The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-05-15
iST6Rf Of MIKE FINK.
The rlatboatman of the Ohio Valley IN
Early Times.

"" -" " $1,000
soc~iations of the most interesting histOr-
ical character. Nearly every one of its
old houses was once the home of a man
or woman with a national reputation,
and O volume of "reminiscences might be
CLEANED here. It's history belongs to
the past and there are but few living
reminders of that glorious period. In
ona of the oldest, quaintest and most
picturesque houses lives Uncle John
Zeigler. He is ninety years old and
every morning, rain or shine, he rises
with the lark, seizes his long hickory
staff and trudges sturdily down the
broad pike to Maysdale, returning be-
fore night falls. He is a majestic physi-
cal wreck not yet gone to pieces-six feet
five inches in height and still erect.
Time has shruuken and weakened his
thews and sinews, but in the days that
I speak Of no arm was so strong, no eye
so keen, no courage so sublime as his.
Warmed by the generous fire of his ma
tive Bourbon he loves to talk about the
past and to a newspaper man his stories
are always interesting. He was the
partner of Mike Fink, the King of the
FIat-boatmen."
II linked fortunes with Mike at his
own request" he said to me, "and
there's an interesting little story con-
nected with the partnership"
He dropped his head forward, refec-
lively, and without disturbing his ev-
erie I pushed the bottle and a glass to-
ward him. Mechanically he filled the
latter and for a moment held it TO the
light, admiring the warm, rich color Of
the liquor. Then he tossed the contents
off at a gulp.
at is good liquor" he said, smack
ing his lips, and the taste carries me
back to tine old days when 1 ran a fat
boat ON the Ohio. l was a good man
then, a very good man, and had no fear.
] used to winter at Maysville and one
season II don't remember the date
ran my boat INTO Limestone creek and
made all snug for cold weather. The
ice come early and a great many flat
boatmen made their quarters here.
Mike Fink's boat Law just below mine.
i had heard of him, but we had never
met. We fiat boatmea worked hard
and made money during the summer, and
we spent it right royalty when we laid
off for the winter. We had frolics every
day and dances every night. This sea-
sons fun bad hardly begun when ii come
to my ears that Mike Fink had boosted
everywhere that on his boat was the
best rifle shot, the best fist-fight-
or, the best runner and the
best wrestler in the Ohio valley.
1t wasn't long before a chance was Civ
en- me to partially test the truth of his
challenge. met his runner, his wrest-
Ter and his fighter all in one day and I
sdowned the three. This made Mike
pretty mad and he arranged 1T for us to
try our skill with the rifle. About a
week afterward we met at a barn raising
out at Kenton's Station, and after the
work was finished we settled down to
solid sport. Finally Mike challenged
me to shoot with him. [ accepted and
everybody gathered around to watch
Us. You see, Mike didn't belong in
Maysville, and q great deal depended
on the result. If he won it would dimin-
ism siayviiieis glory, and if l was sue
cessful (having already defeated the
champion fighter, wrestler and r~unner)
she could lay claim to the proud distinc-
ton of owning as her son the all-round
championl
Mike had been drinking, but / knew
what was corning and hadn't touched q
drop. When / stepped to the mark
it was my first shot was as cool as
ice and my muscles were under perfect
control. Imade two bu~lls-eyes out of a
possible three. When Mike stepped up
and raised his rife he tossed hS, head
scornfully, but the liquor had affected
his nerves and his first shot was a bad
one He loaded his rifle nervously and
raising it took q long, steady aim. When
he pulled the trigger great shout went
up and everybody crowded around me.
He had missed the bulls-eye and i was
tho champion. / was right proud of my
achievement and celebrated the victory
by drinking more liquor than was good
for me. Mike felt his defeat keenly and
accompanied by his friends left for
town. When I returned ! was told that
he was still unwilling to acknowledge
that / q the champion. He admitted
that / had distanced his feetest runner,
thrown his most expert wrestler, whip
ped his ablest fighter and fairly defeated
him as q marksman.
".He can beat me shooting, he said,
shut l can whip him with my fists.
when / heard this you may depend
upon it / was pretty mad. / would
have hunted him up and settled the
matter that very night. but my friends,