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

of his life against burden Of petty debts.
He never seemed to get square with the
world Once Davy worked for six months
to clear up bill of $25 the father owed
Another time he worked nearly year
to pay a debt Of $50 that oppressed the
family.
For his father Davy seemed to have had
more affection than the father had for
Davy ran away from home before he was
ten years old and for several years work
ed for transfers, who carted goods be-
tween the forest settlements and the
border towns. When he returned home he
was too big to be whipped, but he had to
help support the family. From the time
he was fifteen until he was twenty-One he
worked chiefly for people to whom his
father owed money. Then Davy determin-
ed on marriage. He was in love with an
Irish girl who was as poor as was he
They did not have penny when they
married, nor a house to shelter them.
but he built a rude shack Of q house and
somehow they prOspered. AT the open
ing of the Creek war Crockett volunteer
ed. He served throughout the campaign
as scout and hunter, and when the war
was. over he moved his wife and children
into the lands taken from the Creeks The
country teemed with game. Bear and
deer were plentiful. Crockett. who was
remarka bly, skillful with the rife and who
knew intuitively the habits of the
creatures Of the forest, got the reputa-
ton Of being mighty hunter.
That he deserved it there is ample testi
mony. But aside from being a great hum
ter he had another honor. That was in
being magistrate of the wilderness. All
that portion of Tennessee through which
he travelled was beyond the limits of or
ganized counties and knew no law but the
law of might or the law of common sense.
The people of the forest elected Crockett
magistrate. He appointed his own con-
stables There was no appeal from his de-
cisiOns. Later, when the territory was
added to Giles county and Crockett was
recognized officially as a magistrate. he
had shock He received notification that
he must thereafter keep a record of his
proceedings! But he could not read the
notification, and when it was read to him
he was just as badly off: he could not
write his own name if his life depended
on il. His constable could read and
write, however, and this constable taught
Davy Crockett how to write his name
Hardly had Davy learned to do this than
he was elected a member of the legisla-
ture. This was when he was thirty-five.
How he managed to pick UP the fair
amount OF education he displayed later on
is not clear, but he must have put in some
earnest hours at study, for he got to read
easily and to write intelligently, even if
his spelling was bit grotesque. So long
as he stuck to plain subjects and natural
narration he wrote clearly and gram
maticaIly, bat when he sought for effect
he achieved wonders in the way OF dis
tortins and misusing the English lam
guage.
He remained in the legislature until
1924. and 1t was in the last year of his
service there that he and Andrew Jackson
became the most implacabe OF enemies.
Although it was certainty practically
that Jackson would be the next President.
Old Hickory was not content. AS boss Of
Tennessee he wanted the senator's from
the state to be subservient to him. Sena-
tor John Williams had not obeyed Jack
sons commands and. lacking a better
candidate to oppose Williams. who was
up for reelection. Jackson offered him
self Old Hickory was elected senator,
but Crockett voted against him.
In 1924 Crockett tried to get to Con-
gress, but failed. In 1896 he again was a
candidate This TINA ba SI1cceedel In