Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1902-04-25
BOWIE ANDHIS KNIFE
HE CALLED 1T THE WEAPON THAT
NEVER MISSED FIRE.

with 1t He Killed Sixteen Nen-Ths
DueI with Norris Wright.
James Bowie, famous by reason of the
world renowned knife called by his name,
was born in Burke county, Ca, In 1890.
In 1902 his father emigrated to Louisi-
ana. That country was then still under
French domination. There had been
large tracts of land granted by the
French crown in the territory named for
Louis XIV, and one of these, In the par
ish Of Catahoula, was acquired by the
elder Bowie. He was a man of sub
stance, owning nearly 100 slaves. He
soon had his estate opened out and was
growing superb crops of cotton and corn.
His son James he sent first to famous
private school at Natchez, Miss, and aft
erward to the Jesuit college, then locat-
ed in New Orleans.
James Bowie in 1927 was challenged to
duel with Norris Wright. The pocket
pistols of that day We're uncertain. 1t
was long before the percussion cap had
been brought into common use, and the
flintlock arm was the only firearm known.
1t was liable to miss fire just when 1t
ought not to. Bowie determined to rely
upon a knife he had caused to be made
for just such q contingency. He had
taken a IA inch file, such as was then
used to sharpen crosscut saws and the
upright saws used for turning out planks
from logs. He had the file marks care
fully ground off the file and the smooth
piece of steel skillfully reduced by the
grindstone until 1t was about the thick
ness and weight he desired. Then he
took 1t to Spaniard in New Orleans
known as "Pedro, the skilled cutler" a
man who had learned his art In Toledo,
where the finest sword blades In all Spain
were forged. He tempered and finished
the knife. fitted 1t with crosspiece and
halt. When it was done, James Bowie
had weapon eft to fight for mans life
with" as he said to Governor Wells. 1t
was beautifully balanced, and the artist
had hollow ground 1t like a razor, with
double edge for three or four inches
from the point.
The knAe was fitted with wooden
scabbard covered with leather, and was
sharp enough to shave the hair off the
back of ones hand. This was the orig
inal bowie knife, though it was some-
what modified subsequently ia shape.
Natchez island, where the fight was to
be- was midway between the Louisiana
and Mississippi shores of the great Fa-
Their of Waters. Therefore 1t was IA
yorite meeting place FOR gentlemen who
had to adjust affairs that might have a
! fatal ending, as the authorities of neither
state could interfere.
1t was understood that each Of the
| principals should have but one friend,
and certainly not more than two, on the
ground. But Mr.. Wright had five or six
present. The fight began with pistols.
One of Bowies missed fire, while both Of
| Wrights took effect upon his antagonist.
Thinking he had Bowie at his mercy.
Norris Wright sprang upon him. In q
moment Bowie had drawn his deadly
knife, and, though two or three Of
| Wright's friends were shooting at him,
and hitting him, too, Bowie made one
awful slash at Wright's neck. The keen
| steel hit into the very neckbone. The
| blood shot out over Bowie, and Norris
| Wright was dead before he touched the
ground.
Seriously wounded himself, It was for
some time a very doubtful question
whether or not he would ever get well.
| But youth, a temperate life and an ex-
cellent constitution finally brought him
around, and In a year from that time he
killed General Grain with the same knife
he had used In his first encounter. 'HThe
knife doesn't miss fire." he said to an in
innate friend, Mr.. Bynum Of the parish
of Rapides. 1.-THE pistol does"
James Bowie was engaged in the pur-
chase and contest Of claims for great
tracts of land that had been grants made
by the French crown. When Louisiana
was coded to the United States and final
~ became a state, there was good deal
Of trouble on this account over some Of
the titles to land along the Red river and
Its tributaries. A man often had to fight
for his plantation, as frequently he would
not give 1t up to somebody with an old
French or Spanish grant. 1t was In
these contests that James Bowie did the
most of his killing. He had 10 lives on
| his hands from the use of that one
knife. After much consideration he had
made a knife that has been the model
and pattern for all the real bowie knives
| that ever had the sanction of their orig.
inator.
In 1885 Colonel Bowie sold his Lou
islana property and went to Texas. The
Lone Star State was In the throes of
bloody revolution. The gallant resistance
of the Texans so exasperated General
Santa Anna, who was chief in command
Of the Mexican forces, that he swore he
would take no more prisoners. When
Bowie arrived in Texas, he was at once
made a colonel of rlfemen in the army Of
| Texas.
In January, 1886, Colonel Bowie was
ordered to San Antonio de Bexar to as
sist in holding that place against Santa
Annals coming forces. The siege ran
along until March, when San Antonio,
trusting in the pledged word of honor Of
Santa Anna, with starved out garrison,
surrendered. A general massacre took
place. Travis, Crockett and Bowie were
murdered in cold blood, a stain on Gen
eral Santa Annals memory that time can
never blot out. Colonel Bowie was bad
| ly wounded three times and was In
room of the main work of the place called
the Alamo. He opposed the surrender as
long as was possible.
He was lying on his bed when he heard
/ fha frium phapf Mayinopo oop,;np In If