Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-08
OLDEST HOUSE IN TEXAS.
Strange Romance Which Surrounds an Old Log Cabin
In the Guadalupe Mountains.
In the Guadalupe Mountains

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twenty-five or thirty adventures
prowling about in the mountains OF
the Guadalupe, southwest of San
Antonio. After searching for more
than a week Bowie himself discov-
cred ST. Denis old log house. There
was no such thing as doubling the
fact, for the old building accurately
met the requirements of the map
notes, and, besides, the walls were
full of bullets, and, then, there was
st. Denis name and the date, 1714,
carved on a rock. Bowie was great
ly elated, for he had no doubt that
he would easily be able to find the
silver mines from which st. Denis had
taken such an immense fortune. The
IComanches had been watching the
treasure and one evening
they sent a shower of arrows into
the camp which killed two Of Bowie's
Indians and wounded a white man.
The Indians drove Bowie's men into
the old house and kept them there
under an incessant shower Of arrows
for two weeks. After losing more
than half of his force Col. Bowie,
with the remainder Of his men, took
advantage Of terrible storm and es-
capped at night, as he afterwards
said, "by the skin of his teeth"
Upon returning to San Antonio he
Immediately recruited a strong COM
pany of desperate Indian fighters and
returned to the mountains again.
They were absent nearly year, and
| 1t is known that they visited the ia
nous ruins Of San Saba, where Bowie
carved his name on one Of the stone
pillars Of the great gate with the
date, 1892, where 1t yet remains. At
ter this Col. Bowie always had plenty
Of money.
There Is an old blacksmith yet liv-
ing in La Sale county who says that
he shod Col. Bowie's favorite war
horse with pure silver shoes. Bowie
was himself a blacksmith and he
helped to make the shoes. He made
several trips into the mountains. al
ways going straight to the st. Denis
house, and when he returned from
one of these expeditions he always
gave a ball at his home. and fre-
quently the feasting and revelry
lasted. for. several days, though the
colonel himself was very quiet man,
and seldom under the influence Of
wine. He was very liberal and no
one In distress ever appealed to him
in vain. He was always ready to
protect the weak and feed and clothe
those who were hungry or In need of
raiment. He was rather a delicate
man but his iron will kept him on
his feet long after 1t became evident
that he was in the last stages Of con-
sumption. He dressed. we'll, always
in the picturesque garb of the south
western frontiersman, wearing mag
nificent silk sash about his waist,
above which the handles Of two sill
ver-mounted dueling pistols and the
famous knife that bears his name
were ever in evidence.
We searched through the noun
tains several days for the famous old
house, which is without a doubt, the
oldest building in the state, before
we found 1t. We were about to de-
spair of success. when one Of the
party followed a wounded deer that
fell within 10 feet Of the ancient
landmark. 1t Is in a wild, lonely,
mountainous region, and it is diff
cult to understand why st. Denis Sc
lected such a locality upon any other
theory than the one accepted and
acted upon by Col. Bowie. There
must be a vein Of silver not far away.
Rich pieces Of quartz have been pick
ed up in the canyons, and 1t Is in the
same range and not far from the sill
yer mines of Llano county and still
nearer to the gold fields Of Uvalde.
No doubt many stirring scenes have
occurred here about this old build
ing, which has been occupied by two
Of the most prominent and interest
ing characters in the history Of
Texas. There Is hardly a square foot
Of the walls that has not been struck
by an arrow or q bullet, and II one
could force the secret Of all these
battles from the gloomy old castle,
he would most certainly be able to
place his hands upon silver mine
that would yield him the fortune of
la Monte Christie.