In order that we may devote our entire
attention to the Lumber and Planing' Mill
business, as well as shelf Hardware, we
have decided to close out our entire line of
Furniture,
Farming Implements,
Wagons, Buggies, Etc.
Beginning on this date we otter every
thing contained in these departments at
bargain prices for cash. Don’t miss the
opportunity to furnish your house or to
supply yourself with
Buggies, Wagons, Plows, Cultivators, Etc.
Be sure and bring the cash, as all pur
chases not accompanied by the cash will
be charged at regular prices.
Newport Builders Supply & Hardware Co.
Newport, February 20,1906._
■■ as ff"" ,A
I_|
| OUR WAY |
1 -
of doing business is to save our cus
£ tomers money when we possibly can.
| If you are not now a customer of
fl, ours we ask you to give us a trial i
M when you need anything in the Drug 1
Store Line. We keep in mind the
h fact that if we please you we may ex
| pect a share of your future patronage.
E ;
Bevens Drug Store.
I ■
-a1 ."Tic:.up
THE INDEPENDENT
PERCY H. VANDYKE,
Publisher and Editor.
NEWPORT, - - ARKANSAS.
Entered at the postofflce at Newport, Ark., as
second-class mail mutter.
AN HISTORIC RIFLE.
% __ 1
(Continued from First Page ^_
were not characterized by!
ihe learning of Webster, nor
i he eloquence of Clay, he pos-,
sessed an individuality that was,
unique and captivating and with j
liis wit and sarcasm in debate!
often upset his opponent when j
t he force of logic would have
been unavailing.
There was a general desire in
the East to see and hear the;
backwoods Indian fighter, bear
hunting congressman from Ten
nessee, who in spite of open
rebellion against Jackson, held
his seat in congress and was fast
becoming a national character. :
Old Davy accepted invitations
to speak in Philadelphia, Boston, J
New York and other important |
cities, and his tour of the East;
was a grand ovation from start
to finish. Wherever he went the!
populace shut up shop and turned
out enmasse to do him honor.
Big banquets were given in his
honor and no greater demonstra
tions were ever given an Ameri-, 1
can citizen on his native soil.
Numerous presents were given
him. but none that he valued so j
highly as the ride now in the j
hands of his grandson, J. W.
Crockett, of Arkansas. Tradi
tion has it that 500 young Whigs i
of Philadelphia donated 50 cents
each for the purchase of the gun,
which made the price $250. It
was originally a flint lock, but
has been changed to a percussion.
The bore is large enough to carry
about a three-quarter ounce ball, j
It is highly embellished with;
gold lettering, some of which j
time has faded.
In his speech accepting the gun I
Old Davy said in part: “How,
gentlemen to express my grati
tude to you for your splendid
present I am at a loss.
“This much, however, I will
say, that myself and my sons
will not forget you while we use
this token of your kindness for
our amusement. If it should be
come necessary to use her in de
fense of the liberty of our coun
try in my time, I will do as I
have done before; and if the)
struggle should come when I am
buried in the dust, I will leave
her in the hands of some who
will honor your present, in com
pany writh your sons, in standing
tor our country’s rights.”
When Old Davy, according to
lis autobiography, reached home
the frontiersmen were much ex
cited over the gun, and one fel
low asked why all the members
did not get such guns given to
them. Crockett replied: “I got
that gun for being honest in
supporting my country instead
of bowing down and worshiping
an idol.”
But politics was only a side
line with Old Davy. He was by
occupation a hunter and was
perhaps the most successful bear
hunter the world has ever pro
duced. Naturally, therefore, he
lost little time in giving his fine
new gun a trial. His first vic
tim was a large buck which he
brought down at a distance of
130 yards.
Old Davy was a prime marks
man and when shooting for beef
generally got first choice. Most
Soliphone readers, especially the
older ones, know what shooting
for beef means, for the custom
has not been a great many years
out of vogue, though we do not
remember hearing of such a
match in recent years.
Old Davy’s cunning always
stood him well in hand. Shortly
atter his return home with his
new gun and with the plaudits
of the east sounding his praises,
he met an assembly of his consti
tuents to whom he was to speak.
He mounted the platform and
his hearers gathered around him.
Wearing their coon skin caps
and leaning upon their rifles
they stopped the speaker before
he had proceeded far and gave
him the hint that the fellow in a
cabin near by had liquor for sale.
This called for a recess in the
speaking until liquid refresh
ments could be served. Down
the speaker went to the cabih,
followed by the audience, but on
informing the bartender that he
hadn’t the price, he was pointed
to a sign over the bar which
read: “Cash today: credit to
morrow.”
Hesitating for a moment to
study a way out of the dilemma
Old Davy seized his gun, disap
peared in the brush and in a
little while brought down a tine
coon. Jde tore the hide from the (
“varment” and soon had it up
for the drinks, for in those days
coon skins were current for debts, j
and the man who was well sup-1
plied with the commodity didn’t!
/ ___J -:
need any “coin of t realm j■
to get what he needed
The drinks paid fo nth the j
coon skin the speaking was re
sumed, but proceeded only about i
20 minutes until the crowd again
evinced a desire to wet its
whistle” Old Davy was still
“busted” and the sign still hung
out, “Cash today; credit tomor-j
row.” A happy thought camej
to him—he observed that the;
liquor seller had thrown the coon
skin against the wall so that it i
could be pulled through a crack j
from the outside. He proceeded
to do this and going in at the
front door again threw the coon
skin on the counter and called
for the drinks for the crow'd, |
which where set out and the coon i
I skin again tossed against the
side of the cabin. The speaking |
was resumed and in another 20
minutes the crowd got thirsty
again and Old Davy again re- j
peated the coon-skin trick, this f
was repeated no less than a doz
en times, and after the crowd
was well “tanked up” and had
dispersed, the barkeeper discov
that he had only one coon skin
as the result of his sales when
he ought to have had a dozen.
Of course the barkeeper was not
permitted to lose the drinks, as
Old Davy made full reparation
for the joke, but the frontiers
men who got the liquor as a re
! suit of ’ the scheme never got
through laughing about it.
In this contest Crockett was
beaten for re-election to con
gress by Adam Huntsmon, a
one-legged Indian fighter and a
supporter of Gen. Jackson, his
majority over Crockett being a
little over 200. The defeat broke
Old Davy’s heart, but tne Jack
son sentiment in West Tennes
see was too strong for him to
overcome. He immediately pre
pared to go to Texas. Texas was
then under the control of Mexi
co, but Texans were in open re
bellion against Mexican tyranny
and dominion, and armed resist
ance was being made. Crockett
believed in the justness of the
Texas cause and that Texas
ought to maintain her independ
ence, but in leaving his old dis
trict and the friends who had so
nobly stood by him in all his
political ambition he felt that he
was sacrificing much, but for
humanity’s sake, and the sake of
a .ding a vast empire to his
country he offered himself a
living sacrifice. His feelings
were well portrayed in the tol
! lowing pathetic lines, which was,
! perhaps, the only poem he ever
wrote:
The home I forsake where my offspring arose,
The graves I forsake where my children repose.
The home l redeemed from the savage and wild;
The home I have loved as the father his child;
The corn that I planted, the fieL.s that f cleared.
The flocks that I raised and the cabin I.reared;
! The wife of my bosom—farewell to ye all!
In the land of the stranger I rise or I fall.
Farewell to my country! 1 fought for thee well.
When the savage rushed fo th like demons from
hell.
In peace or in war I have stood by thy side;
My country, for thee l have live —would have
died.
I But l am cast off -my career now is run.
j And I wander abroad like the prodigal son,
Where the wild savage raves and the broad
prairies spread,
The fallen—despised—will again go ahead.
This melancholly parting gives
us a view of the higher and
nobler impulses of Crockett, of
which he has been little credited
and his trust in the Allwise Be
ing was manifest in his portrayal
of his feelings as he journeyed j
on over the trackless prairies to
his final destination. In his au
tobiography he said: “We were
alone in the wilderness, but all
things told me God was there.
The thought renewed my
strength and courage. I had
left my country, felt somewhat
like an outcast, believed that I
had been neglected and lost sight
of, but I was conscious that there
was one eye watchful over me;
no matter whether I dwelt in the
populous cities or treaded the
pathless forest alone; no matter
whether I stood in the high
places among men or made my
solitary lair in the untrodden
wild, that eye u*us still upon me.
My very soul leaped joyfully at
the thought. I never felt so
grateful in my life: I never loved
my God so sincerely in my life.
' felt t^t I still had a friend.” ji
Dress<^»» in a hunter’s garb 1
,vith ‘‘0**ietsy,” (that was the
lame he^o’tee his Philadelphia
run i strapped across his shoul
der he started ou>L to help repel (
Mexican invasio\ of Texas.
This was in the faliVjf 1835. He
made a stop at Uittle Rock,
where he was given J^n ovation
and a banquet. From there he
resumed his perilous journey, |
which was full of adventure i
until winding up at the Alamo, j
on the Texas border. Here he!
presented himself to Col. Travis,
the officer in command of the
the fortress, and here he poured
out the libation of his life-blood
for Texas liberty.
The story of the massacre of
the noble band of patriot war
riors who stood siege in the for
tress awaiting reinforcements is j
one that is vivid in the mind of ;
every reader of American j
history.
Col. Travis had only 154 men
in the garrison to repel the at
tack of 1600 Mexicans under the
command of Gen. Santa Anna,
who were being constantly rein
forced. For eleven days and
nights the little band held the
Mexican army at bay, killing
them as they came within reach
of the rifles. Here Old Davy
redeemed his promise to his
Philadelphia friends to use their
present in the defense of Amer
ican liberties should he have an
opportunity to do so. In this
siege something near 1,500 Mex
icans were killed, including those
who were slaughtered in the
final bloody charge. With his
unerring marksmanship Old
Davy kept “Old Betsy” busy
barking, and there were few
barks that she did not blow day
light through a Mexican. Final
ly the Mexicans, with hundreds
of reinforcements, rushed over
the parapets. Old Davy was
still alive, and with his hunting
knife fought as long as his
breath lasted. He was the last
to succumb, and expired on a
heap of twenty dead Mexicans
who had gone down under his
deadly knife.
Santa Anna fought under the
red flag, and the killing of Crock
ett and his six companions after
the fortress was taken was a
cold-blooded assassination which
heaps eternal infamy on Mexi
can arms.
The world s history does not
record a more heroic struggle;
Leonidas and his Spartan band
at Thermopylae not approaching
the Alamo.
Crockett was in his fiftieth
year when his career was ended.
Had he sur .Tived for another quar
ter of a century he would have
been a dominant force in shaping
the distiniesof Texas. He would
most probably have been her
governor or her United States
Senator, or both.
How “Old Betsy” ever got
back to Arkansas we are not ad
vised. At the fall of the Alamo
only two persons, a white woman
and a negro servant of Col.
Tt avis, escaped from the fortress
with their lives.
But a son of Old Davy was a
member of congress before the
civil war and he transmitted the
old rifle to his son, Col. R. H.
Crockett, who in like manner
handed it down to J. W. Crock
ett. It is an heirloom with a
history too long and tedious for
the columns of an ordinary news
paper, and will no doubt be
transmitted from generation to
generation in the Crockett fam
ily unless given over to the state
or federal government.
About fifteen years ago, dur
ing the life of Col. R. H. Crock
ett, the writer spent several days
at Stuttgart, Ark., and was sev
eral times a guest in the home
of “Uncle Bob,” as mo t people
called him. Uncle Bob wras a
prince of good fellows, a bril
liant orator and a faithful friend.
At tflat time he showed me“0.d
Betsy” and gave much of her
I LLory; he also exhibited life
size oil paintings of Old L'avy
ind other distinguist
)ers of his family wh'
lis parlor.
In this connection we
seat here an instance th^‘
curred at Little Rock in 1
winter of 1885 when the legillJ
Lure was in session. "Unci i
Bob” was the senator from Ark*£4^
ansas and Monroe counties. An flj
immigration meeting was held |
at the state house and the lead- ’
ing orators of the state, includ
ing “Uncle Bob,” were pressed
into service to tell about the
greatness of Arkansas. In one
of his eagle flights of oratory
“Uncle Bob” exclaimed, “Why,
Mr. Chairman, in Arkansas we
have mountains so high that you
can stand upon their cloud
capped peaks and tickle the feet
of democratic angels in Heaven,
and valleys so low that you can
descend to their cavernous
depths and pitch chunks of ice
to our republican friends in hell. ’ ’
Uncle Bob,\ like his distin
guished “Uncle
Davy,” maue a\record as a sol
dier and came otat of the civil
war a confederateVolonel, with
a gallant record to Ms credit.
In fact, the militim heroism
of the Crockett family oiates back
to the revolutionary Vruggle
when the father of DavyVrock
ett, who was a native of Ireiuind,
followed the flag under Wash
ington.
If the opportunity should
afforded J. W. (Wes) Crockett\
to keep up the military record of
his ancestry, it is not likely that
he could redeem Old Davy’s
pledge to continue the use of
“Old Betsy” as a weapon of de
' fense.
! The fast repeating rifles of
j modern use that send a shower
I of lead a thousand yards put
I the firearms of “Old Betsy’s
class out of commission, but in
the day of her usefulness “Old
Betsy” was the finest gun in
the west and the history that
clusters around her from the
time she was placed in the hands
of Davy Crockett in Philadelphia,
1 to the day that he fell fighting " ^
for Texas’ independence with
“Old Betsy” in his grasp, will
; be cherished as long as American
liberty and independence shall
i abide in the hearts of the people.
New Lindell Hotel, Hot
Springs, Ark., Feb. 19, 1906.
How Is Baby Today?
Better, thank you. Iti fact, quite well.
Fit, round and full of life and mischief.
Fink and white flesh, dotted with dim
ples. No cough, no indigestion.
All on account of
w^i?.ys\K.\wftiiuinKnr7a'/fs)7/i7i
administered by a mother whose love
was tempered with common sense.
She knows that OZOMULSION is
a fountain of energy for grown-ups,
too. It stops waste of flesh. It makes
plenty of rich blood. For pale, feeble
folk it is the chief nourisher at life’9
feast. It cures Consumption when
taken in time. All druggists sell it—
50 cents and $i.oo the bottle. Let us
send you
Free Sample Bottle by Mail
Write letter or postal to
OZOMULSION CO.
QS Pin® Street. New York* - "
JAMES M. PORTER,
Teacher of Piano.
1
The Leschetizky Method will be
used as the basis of technical
work. Advanced pupils and be
ginners solicited.
STUDIO—Musical Coterie Club Rooms.
HOURS.
Tuesdays and Fridays, 1 to 5
d. m. Wednesday and Saturday^'.
8 to 12 a. m., and 1 to 5 p. m.
DR. CHAS. E. CARROLL
Dentist
Gives special attention to
Crown a,nd Bridge Work,
And correction of Irregularities
of the Teeth.
Office Watson Bldg. Phone, 63.
Newport, - Arkansas•