Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-01-09
RRleF HISTORICAL sxsrcA


RRlEF sT0RlCkL SKETCH &
/ 0i Uncis David Moss, u Great Hunter And M
TrapPer 81 Western North Carolina. b
Sapphire. January ditoys
Uoalier; There IS on my patrol; about
six miles west Of here, on the bank 4 oi
Tuckaseigee river, near the n,oat ati ,oi
Panther creeS5 10 a Ione log hut In this
hut lived one David Moss Tor years (and,
alone.) He was an old. Time hunter,
|'trappsr and guide. He was the most
wonderful character this se,tion eyss
produced. he courted solitude, q and
here in this cabin surely found 1t to his
hearts content. The mountains were I'd
him as an open book. He was a man OF
powerful build and had the constitution
Of an OK. You oan}yet SEQ tho big, old.
time rifle ball holes through the board
whore he shot at panthers when they
came et night to amuse him with their
hellish wales and promenaded along his
cabin roof when Uncle Dave had fresh
deer on tap,: and by this guess shooting,
killed one and possibly others he never
found. He was never olassed as a De
mosthenes for his oratory, yet he was no
mans fool, and could turn his hand to
anything that came his way. Once, after
wounding deer and while tracking 1t
by the blood, he heard 1t bleat, as they
do when hemmed and know death Is at
hand. He at once knew the cause and
crawled to the spot aud found hugo
panther In full possession of his game;
but he protested with a two-ounce slug,
and out two notohes on his gun stock.
The panther, it seems, had been stalk
ing tho deer, and when the hunter shot
he followed it up and did the rest.
Wolves were then plentiful here, and 1t
is told of him, while camping out alone
one night, that after killing a deer he
cut off some steak, and while roasting It
by his camp Gre, the wolves made it 80
warm for him he decided to get, and,
after shooting few, he shouldered his
deer and marched three miles to the
nearest setter's cabin with a string of
wolves at his heels and some of the
more daring in the pack were swapping
at the deer on his back, but the old man,
like Lawrence OF old, never gave up his
ship. The old man is gone and so have
the wolves, and 1, for one, am not sorry.
What few of them that are left are back
in the big Smoky Range, and there, I
trust, they will remain for good.
Uncle Dave died of cancer some weeks
ago, and has passed over the great di-
vide to happy hunting ground, hope.
A book could be written about this good
old man. The chimney to the room l
am sitting in was built by him of stones
gathered along the mountain tops, and
the job would do credit to many so-called
firstrclass. masons, but he was most
happy when alone in the forest with his
wild friends. The bark on the trees told
him north and south and by the sun,
moon or stars he could tell within thirty
minutes of the correct time.
was visited not long since by bride
and groom, from the good Lord only
knows where. They just drifted in from
somewhere, and came up to look down
on the earth. The two must have
weighed at least one hundred and nine
pounds with their glasses on, and those
single eye glasses were things of beauty
and joy forever. Their top pieces were
as lurid as an Oklahoma sunset in Au-
gust. The wind was blowing gale and
his frantic efforts to adjust his "doyie's"
skirts while ascending the lookout
tower was amusing to see. listened
every moment for him to ask him mo If
l would mind either backing up the
stairs or going up blindfolded. When
up there the running fire of questions
put to me about the different peaks and
the kind of game, etc., gave me tho
blind staggers, and I must have forgot
ten entirely about the fate of poor
Ananias and his frowe as convinced
him it was not even safe to leave his
horses outside the lawn fence as noun
tain lions, bear, etc., came and killed
COWS about the place and ate them on
the spot, and If he ever reaches homo
again am sure he will tell the folks he
is just in from South Africa, and hope
he will get back safe, as this class of old
Adams race should be protected and let
grow just to bother the flies in summer
time if for no other reason.
In speaking of Oklahoma, did you see
whore some poor devil out there made
such wonderful escapep If not I'll
give it to you. 1t impressed me very
much. 1t seems be fell under the ban
of vigilance committee, and in step
ping forward to make few last remarks
before the moose was adjusted, said "I
amt no speech -makor,~ land amt got but
little to say. Friends, I've stole hosses,
played keerds, drunk Ticker and bin a
purity bad man all my life, and if I'd
been let alone a few years longer proba-
bly, might have bin sent to Congress
from my deestrict and that would have
broke my old mothers heart AS it Is, I
kin look you all in the face with clear
conscience and die like man. So now,
Jim, you kin go ahead with your ID
hangin'.
With best wishes for the twentieth
century, I am, most truly, 100.
If troubled with weak digestion.
belching, sour stomach, or if you feel
In1 offor oot;po 49,, NLn..f