The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09

agood deal disturbed by the crews OF rough
hatboatmen. large number OF whose boats
| were lying in tho river below the town. One
! morning after service was ended number Of
gentlemen held meeting to decide upon some
measure to abate this trouble. Among them
the parson, who was n newcomer noticed
small man. whose only popularity was pair
OF steoly blue ringcd eyes-eyes like Wildcats
will attend the service tonight. gentle-
men, said he in low voice. and will help you
to settle any difficulty that may occur
This seemed very satisfactory to those pres
ent. hut the clergyman somehow forgot to ask
who he was. The evening service had begun.
just as the preacher was about giving out the
|, second hymn big Kentucky natboatman stag
Eered up in front OF the pulpit and gave the
Choctaw warwhoop. In second tho little man
had him by the collar with his left hand and in
his right had aknifo. with its point against the
boatman's brawny throat
II you say another word or make the
slightest noise by God I'll drive this knife
through your neck from ear to ear
The big man trembled like n leaf and ST.
lently took seat, while the other. putting his
knife out Of sight. joined with great fervor in
singing the hymn. There was never puietcr
meeting held than that was thereafter.
Who was the gentleman who so speedily
settled the difficulty tonight 2 asked the min
know| his friend replied. That was James
Bowie"
The knife to which the dead slayer gave his
name has passed almost wholly out Of use even
in the wilder portions OF tho Southwest. Here
and there one is found occasionally. but it Is
kept merely as a souvenir. Even in Arkansas
the toothpIck, which was an exaggerated
bowie. has gone into dosuctude The cause OF
this is the advance in firearms Against the
~ H.. IL
fury the bowie knife was a terrible weapon.
but 1t began to lose its potency with the inven-
ton and perfection Of the derringer. This arm
was tho product OF gunsmith OF much skill
who lived In Philadelphia. His name was
DcrrinGer. In the '3O's he got a contract to arm
tho First Regiment Of Dragons. Just Gre
ated by act Of Congress. He made for them.
two thousand holster pistols. carrying thirty
bullets to the pound" Their officers wanted
a finer arm. 80 he made thirty-sx pairs OF
pistols OF the type that subsequently came
into universal use in the personal encounters
OF that time. This pistol had four inches OF
barrel and its bullets ran sixty to the pound.
Because OF n popularity Of boring and the
size OF the powder chamber its missiles at
tanned velocity which was then very high.
and they developed great bone-smash-
ing and shocking capacity. They were
as much superior to the old smooth
bored horse dueling pistol as the
bowie was superior to tho crude and
comparatively inofrensive knives which pre-
coded II. Ten PAGES was tho derrin-
gers favorte range. At that distance. If
correctly pointed. it would splinter an arm o.
leg as il the bullet were explosive. Against
this light and easily hidden weapon the bowie
stood little show 1t 10 true that the derrlnger
could be fired not oftener than once in five
minutes. but itsowner took care that the one
fire was made to count Its stopping capacity
made It to be dreaded by the man with the
knife. 1t had. though. to be held with exact
ness. or he who used 1t would find himself
chopped to pieces. 1t checked the growth OF
the bowie. however, and its work OF discour-
agcment was completed by the revolver. The
man really responsible for the decadence and
final extingushment OF the bowie knife was
Samuel Colt