) J
and the navajo. another dangerous
Spanish arm blanche But the true
bowie knife, he used to declare in mo
ments Of unwCnted discussion, was
fthe king of weapons in the hand of a
man Of courage-whO was cool and
brave, he always promised.
For his knives he charged what was
then, and would now bea large figure
He carefully examined his subject,
and measured him as a tailor would
measure customer for coat. He
had but two prices. For the first
quality of weapon the price was 500.
For the second, and for a we'll finish
ed hunting knife, S75. The knife,
when finished, was unlike anything
ever seen in this country The steel
was of a dull, grayish hue, somewhat
lighter weight than the ordinary
metal. The test to which it was sub
mitted was also unusual, Pedro
ground the point down fine, and made
the edge as sharp as razors. He
lol q l,,.l l,11al- D4 rlnrz,al 1,l- -,
the shop about four feet high and
three feet in diameter. In the center
Of this block he placed silver half
dollar or dollar.
"Now," he said IF [ drive that
blade through that coin at one stroke,
without dulling the point or edge, the
tempering is true. If | do not you do
not take it. You understand senhor?"
And then barring his brawny arm
to the elbow, he delivered one quick,
straight, downward blow. The point
never failed to go through the silver
and beyond, for from a quarter to a
half an inch. '.Ah, it is truew he
would say. Now, see if it will shave
the hair off my arm" And the tenn
pered steel would cut off the hair as
cleanl Y as the finest razor.
Now, the senior has a weapon he
can risk his life upon," he added, as
he plpced it in its fine alligator skin
sheath, handsomely mounted in silver,
and gave the customer leather strap
covered with some substance with
which to renew the edge should it
ever become slightly dulled.
The late Henry [. Hays who com
manded one of the Louisiana brigades
in the Army Of Northern Virginia, had
one of these knives that was given to
him by his brother, Col. Jack" Hays
of Texas, the famous commander Of
the regiment of Texas Rangers dur
ing and before the Mexican war He
said that IN twenty seven years Of use
this wonderful blade was sharpened
but three times.
Pedro's clients come from far and
wide. Early in his professional career
he made for each of the three Bowie
brothers, James Rein and Stephens,
knife modelled after that which James
Bowie used in eighteen deadly en-
counters, and covered with Mexican
blood, he held in his stiffening hand
when he died at the Alamo.
Pedro had many other clients. The
bowie knife was popular instrument
in the days when Plancus was consul.
The gentlemen OF the country all own
ed bowie knife and pair of derring-
ers. The derringer pistol in use be
fore the war was the deadliest pocket
, tirearm ever invented As a bone
breaker 1t never had an equal at close
range. Pedro had a business that
grew without advertising He made
fine hunting knife for Col. Wade
Hampton, the present generals father.
a lot of Kentucky admirers caused a
very handsomely ornamented one to
be presented to Major John G. Breck-
inridge. afterwards vice president.
Judge David NJ. Terry of California
owned one Of these knives, and could
drive it through a half dollar as skill
full as Pedro himself.
McClung, the lieutenant colonel OF
jefferson Davis regiment of Missis-
slppi Ritlemen, also had a beautiful
weapon made by Pedro 1t was gold
mounted, and had huge topaz set
in the end of its handle, and was tenn
pered 50 that Pedro cut one of Wes-
tenholm's best knives to pieces with
it, and never damaged its edge.
Doubtless he could have repeated the
feat of the Sultan Saladin, and cut in
twain lace handkerchief floating in
the air with this triple razor edged
blade
Cutters all over the country tried
IN vain to get his secret of preparing
the steel and tempering it to such ex-
qulslte tineness. But no, he would
not reveal it. His only helper was q