Show now memorial to T by ELMO SCOTT WATSON 1 davy crochett Cro cLett Is one of the great heroes aib fl of oa 08 en been commented upon that no suitable monument has ever been erected to his memory in the lone star state of course it lg true that the alamo stands as an imperishable monument to the manner in which he died but the glory of that davy shares with others it is true that the lone star state has honored the memory of bis wife elizabeth crockett in a tall marble chaft which stands in the town of action texas this monument is a piece of sculpture which pre carves the story of a heroic wife and mother waiting for a hero husband who never returned when crochett Cro cLett went to texas to take part in the war of independence from mexico he left bis wife and children in tennessee until he could establish a home but before that was possible he died at the alamo news traveled slowly in those days and for months back in tennessee elizabeth crochett Cro cLett was accustomed cus tomed to stand outside her cabin door with her hand shading her eyes looking into the west and waiting for davy that pose Is embodied in th figure of a woman which caps the chaft at action the new republic grateful to one of her heroic deafen ders made a large grant of land to crocketts widow she then went to texas where she died in 1800 at the agent 82 the monument to elizabeth crockett was erected in 1922 in the same year the state of tennessee unveiled a monument to crochett Cro cLett near lawrence burg and now seven years later texas Is planning a similar honor for him recently a bill was offered in the state legislature providing for the appropriation of with which to erect a monument to davy in the town that bears bis name crockett texas although texas calls davy crochett Cro cLett one of her heroes tennessee was the chate which gave him birth near jonesboro Jone tenn stands a simple atone slab on which Is engraved on this spot davy crockett was born aug 17 1786 davy crochett Cro cLett was one of the most picturesque figures in all american history there have been many americans whose conerl to the building of our nation was much greater than his but it Is likely that he will be remembered long after some of these others art forgotten for in many ways be ac corately symbolized the american frontier which stamped its character so indelibly upon the consciousness of this nation early in his youth crockett became noted even in the backwoods of ten bessee where good marksmanship and skill as a hunter were no novelty as a dead shot and a fearless bear hunter at the age ot eighteen he learned his letters while working as a plow hand marrying shortly afterwards be moved west and when old hickory nic kory jackson led a force against the creek indians davy went along ue served with distinction in this war and came home something of a hero although he himself con fessel quite frankly that he was acost to fits however his fame preceded him into the next frontier community into which he moved and there he was appointed as magistrate in 1821 be became a candidate for the tennessee legislature not because he felt himself fit for such an office but for the sport of making the race which was a brand fire new business to me years afterwards he wrote in his autobiography of his entrance into politics as follows it now became necessary that I 1 should tell the people something about the government and an eternal sight of other things that I 1 knowel nothing about the first time he attempted to speak in public he confesses that be choked up but no one stayed to hear what bis opponent had to say when davy ended his brief speech with this remark im dry as a powder horn and I 1 thinks its time for all of us to wet our whistles he was not only elected by a large majority but was elected reelected re twice during his third term in the leals lature in 1824 a delegation came to him to ask him to run for congress at first davy refused but finally allowed himself to be forced into the race which ended in disaster for him and he was defeated two years later how ever he made the race again and this time was elected to congress during his campaign occurred the famous cal sode of the coon skin at one place be was preparing to stand treat for his supporters when he discovered that he had neither cash nor credit but he did have his rifle with him and making a hasty trip into the woods he shot and skinned a coon coon salna were then accepted in trade and when he flung the raw hide down on the counter the yankee landlord of the tavern was wilting enough to take it in exchange for drinks for the crowd incidentally this ian lee who prided himself on his sharpness in matters of trade nd often boasted that no one could get ahead of him bivy watched where the coon aln hid been placed and while the landlord was busy he quietly pulled it from the pile of skins thee he flung it down again demanding another round of drinks it Is said that he used this same coon skin no less than ten times to the delight of his friends and the satisfaction of their thirst davy says that his con reckoned any one who could git ahead of a yankee in a fair trade was the man for them in con gress so davy went to washington there to become within a short time the favorite wit of the national leals injure but although davy made such a hit in the fast he deemi to have lost touch with he people at home they concluded that he spent too many yeara in washington learned too much about congress matters and gasn wasn t funny anymore according to one historian so the next time ha ran for congress they snowed him under with their otes when the result was announced davy made his famous farewell address he said I 1 am going to texas and you can go to h I 1 setting out on horseback he fell in with a shell game river boat gambler whom be persuaded to join him in helping the texans to algut tor liberty together they cut their way through the mexican encircling san antonio where were besieged a party of texans under trails bonham and bowle on march 6 1830 general sanan anna the mexican leader launched his assault of men against the garrison of the alamo twice the attack was beaten off but the third time it was successful after a short hand to hand struggle only six of the remained alive one of them was davy crockett he stood behind a breast work constructed of alif bodies of dead texana in one hand he held a dripping bowle knife in the other the wreck of old betsy the rifle which philadelphia admirers had given him during hla trip through the fast had nt been li reas long enough to become acquainted with the character of the mexicans so when they promised to spare his life it he surrendered he made the mistake of trusting them he was lea before santa anna who looked aln over coolly then nodded to his of bleers five swords were burled lc the tennessee ber hunter fieast |