The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-15
Ss@WMGHAWSEM OF THE WEST
HOW DAVY CROCKETT. AMERICAN PIONEER. ACQUIRED IT'S
FAMOUS NICKNAME.

twist" Of tobacco. 80 I always left
a nan as good as I found him." was
Crocketts naive way of putting it.
After he was defeated for a fourth
term in the legislature and took again
to the wild is when Crockett devel-
oped his greatest faculty for story
telling. During his hunts he aver
aged a bear a day. and would almost
meet them in a h~and-to-hand en-
counter. These stories as told by him
or MS encounters were h~air-raising
and almost blood-curdling. 1t is stated
that during his first fall and winters
hunt Crockett killed los bears.
Finally growing tired of this wild
life. Crockett returned home and was
elected to congress when he was Al
years OF age. in 1927. This had been
his ambition for a number Of years.
With this election "Davy" became a
national figure. When he reached
the national capital in his crude dress
he attracted 40 end Of attention. The
most absurd stories were told of his
proves with gun and knife, and
mere was scarcely anything said of
MN too wildly improbable to believe,
me adventures of the German Of
neer. from whom he obtained his
ckname were not duplicated in
- ~' y nv VI tHe
OF the west. "Davy- Crockett Alma
macs and lives of Colonel Dayy
Crockett were sold broadcast. and
ne was credited with savings of
which he never dreamed.
For two terms Crockett served in
congress. and was reelected for the
third. Then he decided upon a visit
to the north. and when he started on
MS famous tour he was probably the
m~ost-talked-of man in the country,
and he was lionized as have been bn+
few men. ~
This tour was begun on April IS.
1884. from Washington. Baltimore,
New York. Boston and then Lowell
and upon his return he went as far
as pittsburgh. where he was warmly
received. and went down the Ohio.
touching at the various cities. and
thence down the Mississippi to his
home in the woods.
He had had a great time in the
north. but his constituents were not
pleased with it. They did not like the
idea Of the plain Davy' mixing with
the aristocrats. nor did they like his
bitter attacks on President Jackson,
n when he came up for reelection
he was badly defeated.
me Munchausen Of the west was
~ SSoAS 4 axe. Ills OeIedt Tor
a fourth term in congress completely
TUNED him for the time being, and
realizing that his political career in
Iennessee was ended he set to think
ing as to where he should 70.
The disturbed condition in Texas
answered this question for him, That
was the land Of opportunity, he felt.
for the adventurous. When he
reached hat country he had been
preceded by at least 10000 dare
devils from all parts of the south and
west. His first location was at Fl.
Alamo, in San Antonio, where he was
warmly Welcomed. Probably no
more desperate and adventurous a
band Of men was ever gathered to-
gether than the 1875 men who sold
their lives SO dearly when this fort
was reduced by Santa Ana.
The Mexicans day after day
stormed the fort. and for eleven DAVIS
the a men were able to repel the
attacks. until they were completely
exhausted and without provisions.
Finally the eventful 9Th Of March
came and the brave little band who
SO CALAMITY defended the fort saw the
sun rise for the last time. The Alamo
was carried by assault. Colonel
Bowie, dying of disease, fought to the
last. Five Mexicans were dead at
the foot Of his bed. One lay dying
across Bowie's body, slashed by the
dying man, whose terrible knife car
ried death at every blow. Travis, an
other OF the heroes, had been killed