Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-12-30

most respected families OF Arkansas
Ii was written originally as chapter
for the novel Of southN stern pioneer
life. Aaron Clark" writ sn by the late
Colonel J. \. Smithee. Q veteran jour
nalist Of Little Rock. Who. weary of
life and its ills. sent a 1llet crashing
through his brain while his fellow
tOwnsmen were celebratirl. the nations
natal day. 1902. Here IL Ex-Governor
Jones' story Of the origin Of the bowie
knife
James Black was born in = village
in the state of New jersey May 1, lStU.
His mother having died when he wac
quite young, his father married WON
an with whom James cot Id not agree.
At the early age Of eight years he ran
away from home and went to Philadel-
phia. where he was appsenticed to a
manufacturer OF silver plated ware
named Henderson. an ACT subsequently
approved by James father. At the
time Of being apprenticei James did
not know his age. and tui ging from his
size he was placed In the indenture at
eleven years. Some Yeas afterward.
upon visit to his old hrme after his
fathers death, he discOve red his true
age in the family Bible. but did not
disclose the fact to his mn ster. Conse-
Quently his apprenticeship expired In
1919. when he was only eighteen in
stead Of twenty -One years old.
On returning to Washin- ton he open
Cd blacksmith shop and soon had all
the work he could do st that time
Washington was a frontisr settlement.
and nearly all the men vent armed,
the weapon most relied NJ IN being the
knife. All kinds Of cha acters went
there. the most desperate Of despera-
does as well as men Of Gentle mold.
but all understood that eac y man must
look out for himself. Fla ding the de-
mand for the knives being so great
Black applied himself largely 10 manu-.
featuring them, and espet lily to tenn
pering the steel Of which they were
made. 1t soon became known that his
knives were the best that could be OBJ
tained. and his reputatios spread far
| and wide. The shape Of IT,. knife was
according to the taste OF the person
| ordering 1t. II being the custom for
each man to furnish the y, tern. made
| Of wood or pasteboard. Oi the exact
size and shape Of the h, fe wanted
Black experience as a silver platter
during his apprenticeship enabled him
| 70 plate his knives. either with silver
or gold. when required ~ the pur
chaser. which gave them Q. additional!
charm and higher price. 1t was his
rule. after tempering and shaping G
knife and before polishing it. to cut
very hard wood with II. generally an
old hickory AK handle whi. had been
used for long time and al become
quite tough and hard. Tht., he would
do for half hour, and then II the
knife would not easily share the hair
from his arm he would thr,w it away.
His knives ranged In price from s. to
90 each. the price varying according
% the quantity Of gold or silver used
In plating. the Ave dollar ksiife having
NO plating Mt all; but the temper of
each was the same. each being sub.
mitted to the severe test sbove men
toned.
About 1888 or 1884. perhs ps little
earlier. James Bowie went ~ Washing
ton and gave Black an q der for Q
knife. furnishing a pattern and desir
ing it to be made within tha following
sixty or ninety days, when he would
call for II. Black made tht knife ac
: cording to Bowies pattern He knew
Bowie well and had high estimation
| l,s 81 70,
as unfnching courage. He had never
made knife which suited his owr
taste i'm point Of shape and concluded
this to be a good opportunity to do SO
Consequently after compi ting the
knife ordered by Bowie he 10 lde anoth
er and when Bowie returned showed
them both to him and explained the
time giving him his choice a the same
price Bowie promptly select ID Black
pattern. Shortly after this Bowie be
came Involved ih q difficulty with thre'
desperadoes. who assaulted him will
knives. He killed them all with thu
knife Black had made. /. fter thi!
when any one ordered a Knife from
Black. instead Of furnishing a patterl
- formerly, he would orde II to b'
made like Bowie's. which vas fnall!
shortened into snake me bowie
knife" Thus this famous W ,apon &C
quired it's name. Bowie hi. isek wa
bot a mechanic Of any kind He wa
killed in the Alamo with Da y Crock
ett. surrounded by dead iexicans
whom he had killed with tIat SAM
gnife.
Other men made knives in Z Ose days
and they are still being mad ;. but N
,Dne has made the bowie KIN e excep
James Black. Its chefest valie was II
+ its temper. Black undoubts dly pos
/ tessed the Damascus secret. 1t cam
10 him mysteriously. and it d. ID In tn
came way.
He often told me that no O. taugh
him the secret and that II wah impossi
HE for him to tell how he ae luired II
Els apprenticeship only gave him ey
p p.rience in plating iron and 1T Il. not il
AZ nj inn in I m, r.a u,a n