Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1845-01-14
LAST OF MIKE FINK.

LAST OF MIKE FINK.
The lais Morgan Neville, Of Cincinna
ii, an accomplished gentleman and schOl
ar, was we'll known ss the author Of slO
~ giving ce5iain particulars respecting
The life and death Of the celebrated Mike
+ Fink, the last Oflhe boaimeh.' Though
romantic lsIe,i was generally presumed
to be possessed Of the merit Of aulben-
ITCHY. A late number OF the 81. Louis
ReVeille details some events attending
the close Of Fink's career which do moi
agree with Mr. NeviIle's narrative. The
statement Of the ReVeiIls is made upon
The authority Of Charles Keemle, Esq.
subs lanli lialed by his personal knowledge
Of the events related. Fink, it APPEARS,
in 1892 entered Il service Of the Noun
tain Fur Company, uuder the late Gen.
w. M. Ashley. Of St, LOUIS, and went to
the Fort al the mouth Of the Yellowstone
River, where the occurrences narrated by
the ReveilIe took place. The whole stO
ry is so interesting that We give it wiIh-
out abridgemeni.
Mike, With many generous qualities,
was always reckless dare. devil; but, al
this lime, advancing in ySars and decayed
in influence above AL, became victim Of
whisky, he 6as morOse and desperate in
the ex,reme. There was a government
rsgnation which forbade the free use Of
aicahOl at the trading posts on theMissOu-
ri river, and this was a continual source
Of quarrel between the men and the COM
mandanI Major Henry, on the parI Of
Fink particularly. One Of his freaks was
to march with bis rife into the Fort and
demand a supply Of spirts. Argument
was frUitles, force not TO be thought Of,
and when on being positively denied
Mike drew up his fife aud sent a bali
through the cask, deliberately walk
ed up and filed his can, while his
particular boys followed his example, all
that could be done was to look upon the
matter as OBs Of his queer ways and
that was the end oft.
This state Of things caDtlnued fOI some
tint, Mikes iemper and exacticns grOW'
ing more unbearGble every day until e.
nally, split took place not only between
himself aud the commAndant, but many
otheTs in The fort, aud the unruly boat.
man swore be would not live smOng
them. Followed only by yOHtb named
Carpenter, whom he had bssuget Up,aud
for whom he felt rude but strong al
taChment, he prepared q sort of a cave in
the rivers bank, furnished it with sup-
ply Of whiskey, and with his companion
TUNED in to pass the winter which was
then closing upon them. In this place
he buried himself, sometimes unseen fOF
weeks, his prOlege providing what else
was necessary beyond the whiskey. At
length attempts were used on the part of
those in the fort to withdraw Carpenter
from Fink: foul jnsinuations were made
as TO The nature Of their connexiOB, the
vou,n was twitted with being mere
slave, Sc, all which (Fink heard Of in
o. lie Of relremen's) served TO breed dis.
trust between lbe Two, and though they
did not separate much Of their cOrdislity
ceased.
The winter wore away in this sullen
STATE Of torpOr, spring came with ;tsrevi.
wing influences and TO celebrate the sea.
son a supply Of alcohol was procured, and
number Of his acqus siniances from the
fort coming to rouse OUT Mike desa
perate 'lrolc,' Of course ensusd
There were river yarns, and bOatman
songs, and 'nigger breakdowns,' inter-
spe!sed with wrestling matches. jumping,
laugh and yslI,the can circulating freely,
until Mike became somewhat mollih-
cd.
i tell You what il is boys he cried,
'lhe Forts skunk hole, and I'D rather
live with the bars than stay in il. Some
on ye', bin trying to part me and my boy
that love like my own cub-buI no mat
ter. May be he's pisOned against me,
hut, Carpenter ,(striking the youth heavily
on The shoulder took you by the hand
when il had forgotten the tDuch Of iath'
els or mother--you know me TO be
man aud you ain't going to turnn out a
dog!"
Whether il vas that the youth fancied
something insulting IN the mapner Of the
appeal, OF not. we can't say; but il was
not responded to vety warmly. and a rec
ptoach followed from Mike. However,
they drank together and the froliC went
on, until Nike filed bis can walked Oh
some City yards, placed il upon the top
Of his head, aud called 10 Carpenter TO
take his rife. II
This wild feat of shooting cans on |
ash o,hara head. vas O favorite ole with |