Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-12-31
'HREEK UF YUBA Bill" "
The Original OF Ono OF Bret
Harris Heroes.

The Original OF Ono OF Bret
Harris Heroes.
A Man Of Many Adventures Now Peace
able New York Truok-Driver
There is a man in this city, writes a
New York correspondent Of the Troy
Times, that claims to be Bret Harte's
original "Yuba Bill" His name is
Seely, his occupation is truck-driver,
and whether the novelist has drawn on
him for matter OF not, he is singular
parsonage. knew him intimately al
most score of years ago, and his fam
lily, which consisted Of a wife, a son,
who has been for many years in
Buenos Ayres, South America, and
two daughters. Almost any evening
he can be found in a certain beer sa-
loon on Hudson street putting away at
a clay pipe in an advanced state OF
color and relating to choice circle OF
friends and admirers some episode OF
his checkered career. Physically he is
fine specimen of manhood. On an
enormous pair of shoulders rests a well
shaped head with u short neck. The
face is bronzed by exposure, and his
huge mustache is coal black and why
There is wild, at times savage, glare
in the large black eyes, which are like
those of man accustomed to looking
great distances in the mountains and
plairies. His gait is peculiar and
awkward, and he explains it by saying
that until he entered jim Fisk's ser
vice as master of teams he never wore
anything on his feet but mocassins,
Here is a short account Of his life
as given by himself: 81 was born, l
guess, somewhere about 1920, which
makes me about GA years old, though
l don't look it. My birthplace was
Springfield, Me. When l turned 6 the
Cherokee Indians made a raid on our
nelghborhood, and carried me off with
them. | was taken to the reservation
of the Six Nations, and remained there
about eight years. Of course Learned
the six Indian dialects. Shall | give
you specimen? 'Toma woma To-"
'tPray don't" / gasped to him. "Well,"
continued Seely, 81 got tired of Indian
life after eight years were over, and
ran away from the reservation. Twas
pretty young, but knew how to take
care of myself. Later on joined
Fremont's expeditions; the first in 1912,
upthe Platte river, and the other that
went all the way from Kansas to Fort
Suffer, on the Sacramento. I'm not
going to tell you anything about those
expeditions, because you've only got to
open any history of the United States
to find out all about them. But what
you can't find out in history is just
this: Here, just draw your finger this
way across my head, so. Now you
feel that three-inch scar running across
my skull? This is how I got that:
When the Texas revolution broke out
I was the first to volunteer, and when
the war on Mexico was declared l also
volunteered. | foughG under Zach
Taylor until after Buena Vista, then l
was under old Scott. Just as we were
storming the portions of the City of
Mexico above Puerto del Rey bit of
shell struck me on the foot and hoored
me. l felt pretty uncomfortable and
groaned so loud that one Of my pards
asked if didn't want to be put out of
my misery. l thought he was going
to give me his flask, and so l bright
ened up. Well he began fumbling in
his cartridge-box-a curious place for
a flask, it seemed to me. Then he
hauled out a solitary cartridge, his
last one, but it was wet and he threw
it away. After q second or two
heard him mutter: 'COnfound this
business, and before could give an.
other groan l got my skull split open
with the butt of his muSket. That;
what he called putting me out Of my
misery, but he only made it worse ,ant
l told him so after l came out of thu
hospital.
did I ever drive a mail? You be
| did, and the first one that ever raI
between Fort Leavenworth and Sar
Francisco. The Indians were tough
customers in those days, can tell you
and it's many time they went for thu
coach, but they never got much out O.
it while 'Yuba Bill was On the box
except bullets. These they received
gratis in unlimited quantity. The,
got square on me once, however. NJ,
home was on a ranch six miles from
Topeka and after each return trip
paid my old woman and the children
a few hours visit. One night, Oh
nearing the homestead, | heard heav,
firing, and when | reached it l fount
my poor children dead and the oil,
woman standing over their bodies, tn
sight of one eye gone and smoking
musket in her hands. She had jus
had a three hours fight with half
dozen Indian cattle-lifters. The sam
nirht 7 started in nurerit with som
friends, among whom was Kit Carson
and before the sun went up the mex
morning three of the fiends wer
from, traa Nv old WON, n