The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1892-05-07
IL Highly Interesting Autobiography Of
Nj. Philip Downs.
STRANGER THAN FICTION.
An Eventful and Romantic Career as
Told the Author by the Gentleman
Himself.
Written for The TRIBUNE by Self sharpner.
CHAPTER. I.
PROLOGUE BY THE AUTHOR.

PROLOGUE BY THE AUTHOR.
It is interesting, instructive, and
oft-times amusing to read of the
perils, escapes and adventures of
even the humblest citizen. In fact,
nearly all the tales and adventures
and their name is legion-that
we daily read, are the records of
frontisrsmen, trappers, cowboys,
scouts and hunters of the western
frontier, and to do away with the
western half of the United States
and territories, that no record
could be taken of the happenings
therein, would be to Danish from
the land our most interesting liter
allure. In the following tale the
author proposes to deal in facts
actual occurrences-in some in
stances, perhaps, slight shade of
coloring, which is always allowable
in tales to make them interesting
to the general reader.
The reader is apprised at the
start that it is no senti mental love
story, but is the story Of one mans
adventures, perils and escapes from
cruel savages and trsacherous
white men, at date when all the
west was teeming with bloodthirsty
Indians, often led on to deeds of
violence by unprin cipled renegade
whites. The author is somewhat
acquainted with the ways and dis
positions of the red men, having
lived border life in close proxim-
ity to them for nearly forty years,
having had ample means to dis
cover their good and bad traits. 1t
is a common remark that "only
dead Indians are good Indians"
but he would not altogether agree
to the truth of this saying, for he
has known of several instances
wherein he would trust to the
honor of the savage Indian as
quickly as to many white men and
he could enumerate many circum-
stances in confederation of their
good traits, but it might only worry
the reader into throwing this tale
aside before he had fairly COM
rnenced it, which would be bad for
tho reader and still worse for the
tale.
The hero of the following adven.
ture was a man of remarkable
memory, and passed through more
vicissitudes of fortune than com
monty falls to the lot of man. A
short time before he babe adieu to
earthly scenes and troubles he
stopped with me few weeks, and
as l had known somewhat of his
career, prevailed on him to give
me history of the remarkable
incidents in his life, with a view OF
writing them out at some future
time. Said he, "if it would be OF
interest to you, as an old and val
ued friend, I will give you the
story of my checkered career up to
the present time. One incident Of
it at least, l believe has never be-
fallen a man who iivad to tell of it
afterwards. l am now an old,
broken down man, aged before my
time: yet, when you hear my nara
tive, you will not ask the reason
why. Ono condition l ask of you
as friend, ia, not to publish my
story durin my short stay on earth,
for l am sure it will not be long
before l am called to give another
account before an impartial Judge"
l freely gave him the promise, and
as it has now been some time since
my old friend passed over to the