Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-12-16
THE BOWIE KNIFE.
TRUE STORY OF THE ORIGIN OF THIS
FAMOUS WEAPON

Here is the true story of the bowie
The narrative was written by Dan w.
Jones, former governor OF Arkansas
and scion OF one Of the oldest and
most respected families OF Arkansas.
1t was written originally as a chapter
for the novel OF southwestern pioneer
life, Aaron Clark" written by the late
Colonel j. n. Smithee. a veteran jour
nalist OF Little Rock, who, weary of
life and its ills, sent n bullet crashing
through his brain while his fellow
townsmen were celebrating the nations
natal day. 1902. Here is Ex-Governor
Jones' story of the origin Of the bowie
knife:
James Black was born i'm village
in the state Of New Jersey May 1. 1900.
His mother having died when he was
quite young. his father married a wom-
an with whom James could not agree.
At the carly age Of eight years he ran
away from home and went to Philadel-
phia. where he was apprenticed to a
manufactures of silver plated ware
named Henderson, an act subsequently
approved by James father. At the
time OF being apprenticed James did
not know his age. and judging from his
size he was placed in the indenture at
eleven years. Some years afterward.
upon a visit 20 his old home after his
fathers death. he discovered his true
age in the family Bible. but did not
disclose the fact TO his master. Conse-
quently his apprenticeship expired in
1919. when he was only eighteen In
stead of twenty-one years old.
On returning TO Washington he open
ed blacksmith shop and soon had all
the work he could do. At that time
Washington was n frontier settlement.
and nearly all the men went armed.
the weapon most relied upon being the
knife. All kinds Of characters went
there. the most desperate Of despera-
does as well rs men OF gentle mold.
but all understood that each man must
look ont for himself. Finding the de
mand for the knives being so great.
Black applied himself largely 20 manu-
featuring them, and especially to tenn
perinE the steel Of which they were
made II soon became known that his
knives were the best that could be OBJ
tained. and his reputation spread far
and wide. The shape Of the knife was
according 10 the taste OF the person
ordering IL. il being the custom for
each man 10 furnish the pattern. made
OF wood or pastebOard. Of the exact
size and shape OF the knife wanted.
Blacks experience as a silver platter
during his apprenticeship enabled him
-, n
or gold. when required by the pur-
chaser which gave them an additional
charm and a higher price. II was his
rule, after tempeTing and shaping a
knife and before polishing it. 10 cut
very hard wood with IL, generally an
old hickory AK handle which had been
used for n long time and had become
quite tough and hard. This he would
do for n half hour, and then if the
knife would not easily shave the hair
from his arm he would throw il away.
His knives ranged in price from 50 to
$50 each, the price varying according
TO the quantity OF gold or silver used
in plating, the FIVE dollar knife having
no plating at all; but the temper OF
each was the same, each being sub
mitted TO the severe test above men,
toned.
About 1888 or 1884. perhaps a little
earlier. James Bowie went TO Washing
ton and gave Black an order for q
knife, furnishing a pattern and desir-
ing il 10 be made within the following
sixty or ninety days, when he would
call for IL. Black made the knife ac-
cording TO Bowie's pattern. He knew
Bowie well and had a high estimation
OF him as a man Of good taste as well
as unfinching courage. he had never
made a knife which suited his own
taste in point Of shape and concluded
this TO be a good opportunity TO do so.
Consequently after completing the
knife ordered by Bowie he made anoth-
er and when Bowie returned showed
them both TO him and explained the
difference between them, at the same
time giving him his choice at the same
price. Bowie promptly selected Blacks
pattern. Shortly after this Bowie be-
came involved in difficulty with three
desperadoes. who assaulted him with
knives. He killed them all with the
knife Black had made. After this
Black. instead of furnishing n pattern
as formerly. he would order 1t to be
made like Bowie's, which was finally
shortened into make me n bowie
knife" Thus this famous weapon ac-
Quired its name. Bowie himself was
not mechanic Of any kind. He was
killed in the Alamo with Davy Crock
EFT, surrounded by dead Mexicans,
whom he had killed with that same
knife.
Other men made knives in those DAYS,
and they are still being made, but no
one has made the bowie knife except
James Black. Its chiefest value was in
Its temper. Black undoubtedly pos
sessed the Damascus secret. 1t came
TO him mysteriously. and it died in the
same way.
He often told me that no one taught
him the secret and that it was impossi-
Die for him to tell how he acquired IL.
His apprenticeship only gave him ex-
perieDce in plating iron and steel, not in
working in them. Large offers were
| made to him for the secret, but he re-
| fused them all. He was stealthily
watched in order that his processes
might be discovered, but his reputa-
ton for courage was such that no one
approached him too closely after being
once warned to desist-IndianapoIi
/ Sentinel
The Bitter Truth.
Husband Cooking up from q book
DO you know what l would have done
| If | had been Nanolenn Ronanartaa