The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-23
"BANG ALL" MIKE FINK.
witty freshman and Dead Shot of
Early Days on the Ohio and Mis-

sissippl.
From the Louisville Dispatch.
The most celebrated of the boatmen was
Mike Fink, of whom many curious anec-
dotes were related. He was born near
Pittsburg. In his youth the desire to be-
come a boatman was the ruling passion,
and he gratifed 1t as soon as he became
man. He worked on the Ohio and the
Mississippi till thrown out Of employment
by the use of steamboats,. When the OHIO
was too low for navigation he spent much
of his time at shooting matches in the
neighborhood of Pittsburg, and became
famous as the best shot in the country. on
that account he was called Bang all,
and was frequently excluded from prac-
ticng i'm the matches for beer. When
this occurred he claimed for his forbear-
ance the fifth quarter of the beer as the
hide and tallow were called. Ills usual
practice was TO sell his portion to the tav-
ern keeper for whiskey, with which he
literally treated all around him, He was
very fond Of strong drink and became so
accustomed to It that he could drink q
gallon of whisky In twenty-four hours
without any effect being seen.
Mixes hight was feet 8 inches; weight
about 1870 pounds; form broad, of Herculean
nance was open and his skin was tanned
by sun and rain. Mikes language was
of the "half horse and half alligator d.
alect used by the boatmen. He was also
a wit, and on that account gained the ad-
miration and excited the fear of all around
him. for he enforced his jokes with a
sound thrashng IL any one was so rude
as to fail to laugh at them. He SAID that
he cracked jokes TO have them laughed at,
and would have no man make light Oh
them. As a consequence, Mike always
had around him chosen band OF Laughing
philosophers. An eye bunged up, or a al
lapidated nose or ear was sure to win his
sympathy I'm q Salt river roarer, he
would proclaim. I'm chuck foil Of fight
and love the women" He had q sweet
heart in every port. Among his chosen
friends who would fight to tle death for
him were Carpenter and Talbot. Each was
a match for the other in fight or IN skill
at shooting, having been under Mikes dil-
igent training.
coniugal discipline were rigorous. one day
i'm the autumn a year after the war with
England in 1872, several keelboats landed
near the mouth of the Mushngum TO lay
up for the night. Among them was
Mikes. After making fast Mike was OBJ
served Just under the bank scraping into
a pile the dried beech leaves blown there
during the day. To all questions TO what
he was doing he returned no answer, but
kept on working till the pile was as high
as his head He then shaped II into an
oblong ring in which he lay down as II
to see whether It made a good bed. Get
ting up. he went on board hunted up his
rifle, and, after making great preparations
about the printing, called to Peg, his wife,
to follow him. They proceeded to the pile
of leaves, Peg badly scared for she feared
Mike greatly when he was angry.
Get in there and lie down" was the
command to Peg, emphasized with some
of Mikes choicest oaths. Peg hesltated
and endeavored to expostulate.
Get in there and lie down, or I'll shoot
you" shouted Mike, drawing his rifle TO
his shoulder Poor Peg obeyed and Mike
covered her carefully with leaves He
then took a flour barrel and split 1t into
fine splinters, which he lighted at the fire
on the boat, all the time watching the pile
of leaves and swearing he would shoot
Peg IL she moved. When his splinters
blazed brightly he set fire to the pile on
four different places. In an instant the
whole mass was abaze, aided by a fresh
wind which was blowing at the time. Mike
stood STILL enjoying the fun. Peg through
fear of Mike stood the heat as long as
she could. but when 1t became too hot she
made a run for the river, her hair and
clothes on fire. She plunged, in rejoiced
TO find that she had escaped both fire and
rife Mike having made no move toward
firing. There" said Mike, as he helped
the woman TO climb on board, "that'll
Farm you not to be winkin at them fell
lers on tother boat"
Mike spent some time in St. Louis In
1874 one day. while on his boat, he saw
negro standing on the river bank, looking
in wonder at the numerous boats below
Mike took up his rife and shot off the poor
fellows heel For this offense he was ar
rested and fined. In justification Mike
pleaded that the negro's heel had project
ed so far behind as to prevent his wearing
a decent boot, and that he wished to cor
rect the fault. Once when ascending the
Mississippi above the Ohio he saw a sow
with four pigs about thirty yards distant
on the shore. He declared that he wanted
a pig, and picked up hic rifle to shoot one,
but was requested not to do so. However.
he raised his rife and as the boat glided
along under easy sail he successfully shot
off the tail of each close TO the rump
without doing them any other injury His
particular friend, Carpenter, was also a
famous shot. The two used to fill a tin
cup with whisky and place 1t by turns on
the others head, firing alternately at a
distance Of seventy yards. Il was always
bored through without injury to either.
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