Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1905-01-05


away from home and went to Philadel-
phia, where he was apprenticed to
manufacturer 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 to 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. u
| On returning to Washington he open
ed blacksmith shop am soon had all
the work he could do. At that time
| Washington was 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 we'll as men of gentle mold.
but all understood that each man must
look out for himself. Finding the de-
mand for the knives being so great.
Black applied himself largely 10 manu-
featuring them, and especially to tenn
pering the steel of which they We're
made 1t soon became known that his
knives were the best that could be OBJ
tanned, and his reputation spread far
and wide. The shape of the knife was
according to the taste of the person
ordering it, it being the custom for
each man to furnish the pattern, made
of wood or pasteboard, of the exact
size and shape of the knife wanted.
Blacks experience as silver platter
during his apprenticeship enabled him
to plate his knives, either with silver
or gold. when required by the pur-
chaser. which gave them an additiOna!
charm and IA higher price. 1t was his
rule after tempering and shaping Il
knife and before polishing it. to cut
very hard wood with it. generally an
old hickory AK handle which had been
used for a long time and had become
quite tough and hard. This he would
do for half hour, and then if the
knife would not easily shave the hal.
from his arm he would throw it away
His knives ranged in price from So tC
$50 each, the price varying according
to the quantity of gold or silver usec
in plating, the five dollar snife having
no plating at all; but the temper OF
each was the same, each being sub
5 mitted TO the severe fest above men
toned.
About 1888 or 1884. perhaps LITTLE
earlier, James Bowie went to Washing
, ton and gave Black an order for ;
knife. furnishing pattern and desil
ing it to be made within the folowin:
sixty or ninety days, when he woult
call for it. Black made the knife ac
cording to Bowie's pattern. He knew
Bowie we'll and had high estimation
of him as a man of good taste as wei
, as unflinching courage. He had neve
made knife which suited his owl
taste in point of shape and concluded
this to be Il good opportunity to do sc
: Consequently after completing tn
knife ordered by Bowie he made anoth
err and when Rowie returned SHOWED
them both to him and explained tn
5 time giving him his choice at the sam
4 price. Bowie promptly selected Black
+ pattern. Shortly after this Bowie be
came involved in a difficulty with thre
!, despeladoes. who assaulted him wit
= knives He killed them all with tn
knife Black had made. After thi
; when any one ordered knife frol
II Black. instead of furnishing patter
y as formerly. he would order it to b
. made like Bowe's. which was tinall
shortened into make me bowl
knife" Thus this famous weapon az
uuired its name Bowie himself wa
not Il mechanic of any Kind. He wa
Killed in the Alamo with Davy Crocl
ett. surrounded by dead MeXican
.hom he had killed with that sam
knife.
Other men made knives in those day
/. and they are still being made. but Il
4 one has made the bowie knife excel
: James Black Its chiefest value was
it's temper. Black undoubtedly po
sessed the Damascus secret. 1t can
I to him mysteriously, and it died in tt
s. same way.
:. He often told me that no one taugl
s him the secret and that it was imposs
d BILE for him to tell how he acquired
5. His apprenticeship only gave him e
n perence in plating iron and steel. not
~ working in them. Large offers We
a made to him for the secret. but he r
p fused them ALL He was Stealth
# watched in order that his process
o might be discovered, but his reput