Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1905-04-18
A COMPOSITION.

by Miss Edith Noble, ana is so well
written, and so full of Information con-
corning the illustrious hero, Davy
Crockett, that the Herald deems it
worthy of space in its columns. Miss
Edith is quite young girl, and was
awarded prize in competition at the
public schools:
David Crockett was born in Ten
nessee the 18th of August, 1886. His
home was made of logs; the chinks in
the wall were filled with clay. Holes
were made in which guns might be put
to shoot at the Indians. The Indians
were very troublesome. David's
grandmother and grandfather were
both killed by them. His father open
ed mill for grinding corn into meal.
The mill was on small stream. One
night there came great rain storm
which washed the mill away and came
into the house in which Mr.. Crockett
lived. He moved to another part of
the country and opened a tavern.
David, being next to the Oldest son,
was a great help to his father and
mother. When people would stop at
the tavern for the night David would
unhitch and hitch up their teams. One
night Dutchman by the name of
Jacob Siler, who was taking to Vir-
ginia large stock of cattle, stopped at
the tavern. He liked David's bright
face and asked Mr.. Crockett to hire
him. David hated to leave his father
and mother, but he thought he must
help make the living. II was four hun
dred miles to Virginia and he had to
walk. When he got to Virginia his
master was well pleased, ana gave him
six dollars as his wages. He wanted
to go home and take his father money
but his master would not let him go.
One day he and two other boys were
playing in the street when three wa
CONS passed. David's father knew one
of the men and David asked the man
to take him home. The man said that
he was going to stop at tavern seven
miles away and if he would come there
before day he would take him home.
David went to his masters house and
found the family were out on visit.
He went to bed early and got up be-
fore day. The snow was eight inches
deep. When he got to the wagons the
snow was up to his knees. They had
not gone far when David said thehorses
went too slow and he got out and walk
ed. He had not walked far when he
overlook man leading horse. The
man asked David if he wanted to ride
and David got on the horse and rode
within fifteen miles of his fathers
house. Up to this time David had not
been to school. Not far from his ia
theirs house was little country school,
taught by man named Kitchen. Da-
vid had learned to write his name and
his letters when a dispute, with a boy
much larger than himself, caused him
to quit school. He did not 60 to school
again till he was fifteen years old. he
got one of the neighbors to board him
by working two days week and 60
ing to school the other four days. In
this way he learned to write his own
name and to cipher some. This is all
the schooling David ever had. When
David had saved enough money he
bought rifle, which he carried every
where he went. He often went to
shooting matches where they shot for
beef. He was great bear, deer and
wolf hunter. He was a great Indian
fighter. When he went to war he was
called Colonel Crockett. Colonel
Crockett was good, honest, and loved
by all the people.
His motto was "Be sure you are
right, then go ahead" The people
needed a man of this kind to make
laws. They chose David Crockett. He
served in congress several years, but
wanted to go to Texas to help her. He
wanted two companions to go with
him, and he soon found them. He
and his two companions started on
their journey; one day as they were
travelling they heard loud noise.
They thought it might be band of
Indians, and rode under grove of
trees. Just as they reached the trees
a herd of buffsloes passed. Crockett
had long wanted to chase buffaloes,
and now was his chance; he put spurs
to his horse and rode off. For while
he kept in sight of them, but they
were soon lost to sight. Crockett was
out on the prairie alone. He was
hunting place to sleep, and found
tree that had blown down. He was
going to climb up among the branches
but heard low growl, and looking up
to see what kind of bed-fellow he
was to have, saw big Mexican lion.
He shot at him and hit him in the
1t did not hurt him much
and in few minutes he was down by