True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young. Page: 192
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192 TRUE STORIES OF OLD
But Mr. Myer winked at him and he saw it was only fun, so
did not interfere.
The Jew did not see anything but the big knife and all he
heard was the grit and grind of Mr. Myer's teeth, who pretended
to be fairly crazy with anger. He would lower the little fellow
to the ground as though he was going to let him go and then
changing his mind he would elevate him again and begin searching
with the point of his knife fresh places in the Jew's side.
The Jew's shrieks and prayers for mercy were pitiful. Finally
Mr. Myer released his grip sufficiently to allow the Jew to escape,
which he did very promptly, going toward Main Street and
leaving all his earthly possessions behind him. He was thankful
to escape with his life.
All that took place after Hunter Myer had regained his health
and after he had made name and fame as a mighty hunter.
His hunting outfit was simple-a little two-wheel wagon with
a canvas cover, drawn by a single horse. This horse was trained
and was of great assistance to him while out on his hunts.
As there were no such things as cold storage and ice in those
days, Mr. Myer had to get his game to town as soon after killing
it as possible. Hence he could not go very far off to hunt. His
favorite hunting grounds were up Buffalo Bayou, the head of
Clear Creek, Chocolate Bayou, Austin Bayou, San Jacinto bottom
and other nearby points, none of them more than 12 or 15
miles from Houston. An idea of the abundance of game near
Houston at that time may be found from the statement that
when Hunter Myer died in 1880 he was credited with having
killed, within 20 miles of Houston, over 11,000 deer, and turkeys
and other game too numerous to mention, all of,which he sold
in Houston. He was a quiet and peaceful man, slow to anger,
but when once aroused it was well to keep out of his way, for
he became terrible. He was absolutely honest and fair in all
his dealings and he demanded and saw, too, that all with whom
he came in contact accorded him the same treatment. He played
no favorites in disposing of his game and unless some one of his
customers had spoken in advance for a part or the whole of a
deer or for other game, he sold everything in the open marketfirst
come, first served kind of way. He would come down Main
Street, if he had beeh hunting out that way, and often before
he had reached Preston Avenue he would be sold out, for a sight
of his little wagon jogging down the street was notice enough
for the people living on Main Street that they could get venison
or other game. He never had the least trouble in selling all the
game he could kill.
For a few years before he died he was forced to give up
hunting by the infirmities of old age, but he had accumulated
enough of the world's goods to live in quiet and ease and his
last days were quiet and peaceful. He died in 1880, honored and
respected by the whole community.
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Young, Samuel Oliver. True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young., book, 1913; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth24646/m1/192/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.