The Progress., 1897-07-24

passed the historic
town of Natchez
on her upward
trip All of the
marty except myself were VIC ,terners of the
old regime, and our attcn; ion was natu-
rally drawn to the little island opposite
Natchez made famous by Jim Bowie's
most desperate battles. was the tender
foot Of the crowd, and had mover taken the
pains to learn whether the great border
hero belonged to an era Of ono scoro or
three score years ago.
"But my first adventures lay along his
fresh trail, and made study of his
career. In fact, it las been II fad with me,
and IL there is any man living who can tell
anything new about Jim Eowie should
be glad to meet him.
"I left Old Pike for the newer west
lust after the war, in tho days OF the
YounRers and the James brothers, and was
on the plains during the ralmy times OF
railroad building. I have summoned on
the Platte and wintered Oh the Rio Grande
when the wild Sioux and the bloody Apache
were on the warpath. Comanche Bill, the
terror of Wyoming, and Bob Olinger, the
Arizona outlaw, both came to their better
senses more than once at the business end
of my cold steel. All, those were rough
days! A man had to look out for himself
then, and--well, I learned to appreciate
terstand the reason of an Irishnan's par
TALLY for the shillalah over the shooting
iron ooh, shillalah you never miss fire!
saws Pat as he fondles the polished knob
of his stout Irish oak. In almost the same
words Jim Bowie eulogize;l the weapon for
which posterity has praised him for ut least
two generations. Said he, 1t Is more
trustworthy in the hands of strong man
than any pistol, for 1t will not snap And,
gentlemen, those are just my sentiments
about the bowie knife.
"There have been a dozen stories float
Ing around in the west about the origin OF
that famous knife I have run them all
to earth and come to the conclusion that
there is only one Of them worthy of belief.
One of the commonest stories Is that the
knife came into being as the result OF the
famous Maddox Wells duel, which TOOK
place on that island over yonder In 1927.
Dr. Maddox and S. Madison Wells were
the principals. Two shots were hreo WIN
out effect, and then the duelists and theil
friends engaged in a terrible melee. Eli
teen of the party were wounded and sly
killed. Bowie was one Of the participants
and it is said that he drew a knife wh1cl
had been made for him by u blacksmith
down at Shreveport out OF large rasp
and that with it he killed Major Norri
Wright. So pleased was he, AS the stor.
runs, that he sent the weapon TO Philadel
phia and had it fashioned into that knif
which was the model of the border for two
score years.
"Along with this tale runs another t
the effect that Bowie soon afterward en-
gagged in a terrible fight on that famou
island. In this fight Bowie was princl
pal, representing Mississippi, and his an
taponist was n Louisianian. The peopl
of Natchez made the occasion holida!
Bowie had for retainers 20 Mississippian!
and his antagonist had 90 picked friend
from the lowlands. These parties, Missi
sippians and Louisianians, took posit1o
behind their champions about 6o yards On
tant Those bluffs there on the Natcht
shore were thronged with people from tt
city, and steamers loaded with spectator