The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-17

ders Col. Hays-better known as
jack HayS-was incontestably the
ablest. He was a born leader OF men
just such men as Were then peopling
the great Southwestern frontier. In
stature he was about feet Sand never
weighed over $50 pounds. His hair
was of a darkish brown, inclined to be
red, and his eyes were of several col
ors. according to his moods. In his
hours or relaxation and among his
friends they were of a dark gray, with
hue of hazel. In excitement and
especially in a fight they were indie
scribable. They simply seemed to blaze
When Jack Hays eyes began to
darken with a flash in them like light
ming and of black Southwest cloud,
it's a good time to let him alone"
said Burleson, one OF his intimate
friends, and a captain of one of the
Ranger troops, when Hays was made a
colonel of Rangers, and nobody knew
him better than did Ned Burleson, af-
forwards a famous Governor of the
Lone Star State of Texas.
Sometime in the middle thirties,
about 1885 or 1886. Col. Hays was di-
rected by the Governor of Texas to
go to New York and purchase suitable
arms to equip his troop. He had then
about $50 men, but they were not
uniformly armed, and lacked equip
ment suitable for a mounted command.
They about all, carried a rifle and a
pair of pistols of various patterns.
They needed to be equipped alike, and
with the very best weapons that were
available at that time, =
Hays Meets Colt.
So, in obedience to his orders, and
with a letter of credit on the treasurer
of the Texan republic. Hays took pas
sage in a schooner that was bound for
New York. He was q. month in max
ing the trip, for he started in Septem-
Der, when the Gulf is usually stormy
and the prevailing winds are from the
southwest and everywhere else They
were blown into nearly every port from
Galveston northward before they got
in sight of the IslaHd, of Ma4hattan.
Col. Hays went the r6unds ofFthe fire.
arms realm of New York. 1t was not
difficult undertaking, for there were
but four or five of them. But he did
not find anything that he had not seen
before in the way of firearms. One day,
however; a gun dealer said: There is
a man living over in New Jersey at
present that has just invented atrstol
which would like to have you see. !"
What is there about it that makes it
different from other pistols?" asked
Col. Hays well, this, for one
thing: 1t shoots six times without re-
loading" Col. Hays interest was i'm
mediately aroused. Indeed. I'd like
very much to see It," said he. Very
well, then. I'll have him in here with
it tomorrow about this time" respond
ed the dealer. So the next day the
man came in. He, was about 80 years
old. and a gunsmith echiefiy by trade,
though he did all sorts, of work in fine
steel. He said he had, just concluded
an order for sabers, of officers for the
regiment of dragoonsS2Just then being
raised.
''This is my pistol, colonel" said he,
opening a case and handing the weap-
on to the Texas colonel. THE instant
I looked at it I said it was just what
wanted" said Hays to his brother,
Gen. Harry Hays. of New Orleans.
There was a 60-foot gallery in the rear
of the store for the testing of arms.
They took the model pistol, which was
about like the Colts pocket arm of to-
day in size, caliber and weight, and the
expert fired all six barrels in less than
a minute. The penetration was good,
as was the. accuracy, Now, / want
a pistol of this pattern, but with a
larger cylinder, an eight-inch long bar
rel, taking a bullet of about so grains
weight, made as soon as you can make
it. I will advance you $50 on 1t now
to enable you to purchase the material
and have the barrel rified. If the pis-
toI shoots as well as / believe 1t WILL
will talk to you about a contract for
100 of them. and also about a rife on
the same principle" In two weeks the
pistol was ready to be tested. 1t shot
very we'll with sufficient force to kill
If il hit a man at from 100 to $50 yards
distance. At the same time rifle was
on the same principle. 1t
was about "A caliber, with cylinder
that would contain so. grains of powder,
and carried a round and an oblong bull
let. The arm came up to Hays expec-
tations in all respects. He took the
model to Texas with him and submit
ted it to his Rangers. When it had
been thoroughly tested, they ordered
100 of the pistols and so of the rifles.
The latter were so constructed that
when the cylinder was fired 1t could
be slipped out and another cylinder,
already loaded, put into the arm in
one time and two motions-that is. In
thirty seconds. Shortly after the troop
had been armed with these new weap-
ons they were tried in a sharp fight
that settled the question of their su-
periorfty over those of their Indian and
antagonists, once and for all.
About 600 or 700 Mexican and Co
manche and Lipane Indians crossed
over into Texas under the leadership
of Canales, a noted raider" from
the other side Of the Rio Grande: and,
with a herd of about a thousand head
of fat beef cattle, and perhaps 500 head
of mules. were making their way back
into Chihuahua, where Canales had a
fine ranch and lived in princely style.
He was one Of the richest men In
Northern Mexico. and the ablest sol
der in that section. The 200 lancers
with him charged Hays men fearless
ly. Hays let them come on until they
were in good easy range, and then
opened up on them with his fifty rifles.
After the first volley, Canales thought
he had the Americans foul; as he
dashed at the little band of intrepid
Rangers, commanded by Ned Burle-
son, one OF Hays most trusty lieuten-
ants. Crash! Crash Crash! went the
rifles! per Dios; what sort OF a rife
have these devils OF Americans got"
they shouted 10 one another. as, leay-
ing the stolen cattle and about one
sixth OF their command dead or badly
wounded on the grdund IN the hands
Of the dreaded AMERICANS, they struck
out for the Rio 0rnnde ana the other
side. Hays HAD. captured a priest, and
he sent him after his comrades with
orders 20 tell canales 20 send an es-