Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-20
STORIES OF GEORGE D. PRENTICE.
An Old Time Editor Who Made His
Mark in the South.

An Old Time Editor Who Made His
Mark in the South.
Chicago Times Herald
A great many people unwittingly con-
fuse George D. Prentice, of the Louis
Willie Journal, with Sergeant S. Prentiss,
of Mississippi. Both were natives of
New England, and in many points of
character they resembled each other,
though they differed as widely as the
poles in others. Prentice went to Ken
lucky to write a biography of Henry
Clay when that wonderful man was
about to become a candidate for presi-
dent. Prentiss went to Mississippi when
that state was in its very youth. Both
were little more than boys then. One
became great journalist, the other
great orator.
The Life of Henry Clay" was writ=-
ten at Lexington, KY, and at Olympifh
Springs, rural resort in the mountains
of Eastern Kentucky, then owned by
Clay. The work was done in, such an
incredibly short space of time, and SO
perfectly, that Prentice at once became
a lion, and the Wings put up" for him
the Louisville Journal. At that time
Shadrach Penn was the editor of the
Advertiser, democratic organ in Louis
vile, and PENIS friends predicted that
he would make short work of the Yam
short work of him. At the start Prem
tice announced that he had quilts of all
sizes in his culver, from the humming
birds wing to the eagles, and persons
could choose which he should use on
them. Penn chose the eagle and Prem
tice gave it to him. For a time such a
polemic war was Waged between those
giants that people stood almost aghast
but after about nine years Penn threw
down his weapon and quit He went
n .nIIiC Ghn Ix- affn 1t.1 md Il tod
Upon Penn's departure from Louisville
Prentice wrote an article so magnani-
nous and beautiful concerning his eff
Gent enemy that its kind has never BEEN
eXcelled, except when he wrote of PENIS
death.
While Prentice was working on his life
of Clay a Olympian Springs one day in
a favorite spot in the forest, near great
chalybeate spring, he was resting under
a huge chestnut tree that is standing to
this day, and is called "Prentice's chest
nut" with manuscript and pencil in
hand. Leaning against the tree back of
him was a double-barrellel gun that he
kept with him in these jaunts for
chance shot at some object of game.
There came along a native one of the
jackson democrats of those times who,
If alive, which is improbable, is still vot-
ing for Jackson. He wore coonskin
cap, hunting shirt and other things,
among them rifle of the long, old-fash-
Prentice he said:
you're writin' Clays life, amt ye?"
Yes" replied Prentice.
well, l want you to write my life, and
do 1t monst'ous quick, too" he said, with
a menacing glance at his lengthy Wea-
pom
Suddenly Prentice snatched from be-
hind the tree his shotgun, and dwelling
it, full cooked, in the face of the intruder,
he said:
Il won't write your life, but I'll take it
If you don't leave here"
The fellow protested that he was just
Joking, fell into a good-natured compli-
ment upon Prentice's good looks, lowed
he was game and the two parted on
quite friendly terms.
But | was not game" Mr.. Prentice
said to the writer, after telling the fore
going story. Il always knew that if l
wanted to stay in Kentucky in my bust
ness must show fight, and though l am
timid did show fight, and that show has
saved me from many a difficulty"
Prentice is often spoken of as duelist
but don't think he ever fought duel,
though he was frequently challenged.
He went to Arkansas once to fight a
duel Generally he got out of duels with
joke. On one occasion he said in re-
Spouse to an invitation to thus make a
tarket of himself: ut takes only one
fool to send a challenge, but it takes two
to fight, and l beg to be omitted from
the category" Frequently however, he
was suddenly brought into personal en-
counters from which he always emerged
with full credit and often honor to him
self. Once, for instance, Frankfort edi-
tor fired at him with a pistol on a Louis
vile street. Prentice closed with the
man and had him down with a knife
brandished above him. Some bystanders
shouted xiii the scoundrelr "Cut
his head off, and the like, but Prentice
put away his knife, remarking as he did
SO: II can't kill an unarmed man." and
allowing his foe to rise, the two after
ward became close friends.