The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-11
aLlvER.EATy Johnson.

Most mon who know the wild country
about the Yellowstone National PARK are
familiar with the careers OF Liver Eat
Johnson and his brother ~Rattlesnake'
johnson two of the most picturesque
characters who ever lived and fought
and hunted ia the mountains OF Montana
and Wyolaiug
Liver Eat" was the star Of the fInily-
IN personal appearance ard in manners
NJ resenbled the grizzly bear more closely
IMAM amy other created being He was
q huge. hairy man. with 4 tangled iron
gray beard and a name OF gray hair His
wrists were as big around - All ovdi-
nary mans arms and he was built from
me ground up on q gigantic scale. He
had Voice like that Of Il bull moose
and his ideas OF huulor were strange and
titanic
AlI through the west Liver Eat" was
known as Il strong josheT.' In other
words, he was u practical Joker whose
chief delight in life WAS TO make the
hair stand on end on the head Of a ten
derfoot.
Liver Eat was a ..souaw man" He
married an Indian souaw called Dummy
ND - Billings, Mont. and there he lived
until MS recent death. During the war
Liver Eat was a dispatch runner for
the government, and his record Tor speed
and endurance on foot has hardly an
equal n The western country. Several
time he was captured by hostile Indians
and at least once he escaped from them
by outrunning every member of the tribe
except one. whom he tripped Up and kill
cd with The spear which the brave had
intended 10 use on hi-u.
In the presence OF people who were
easily impressed Liver Eat" like 10 talk
IN large way OF the awful havoc which
he created among his enemies. He even
told crowd OF gaping tendeTfeet one
night that he used 10 cat In5uns alive
il was from this CHASTITY joke that he got
mis- nickname. which he lived up 10. at
least in appearance and manner.
II happened few years ago that Liver
Eat was sent out from q hunting camp
10 carry some messages to another party
fifty miles away across the mountains. y
young man recently from the east who
had begun his western career by enga ging
IS cook for the party was sent along
with Liver Eat" TO do his cooking and
bear him company. The young man was
new 10 the west and was naturally terri
fed by the grizzly appearance Of the giant
who was to be his companion. Some of
the guides in the camp decided that it
would be a good opportunity TO give the
youth the scare of his life.
They waited until Liver Eat" and the
cook had packed their horses and were
just about TO start Then a couple of
them called the cook aside and proceeded
TO brighten him nearly to death.
Say, young Teller" they said. you
want TO keep your eyes open for old 'I.iv-
ct Eat He's regular cannibal You
want to feed him the best you know how,
because II he gets a leetle bit hungry he's
jest as likely as not to cook you an eat
you. Now. YOU keep your eyes peeled
and feed him the best you know how"
Liver Eat did nothing startling until
they were two days out from camp, too
far out for the cook to get up in the
light and make quick run back to camp.
Meanwhile never a western hunter Jared
so well as did he. The cook was evidently
determined that if it We're possible he
would keep Liver Eat" from displaying
his cannibalistic propensties by giving
him good things to eat Three times a
lay Liver Eat" sat down TO a banquet
that the best fed city man might well
have enVied < The cook kept his eyes
open for ducks, and other birds, and there
was always, in addition to the finely cook
ID game. crisp bacon. biscuits and coffee.
Finally one night they turned in late,
after sitting by the fire for a couple OF
hours, during which time Liver Eat
'elated some. of the most terrifying stor-
eS in his repertoire. and declared Incl
ientally, that he had never tasted any
hing quite so good as fried injun." 1t
vas cold that night, and when they turn
d in under the double blankets the cooks
yes We're popping out of his head.
Liver Eat" waited for an hour, mean
While pretending to sleep and snoring
Oudly. All the time he was wide awake
md was perfectly aware that the cook
lad never closed an eye Finally he
pretended to wake up with start. Then
le reached over under the blankets and
cit the cooks arm.
Gosh, said the old man in deep gut /
ural and apparently speaking TO himself, !
this kid IS mighty tender and nice"
Then he poked the cook in the ribs. /
That was the last straw. With a wild yell
he cook sprang TO his feet and started |
n q wild run down the mountain side
\ little way down he ran into a stunted !
line tree, to the top of which he quickly !
iimbed. He was more than half crazed /
With fear. Liver Eat" lay under the I
lankets for 4 few minutes laughing 81 (
entity to himself. Then he walked over
0 the base OF the tree and told the terri I
ed cook that the boys" had simply put 4
y a job on him and that it was all a
case Of josh" At any rate he finally per-
uaded the cook 10 come down to the
round and when Liver Eat and he got
ack TO headquarters after their ride OF a
undred miles together they were the
est of friends.