The news & observer., 1896-12-27
(From the Chicago Times HeraId.) J

England, and ia many points of charac-
ter. they resemDled each other, though
they Offered a. widely as the poles IN
1 others. Prentice went TO Kentucky TO
write biography OF Henry Clay when
the wonderful man was about become
sandida.e for President. Prentiss went
10 Mississippi when that State was IN its
very youth. Both were httle more than
boys then. One became . great Journal
ist, the other . great orator.
The ..Life OF Henry Clay" was writ
ten ut Lexington, KY, and at Olympian
Springs, rural resort in the mountains
OF eastern Kentucky, then owned by
Clay The work was done In such In
incredibly short space OF time and SO
perfectly that Prentice at once became
. lion, and the wings "put up" for him
, The Louisville Journal. At that time
Shadrach Penn WAS the editor of The
Advertiser, the Democratic organ OF
Louisville, and Penn's friends predicted
that he would make short work OF the
yankee boy But he didn't. Prentice
made short work of him. At the start
Prentice announced that he had quills of
all sizes in his culver, from the hum
mingbird's wing to the eagles and per-
sons could choose which he should use
on them. Penn chose the eagle and Prem
tice wave it to him. For a time such
a polenlie 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 to
st. Louis shortly afterwards and died
Upon PENIS departure from Louisville
Prentice wrote an article SO magnani-
nous and beautiful concerning his an
cient enemy that its kind has never been
excelled except when he wrote Of PENIS
death.
While Prentice was working on his
life OF Clay at 0lympiaa Springs one day
at a fayorite spot in the forest, near a
a great chalybeate spring, ne was rest
. ing under huge chestnut tree that is
standing to this day, and is called "Pren-
tees chestnut" with manuscript and
pencil in hand. Leaning against the tree
back OF him was a double-barreled gun
that he kept with him in these jaunts for
q chance shot at some object of game
There came along native, one of the
jackson Democrats of those times, who,
if alive, which is improbable, is still vot.
ing for Jackson. He wore a coonskin
cap, hunting shirt and other things, a.
mong them a rifle OF the long old-fash-
ioned Kentucky variety. Speaking 10
Prentice he said:
You're writin' Clay's life, ain't ye."
YES" replied Prentice.
Well / want you to write my life,
and do it monstrous quick. too," he said
with a meaning glance at his lengthy wea-
pom.
Suddenly Prentice snatched from be-
hind the tree his shotgun, and leveling it,
full cooked, in the face OF the intruder.
he said:
Il won't write your life, but I'll take
it il you don't leave here
NE 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 il I
wanted to stay in Kentucky in my busi-
ness | must show fight, and though am
naturally timid I did show fight. and
that show has saved nee from many d dif-
Guilty.
Prentice is often spoken OF as dueiist.
but / don't think he ever fought a duel,
though he was frequently challenged. He
went to Arkansas once to fight duel,
but the affair was adjusted in satisfac-
tory way before the principals met on the
field. Generally he got out OF duels with
joke. On one occasion he said In res
pOnse to an invitation to thus make a
target of himself: 1T takes only one fool
to send a challenge, but 1t takes two to
light, and | beg to be omitted from the
category" Frequently, however. he was
brought into personal encounters from
which he always emerged with full credit
and often honor to himself Once. for
instance, a Frankfort editor fired at
him with pistol on Louisville street.
Prentice closed with the man and had
him down with knife brandished above
nim. Some bystanders shouted: Kill
the scOundrelw "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 arise, the two afterwards became
close friends. In such matters Prentice
OF Louisville was unlike Prentiss OF
Vicksburg, for the latter was nearly al
ways spelling for fight and would
shoot "at the drop Of q hat" It is said
OF him, and with good authority, / be-
iieve, that Prentiss would leave a hand
at game OF poker to so out and ex-
change shots with persons who liked that
sort OF diversion, and would then come
back and take up his cards and see il
he could "open a Jackpot
that is.
Prentice had two sons, his only child
ren, named Courtland and Clarence res
pectiyeliy as to age. Courtland Inherited
to a great degree the talents OF his gift
ed father, and gave much promise of be-
coming a man of fame in letters, but
he went into the Confederate army early
in the war as an officer and was killed
in skirnish at Augusta, KY, about two
months afterwards. Mr.. Prentice idol
lied Courtland and deeply mourned him
so long as the father lived. Clarence,
: later on, went into the Confederate army
!: also and became a colonel. He was in
evolved In the killing Of q hotel proprietor