Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-03-01
From the New Orleans Picayune.
PRAIRIE AND MOUNTAIN LIFE.
THE oLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN.

some Of the strange characters who have
buried themselves away from civilization
among the rocks Of The West.
There is one whimsical old genius who
is noted particularly among the trapper
tribe as The prince Of queer ones. He
calls himself viilians s. Will ans. M. Il,
and he is most resoIu,ely determined upon
having the title initials (..M. TOY always
affixed TO his name. He is the Oldest man
in the mountains, having resolved to live
and die there, and ,noIe droll anecdotes
are told about him than would IA pair
of volumes of modern size. N. 7. is
meant 10 signify Master Trapper, and the
old man has just seized upon the within of
insisting that this distinguishing mark
shall on all occasions and under all cir
cnmstances be attached to his name. He
chaneed at one time to fall into a mortal
quarrel with a Blackfoot Indian, and upon
achieving advantage, he at once seized
upon the red fellows scalp lock.
"Bill Williams - shouted the Indian,
whose whole knowledge in English con-
sisted in the capacity of pronouncing the
singular old white mans name.
"Wiliam S. Williams, NJ. T. if you
please" said the old man of the noun
,ains. as he coolly dartcd the point of his
knife around the scalp lock and tore it
off J.!
aiis extraordinary individual is now
about fify.ive or sixty years Of age, and
he has lived more than half his life in the
mountains He declares that he never
was anywhere else, but i. is remembered
that he was once Methodist preacher in
the States, and it is known that he is an
educated man. with a critical knowledge
of Greek and Latin. By his own words,
he was rolled out of thunder storm in
| the mountains" for he found himself there
and don't remember anything else. He
is quite certain he is not human, and has
a strong persuasion that he was " translated
from the Great Bear, or some other lumi-
nous celestial animal, for some most par
ticular and especial purpose that is mean.
10 he made known to him hereafter
He was never known to wear hat but
once in the winter, finding his head cold,
he shot wolf. sca!ped the animal, and
drew the warm skin TO his own head
For all such eccentric things this old man
is remarkable, blu. perhaps. the singuiarI.
| ty Of his character may be shown by rela
ting an odd meeting that he once had with
a young fellow fresh from the States
Williams was camping alone when the
young man accidentally encountered him.
'Hum!' said the old man in soli.oquy
here comes another enormous fool of /;
Young rascal 10 crowd us here in Tho
mountains! We shan't have an inch o
elbow room left Cook, old cake cook !!
said he, addressing lump Of dough tina
he was turning over on the Goals of hi.
solitary fire with his naked toes, that pro.
truded through his venerable moccasins
Cook. old cake here comes White fool
and he's hungry of course. Now. yot
miserable young blockllead do you know
me ? said the old man to the stranger.
J Il guess do said the boy. for he was
a wandering sprig of Yankee land.
You guess replied the old eccentric
you're pretty sample block to como
here guessing! Had you nobody TO keeI
you at home, that you must come strolllns
out here among bears and Blackfeet
How do you know mel'
| i reckon guess.
%, you're a big figure at mathematics
You had better get rid Of your guessing
and your reckoning, if you want to live
among the rocks.--Take DIP that chunI
of burnt dough there, and stuff it dowr
your ravenous NAV!
Thank you-l'm not hnngry.'
.Don't come here 10 tell lies. sir we
are homes, men in the mountains. and yor
mustn't come here to conamina,e Us will
your civilization. You are hungry, ant
you know it. and you must ca. ,ha, cake
I've got ano,her. Do you take me for al
antedeluvian, not 20 share my dinner with
you?'
.Aint you the man they call Bill VIII
liams 2 said the hungry lad, as he greedi.
ly devoured the cake.
What do they call me ? roared Bill
with the growl OF wounded bear.
William Williams, l think = answered
the young aspiran, in the trapping trade
with half frightened tone of subduet
respect.
/ william S. Williams, M. T., young
buzzard's meat ! replied the master trap.
per, drawing himself up with the air Of ;
julius Caesar. Look here, boy, do yol
see that butte ?-There's hole in it, ant
that's where Iput my bones
Bones?' said the boy, greatly bewil'
| dered at the words of the old man.
4 sYes-woh? continued Bill, lifting his
rifle and initiating a shot, there's where
bury my dead: that's my bone-house!
Why. you don't
Don't tell me don't interrupted the