Sylvester Chambers

Knowing Jesse James
Sylvester was out hunting squirrel. He was going home with the squirrels he had killed hung on a stick that he carried across his shoulders. He met two men on horseback that stopped him and asked if the hunting was good. Sylvester showed them his squirrels. The man said, "You must be a good shot, they are all shot through the head." He asked him what kind of gun he used. Sylvester handed him his gun to look over. The man examined the gun then asked Sylvester, "Do you know who I am?" Sylvester said, "No." The man said, "I'm Jesse James and this is my brother, Frank." "You should never let another man look at your gun." He handed the gun back to Sylvester and rode off.
Several times after this incident Sylvester saw Jesse James in town when he went in for supplies.
One time Sylvester took some cotton to Gainesville. After unloading, he took the horses to the blacksmith's for feed and water. When he went back to get the horses he recognized Jesse James's horse. The blacksmith was shoeing the horse, putting the shoe's on backward. Sylvester got his horses and left without saying anything.
Kids Memories
Sylvester and Alice left home one day leaving the boys at home and leaving the car locked in the garage. The garage door didn't come to the ground so one of the boys crawled under the door and took the pins from the door hinges. They removed the doors, took the car to the north pasture. Their dad always checked the water before he drove the car, which they neglected to do. It was a 1917 Chevrolet. They put the car back in the garage, put the pins back in the door and Sylvester never found out they had taken the car.
Sylvester took cotton to the cotton gin in Sandusky. He took Pauline, his youngest child with him sometimes. Occasionally he bought her a lemon or orange soda kept in an icebox at the gin.