Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-29
ART IN THE FRONTIER LIFE
How Dsnvers Famous Painter Game to His
Present Prestige.
HIS ROMANTIC CAREER N The WEST
Familiar with the orsgIndians and
Their LanguaEe-Typicni From
Iersman Finely Porfshed-
Some of His Paintings.

ton Herald. He was born there before Den
yer, or more than forty years ago, when
the early settlement was on the other side
Of Cherry creek and was known as Auraria.
He has variously been a guide. hunter. SOL
der. miner. government scout. explorer and
Indian agent, but always an artist. He is
the pioneer painter Of the Rocky mountain
region. and no one lives who possesses the
same power to place on canvas the perfect
picture OF the Indian, the buffalo and the
scenery that surrounded them on their ma
tive plains. And when he has passed. as
his subjects are passing, to the happy hunt
ing ground, there will be none to fill his
place. There will be Frederick Remingtons
and Buffalo Bills, but no Jack Howlands.
He is the Bret Harte OF his profession. Just
now his head is filled with war and he has
sent an application TO Washington for some
kind OF army appointment OF the higher
rank. for he is not physically fit to take
the field as a private.
When Just touching Ii years young How
land ran away from home, wearing a COON
skin cap and carrying a rife, powder horn
and bowie knife. after the style of his Dor
der hero. He also LAD 81 cents and a dog,
but he soon parted with these. He reached
11a SNaAA EAISo6t III LIZ
Ellen Gray for St. Louis. Jacks father was
a Mississippi steamboat captain, which was
of benefit to him. At the very start the
steamer was run into by the cotton carrying
boat Arkansas and shipwrecked opposite
Goose island. Jack had 4 narrow escape
from drowning. Next he shipped on the
steamer Argonaut, which stopped at Evans
vile, Ind. Jack went ashore to visit an
aunt and during his absence the steamer
blew up and many lives were lost. He
eventually succeeded in reaching ST. Louis
as a ~stowa-ay on the Polar Bear. Follow
ing this, he got a job on the steamer Ben
Lewis through an acquaintance of his
fathers, named Joe Violet. a bartender on
the boat. Early one morhing, while Violet
was busy playing poker and Jack was
asleep, the boilers burst, which ended the
career Of the Ben Lewis, Violet and many
others. Lucky Jack Rowland was picked
up nine miles below Cairo, clinging to a
cask. He could never tell how he came tc
pick up the cask as a life preserver, but he
probably alighted on it as he came down.
After three weeks in the hospital Jack How
land was ready for more adventures, but
chose to find them on land
Lie with the Indians.
He made the acquaintance of a mar
named Campbell. who was employed by tn,
American Fur company, and through hin
he got a position on the Banjo, which wa!
fitted out for a trading trip with the Indian
along the upper Missouri II was at tina
time that he began his life with the Sioux
with whom he was very popular. Boy like
he made friends with the Indian lads
played, ate and slept with them, and befor
long the sGuaws took a fancy to him. Will
he got along swimmingly with the bucks
He soon picked up the Sioux talk and b
reason of that and his popularity he becam
a valuable trader for the company, despit
his years. He accompanied the Sioux o
their hunts, wearing a fine suit of fame
buckskin made by the squaws, with whor
he was generous in dealing out sugar whe
it came to trading. He learned to use tn
bow and arrow with true Indian skill, bu
: always carried a gun and pistol as vel
! which made him enyied by the Indian lad
7 particularly one by the name of Lone VOL
who hated him. The celebrated Rain-ir
] the-Face at that time was but a boy. Til
e artistic sense OF young Rowland was cor
: stantly asserting itself, and he excited M
t only the admiration but the superstition
. feelings of the Sioux by drawing horses al
I hunting pictures in col6rs upon the tame
h skins of animals or upon the sides Of II
t tepees. They considered him a rising your
. medicine man. They objteied TO having the
: own pictures painted, hewever, for it WI
I their savage belief that their spirit W;
d taken from them during the process. Neve
: theless, young Rowland made many sketch'
I quietly for his own amusement, and tn
training and memorizing was of great vail
: to him in after years. 1t would take Il
long to detail his life with the Sioux.
s might be stated. however, to give an i'd
u as to the number of buffalo on the plail
e in those days, that he engaged in a thr
r day. hunt with a big band Of Sioux whit
killed over Is. 900 buffalo in that time, sole
for their hides.
Stories of wonderful discoveries OF go
s in Colorado induced the adventurous your
e man to visit 1t and try his fortunes as
miner. The fall of 1860 found him in II
e new settlement Of Central City, but luck d
not pick him out as a fa%vorite, and he h.
{ rather a tough time Of it. His partner
: prospecting was Scion B. Ackley, who ownt
- an old violin, upon which he could play
little dance music. Winter showed the
in, IL was intensely cold most of the tim
and there was a scarcity Of food, particl
b larly for those who had no money TO pi
n for il. 1t looked very blue for the your
gold hunters. Somehow or other the rouE
miners did not appreciate art TO the poi
Where they would exchange bacon al
beans for pictures which Rowland drew. b
y they unhesitatingly gave food and lodginl
I for such music as Aekley could draw o.
n of his squeaky violin. Appreciating Il
z necessities of the situation, Rowland stopp'
drawing pictures and Originated a lot of J
Y and clog steps. whieAShe danced to Il
= great edihcation Of the[ nsaers. They We
from cabin to CAIN, sstxang themselv
1.-The ~troubadours." e4fwehing the loI
winter evenings, and Arskkept themselv
e from starvation until we warm sun
spring released them fronfSnowbound ca
tivity. Rowland hung around the mimi
camps of the state, and upon the breakiI
n out Of the war enlisted in company B, Fir
e Colorado. under Colonel ]. NJ. Chiyingto
and was later a captain of the Seven
. cavalry. He partieipaffazn the battle
Apache canyon, where sheeTexas eonfede