The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-01-01
"YUBA BILL"
The Original of Bret Iarte's Hero.

The Original of Bret IIarte's Hero.
There is man in this city, writes ?
New York correspondent of the Troy
Times. that claims to be Bret Harte'
original "Yuba Bill" His name is
Seely, his occupation. a truck-driver,
and whether the artist has drawn on
him for matter or not, he is a singular
parsonage. l knew him intimately al
most a score of years ago, and his
family, which consisted OF a wife, a
son, who has been for many years in
8aenos Ayres, South America, and two
daughters, Almost any evening he can
befound in a certain beer saloon on Hud-
son street, putting away at a clay pipe
in an advanced state of color, and re-
lating 20 a choice circle of friends and
admirers some episode of his check
cred career. Physically, he is a fin
specimen of manhood. On an enor-
nous pair of shoulders rests we'll
shaped head, with short neck. The
face is bronzed by exposure, and his
huge mustache is coal black and wiry.
There is wild, at times savage, glare
in his large black eyes, which are like
great distances in the mountains and
prairies. His gait is peculiar and awk-
ward, and he explains it by saying that
until he entered Jim Fisk's service. as
master CT teams he never wore any
thing on his feet but moccasins.
Here is a short account of his life as
given by himself: Il was bora, | guess.
somewhere about 1920, which makes
me about GA years old, though | don t
look it. My birthplace was Springfield,
Mo. When | turned six, the Cherokee
Indians made raid on our neighbor-
hood, 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 a
specimen? 'Toma woma to -
pray don't" l gasped to him.
well, " continued Seeiy, Il got tired
of Indian life after eight years were ov-
er, and ran away from the reservation.
| was pretty young, but | knew how
to take care of myself. Later on, |
joined Fremont's expeditions; the first
in 1912, up the Platte river, and the
other that went all the way from Kan
sas 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
/ got that: When the Texas revolution
broke out | was the first to volunteer.
and when war on Mexico was declared.
/ also volunteered. | fought under Zach
Taylor until after Bueua Vista, then |
was under old Scott. Just as we were
storming the portion of the CITY of
Mexico above Puerto del Rey, a 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 l didn't want to put stop to
my misery. / thought he was going to
give me his flask, and so | frightened
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 2 second or two | heard him NUT
ter: D this business" and before
/ could give another groan | got my
skull split open with the butt of his
musket. That's what he called put
ting me out Of my misery, but he only
made it worse, and | told him SO after
| came out of the hospital.
did | ever drive mail? You bet
I did ap2 tha first ono fbot ~,
between Fort Leavenworth and San
Francisco. The Indians We're tough
customers in those days, can tell YOU,
and it's many time they went for the
coach, but they never got much out of
it while 'Yuba Bill was on the box
except bullets. These they received
gratis in unlimited quantity They got
square on me once, however. My 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, on nearing the home
stead, | heard heavy firing, and when
reached it | found the poor children
dead and the old woman standing over
their bodies, the sight of one eye gone,
and a smoking musket in her hands.
She had just had three hours fight
with half dozen Indian cattle-lifters
The same night | started in pursuit
with some friends, among whom was
Kit Carson, and before the sun went up
the next morning three of the fends
We're swinging from a Tree. Ny old
woman is still living minus an eve.
(Fact.)
After six years mail-coaching | took
to hunting. mining, and all sorts
of things. When the war broke out |
served as scout under Gen. Thomas.
When that was over | got into Jim
Fisk's employ at 800 a month, board,
lodging and pin money. This old vel
vet coat | am wearing now belonged to
Jim; see the name in the collar-lining.
After Fisk S death ! became truckman
with Fuller's express, and later on with
Garner IL Co. Mr.. Garner. you re-
member, was drowned, with his wife
and child, and a number of friends, by
the capsizing of his yacht Mohawk in
New York Bay, opposite the clubhouse
at Staten Istand.
There, now, you've got it all out
of me-
''9uba Bill's' daughters are very
comfortably married, the husband of
the elder holding very good position
on The Neao York DAILY Graphic, and
right good fellow he is.
A Devil to Think.