Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-09-28
A LIFE OF TRAGEDY,
CAREER OF BOWIE, INVENTOR
OF FAMOUS KNIFE.
ORIGINAL KNIFE MADE FROM FILE
SIXTEEN MEN KILLED WITH IT
BuwIE's LAST FIGHT.

There are men who seem especially
created to Gil certain place in the
affairs of their time. This has been
particularly true in American history
The man that In the storm and stress
of the period was most needed has al.
ways come to the fore at the supreme
moment If ever this was demonstrate
ed by circumstances it was In the early
history of the Texas republic, that
storm born state evoked from the rev.
olution of 1886
In his remarks concerning the early
history of Texas that President Nc.
Kinley made on one OF his tours he re.
ferred most felicitously, though brief
ly, to the four men who under Provi
dence had been most prominent in the
early days, when the greatest state in
the Union in the matter of territory
was young and struggling republic
Houston, Travis, Crockett and Bowie
He spoke on classic ground, too for it
was at the Alamo, where he then
stood, that three OF the four crowned
with their lives their devotion to the
young state. whose foundations they
had laid deep with the seal Of their
blood
OF this group of heroes, as worthy OF
place in song or story as any who SC
CALAMITY died under shield before Troy
the least known of them all and yet In
many respects the greatest was James
Bowie, famous only by reason of the
world renowned knife called by his
name A few words touching his an
cestry may not be out of place. He
was not from Maryland, as has been so
often stated, but was born in Burke
county, Ga, in 1890. In 1902 his ia
Their emigrated to Louisiana.
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 parish of Catahoula, was acquired
by the elder Bowie. He was man
of substance. owning nearly 100 slaves.
He soon had his estate well opened out
and was growing superb crops of cot
ton and corn. His son James he sent
first to famous private school at
Natchez, Mss, and afterward to the
Jesuit college then located at New
Orleans.
James Bowie, in 1927, was challeng-
ed to a duel with Norris Wright. The
pocket pistols of that day were uncer-
tain. 1t was long before the percus-
sion cap had been brought into com
mon use, and the fiintlock arm was the
only firearm known. 1t was liable to
miss fire just when 1t ought not to.
Bowie determined to rely upon knife
he had caused to be made for just such
a contingency. He had taken a -four
teen inch long 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 carefully ground Off the file and
the smooth piece Of steel skillfully re
duced by the grindstone until it was
about the thickness and weight he de
sired. Then he took it to a Spaniard
In New Orleans known as Pedro, the
Cutter, IL UldA WHO udu
his art in Toledo, where the finest
sword blades in all Spain We're forged
He tempered and finished the knife
fitted 1t with a crosspiece and haft
When 1t was done James Bowie had Q
weapon eft to fight for mans life
WITH" as he said to Governor Wells
1t was beautifully balanced, and the
n
razor. with a double edge for three OF
four inches from the point.
The knife was fitted with a wooden
scabbard, covered with leather, and
was sharp enough to shave the hail
off the back OF ones hand. This was
the original Bowie knife, though ii
was somewhat modified subsequently
in shape Bowie, while student nj
New Orleans, had studied other things
besides the humanities, as the deaC
languages of Greece and Rome were
then called. By accident he found il
his fencing master man who coulc
not only use the sword, but was 6
master in the use of the cuchillo, the
Spanish fighting knife, weapon MOI
dent entered enthusiastically into thu
training and science of old Spain II
that nations once national weapon
And 50 he was much better equippec
for the deadly fight that was 50 neal
at hand.
Natchez island, where the fight wa;
to be, was midway between the Lou
lslana and Mississippi shores of the
great Father of Waters. Therefore Il
was favorite meeting place for gen
tlemen who had to adjust affairs tina
might have a fatal ending, as the au
thorities of neither state could inter
fere II stayed all night with Jane
Bowie" said a friend of his, who dice
In his ninetieth year. ION the nigh
before the fight was to take place J
never saw q man sleep more soundlJ
than he did nor eat better breakfas
the next morning"
1t was understood that each Of thu