The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-22
GEORGE ID. PRENTICE.
re GAMELY EARNED HIS RIGHT TO
STAY IN KENTUCKY.

Who Wanted Prentice To Write His Lie
a great many people unwittingly con-
fuse George ID. Prentice of the Louisville
Journal with Sergeant :. 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 60 Kentucky 10 write BIZ
ography Of Henry Clay when that wonder
ful man was about 20 become a candidate
for president Prentiss went 20 Mississippi
when that state was i'm It's very youth.
Both were little more than boys then. One
became a great journalist, the other a great
orator. The Life Of Henry Clay was
written at Lexington, Ky, and at Olym-
plan Springs, "a rural resort in the noun
tains OF eastern Kentucky then owned by
Clay. The work was done in such an in
eredibly short space of time and so per-
fectly that Prentice az once became a lion,
and the Wings put up for him the Lou
isville Journal AT that time Shadrach
Penn was the editor Of The Advertiser,
the Democratic organ IN Louisville, and
Penn's friends predicted that be would
make short work Of the Yankee boy. But
ne didn't Prentice made short work OF
him.
At the start Prentice 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
Prentice gave il 10 him. For 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 to
St Louis shortly afterward and died
Upon PENIS departure from Louisville
Pientice wrote an article so magnanimous
and beautiful concerning his ancient enc
my that its kind has never been excelled |
except when he wrote of Penn death
When Prentice was working on his |
Life Of Clay at Olympian Springs one !
day at a favorite spot in the forest near a
great chalybeate spring, he was resting
under huge chestnut tree that is standing
10 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 barreled 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 i'm.
probable, is still voting for Jackson He
wore coonskin cap, hunting shirt and
other things, among them rifle Of the
long, old fashioned Kentucky variety.
Speaking TO Prentice, he said
You re writing Clay's life, amt you?''
yes" replied Prentice
We'll, want you 20 write my life and
do it monst'ous quick, too,' he said, with
a menacing glance at his lengthy weapon.
Suddenly Prentice snatched from behind
the tree his shotgun, and leveling it, full
cooked, in the face of the intruder said:
II won't write your life, but | II take it
{ you don Z leave here. 4"
The fellow protested that he was lust
oking, fell into "A good natured compli-
nent upon Prentice's good looks,
lowed he was game" and the two
'arted on quite friendly terms.
But was not game" Mr.. Prentice
aid to the writer after telling the fore
,oing story. l always knew that If want
ID to stay in Kentucky in my business 1
must show fight, and, though / am natu-
ally timid, did show fight, and that show
las saved me from many difficulty"
Prentice is often spoken of as duelist,
ut don't think be ever fought a duel,
hough he was frequently challenged. He Q
vent TO Arkansas once To fight IA duel, but q
he affair was adjusted in satisfactory {
Tay before the principals met on the field {
Generally he got out of duels with joke. Y
IN one occasion he said in response To an (
aviation to thus make Il target of him. !;
ELI, 1t takes only one fool 60 send a chal-
'ngc, but IL takes two to fight, and beg
be omitted from the category" Ere
uently, however, he was suddenly brought q
ITO personal encounters from which he al S
ays emerged with full credit and often u
onor to himself y
once, for instance, a Frankfort editor @
red at him with a pistol on a Louisville .
rect. Prentice closed with the man and
ld nm down, with II knife brandished
)oye him. Some bystanders shouted: 5
Kill the scoundrelr' Cut his head ofTP' k
ld the like, but Prentice put away his il
nile, remarking as he did so, ~ can't kill n
unarmed man, and allowing his foe O.
arise, the two Gfterward became close |,
lends, In such matters Prentice of Lou :
vile was unlike Prentiss of Vicksburg, ="
+ the latter was nearly always spelling -
r u fight, and would shoot at the drop II
hat. 1t is said of him, and with
'od authority, / believe, that Prentiss
ould leave hand at game of poker to
out and exchange shots with persons Il
no liked that sort Of diversion, and would h
en- come back and take up his cards TO C,
If he could "open jack pot"-what- 81
er that is. :,
Prentice had two sons, his only children. II
med CORTLAND and Clarence respective :,
:. CORTLAND inherited to a great degree -
G talents OF his gifted father, and gave %
uch promise Of becoming a man of fame II
letters, but he went into the Confeder- 81
o army early in the war as an officer ana el
Is killed in skirmish at Augusta. Ky, u
ont two months afterward. Mr.. Prem "
20 idolized CORTLAND and deeply mourned p,
M 50 long as he lived. Clarence :,
Ter on went into the Confederate army -
90 and became u colonel. He was in
lyed in the killing of hotel proprietor
Abingdon, Va, and his father was
reed 20 20 10 Richmond, having obtained
ssage through the lines, TO exert his in -
fence with the high Confederate author. d
e. 70 save his son from condign punish G
ent. Returning from the war Clarence
is admitted 70 the bar in Louisville, but
anged his mind and studied medicine. X
which profession he graduated, but n,
yer practiced. Shortly before the older
'entice's death Clarence was thrown
I'm buggy on the road, near his home,
3st of IOuigVil1a mud xyas I,Yuod II. W