The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-08
ONE PIONEER TO ANOTHER
Jack Crawford's Letter TO William
MatheWson OF wichita

Yesterday William Mathewson received
from Captain Jack Crawford another in
teresting letter. 1t is dated Hoffman
House, New York, and is as follows:
Hon. William Mathewson. Buffalo
BiH'' Dear Old Friend: Your letter
came today, as we'll as the Eagle. [ am
delighted to know that you are holding
your own, and I want TO say most en-
phatically that you owe it to yourself.
your children and your grandchildren to
collect the scraps of history that are
scattered along the trail of your eventful
life. The world and millions of people
in our own great country especially are
hungry for the strong. fresh individual
ity and roust character of the real men
who pioneered our great west during
those days when you We're a leader and
looked up to by the emigrants rs a king
of the plains: when your trusty rife
brought to earth hundreds of the mon
archs of the plains to feed the hungry
emigrants on their desperate march with
the first glimmering rays of the star Of
empire. / often lay awake at night and
recall the stories told by yourself and
other old heroes long departed for the
happy hunting ground and wonder If
the time would ever come when some
publisher would be willing 10 publish
book of truth instead of the absurd and
lawry and savagery famous. God. what
would | not give, if 1 had anything but
poor, erratic brain and poetic soul 10
give, if / could place before the AEleri-
can boy and youth real truthful pic
ture of yourself and fifty others who
from time to time stood by your side
in those old pioneer days. and l would
consider il great favor if you would
collect for me from among your old and
x--l,,
and pictures and bits of history that 10
YOU may seem insignificant. but what
would be to manly men and womanly
women and to youth an inspiration and
an incentive 10 become pioneers OF new
thought new ideas and broader concep-
lions OF the wonderful possibilities Of
those who have confidence in themselves
who say 4 will and then get there
with both feet Do You catch my idea
To Illustrate i am a boy as compared
TO you. | will he % March l. You are
going on a. You were a pioneer soon
after l was born. 1 was picking slate in
the coal fields OF Pennsylvania with John
Davis OF your city in 1851. and receiving
s.l5 per week My father was out hgat-
ing for old Glory. and at "A ! vas
helping to keep the pot boiling. Al Is
I enlisted in Pottsville. Pa. Had 20
make cross because could not write.
| was shot tvice-at Spottsylvanla. 18th
OF May. 1864. and at Petersburg April
. 1865 Father was twice wounded and
died from his wounds soon after the war
was over y sister Of charity taught
me while confined al the Saterlee hos
p!tal in West Philadelphia and % her
owe my life. we'll Is the foundation
for what little education I have been
able 70 pick Up. while intelligent people
with whom I associated were inadver-
tentiy throwing il away. NJ association
with affairs and ladies Of army. on &C
count Of my ability 70 write verses and
entertain. vas Ky greatest school Then
one picks Up a peculiarly broad and gen
e-ous educs ton comnaning with na-
turs Alone with ones horse and dog.
with the sky for a roof and the Garth
for a bed looking Up into Gods s4r-
den and talking sometimes 70 the man
in the moon had for me fascination
which I can never explain. Yet. despite
my Go6-eiven talent. 4 took me fifteen
years % muster Up courage TO face al
audience &c give al evenings enterta.nz
msnt and II VAS as gcOl as aGy I have
ever given since I held a splendid audi
euce here n Brooklyn. st = large church
Tor Two hours and twenty-five minutes.
ard although I had great big E-suu-
script / found / could not put heart into
4 and | threw IL aside and everything
needed came 10 me I want 70 %
something for the tiuid. terdsr-hsarted
princes IN rags or brosSclosh who know