Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-26

1923 he was reelected. but in 1880 he was
defeated. In 1882 back to Congress he
went once more. Quaint and crude he
was. and an odd figure he made in the
national legislature. but he had lots of
sense. and no one ever questioned his
honesty. To his mind the IS a day he
received for each day Congress was in
session was big pay for any man. no mat
ter how talented. and one of the measures
he earnestly advocated was for the reduc-
ton of pay of representatives in Con-
gress to IS a day for each day of the ses-
sion. For Van Buren, he had contempt
and for Jackson's kitchen cabinet he had
no words strong enough to express his
sentiments.
But his political career did not cut him
of entirely from his old pursuits. Be-
tween sessions of the legislature Or of
Congress he was back in his home in the
wilderness. Just before going to Congress
the first time he had moved to a place
on the Obion river. and there one fall lie
did some great bear hunting. Within one
month he killed forty-eight bears. One
day he killed eight. The first twelve
months he was on the Obion he killed
100 bears: Such a record probably never
was approached by any other hunter.
When Crockett started for Texas, bent
on making a new name for himself in
that country, he took with him only one
friend. the rifle he called Betsy, and
which he had received from the people OF
Philadelphia. He went by way Of Little
Rock to the Red river. and by steamboat
down the Red river to Natchitoches, La.
at that time the principal station on the
southwestern line Of the United States
The steamboat by which Crockett went
down the river was crowded with gam
blers. border ruffians, adventures and
homeseekers Among the gamblers was a
thimblerigger, who tried his best to get
Crockett to play against his game. Crock
EFT never gambled. and could not be
drawn into the game. but between the
thimberigger and the backwoodsman a
strange friendship developed When
Crockett. during lull in the play. sat
what he thought of men who preyed upon
their fellows in such way the thimbIe-
rigger tried to justify himself by telling
how often he had failed of success in
him for only one thing-the shell game. or
the thimble game. as it was known then.
Throughout the trip at odd times Crock
EFT and the gambler discussed the gam
bling question. Crockett always de-
nouncing, Thimblerig always defending.
At last when they had reached Natchi-
toches the gambler asked Crockett how
on earth he could live If he gave up gam
bling.
'If you cannot live like an honest man
you have at least the next best thing in
your power" was the reply. you can
die like brave one. And 1 know not
whether, in the eyes of the world, a bril-
liant death is not preferred to an OBJ
scure life of rectitude. NJ t men are re-
membered as they died and not as they
lived. We gaze with admiration upon
the glories of the setting sun. yet scarce
ly bestow passing glance upon its noon
day splendors."
The gambler had learned who Crockett
was and agreed to accompany him and,
like him, begin life anew. Together they
journeyed to Nacogdoches, Tex. where
the old Mexican trail begins. There they
met young man known Ned the Bee
Hunter, who was known throughout the
southwest by reason Of his travels in
search of beeswax. The bee hunter joined
Crockett and Thimblerig when they took
to the road to San Antonio. The three
were we'll mounted and made good prog
ress They had not gone many miles be-
fore they overlook a strange pair of men.
one heavily bearded and SCARED, the other