The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-11-21

to see the. struggle between Chicago
and Minnesota arc. Olaf Johnson,
Warner Baker, r. B. Clements. W.
A. Plymat, Harry Johnson and James
Baker.
From Saturdays Daily.
Il. S. Pritchard died shortly before
three o'clock this afternoon at his
home. COS Baker avenue, West Man
kato. Death was due to general
debility and complications incident
to old age. He was native OF
Wales. He was born August Is,
1888 He was member of Company
e. Second Minnesota Calalry during
the Civil war. He is survived by his
wife, one daughter, Mrs Reese Thorn
as of this city and two sons, Hugh
and John Pritchard of Lake Crystal.
erom Saturdays Daily.
With manner that carried convic-
ton and with trophies that proved
his stories of travels into the far
places of the world, Black Beaver
more than pleased a good sized au-
dience at the Presbyterian church
last night.
When he was a small boy. he die
! not take kindly to the white boys
and the methods of the white mems
school and after three days of school.
ing he and an older brother ran away
from home one evening and entered
| the life of the trappers and the
scouts During the early part of his
career he spent much of his time
among the Indians but in the later
years drifting into the South Dakota
| country about the time of Custer 5
massacre he saw SO much of the
| barbarity of the Indians that he
/ turned against them and has never
had any love for them since.
During his lecture Mr.. Lewis,
for such Is his real name, made
several changes of costume, show.
ing the different CARDS that were
worn at the different periodsof the
| development of the west, and other
costumes that are worn by the people
who live in the country inside of the
Attic circle.
Shortly after he ran away from
home he was taken in hand by the
I, Chippewa Indians who kept him in
! seclusion for period Of three years
| and gave him the name of "Black
Beaver" because he killed black
beaver, which is rare specimen OF
i, the beaver family. After Mr.. Lewis
western experiences had been finish
ed, he aud some of his companione
started for the Alaska region anC
were in that country for a goot
many years, before the season of the
gold rush commenced.
i Speaking about tho complaint O
high prices, i'm this country, he sale
that he had seen the days In Alask;
when aeman could sell his old shoe.
for $25 a pair, can of baking
Il powder was worth IS and q pount
Of -four was worth So and was hare
to get at that. During the earl.
|
some of tho trophies that he hat
taken from the Indians during som,
Of the struggles that he had gon,
through, with the red men. He al
SO described the making of the tC
tenn poles.
In the last trip that he had mad,
into the northern part of Alaska h,
and his companion had stayed for
period of twelve years and durin!
that time they did not see whit
man. The longest day up there hat
been seventy-four hours in length ant
during the coolest weather the mel
curry went to ninety degrees below
zero This extreme cold affecte
ficulty that it was discharged iron
their rifles.
Much of his life in the north wa
spent among the Esquimoes. III
spoke of the extreme honor anon
these people and said that they ha
no bad habits. Their worst, habi
seemed to be gambling for a bowl @
soup.
At the end of his lecture Mr.. Levi
described his return to this countr
, and told how he finally located hi
father and mother in Michigan. H
found them in debt and with
heavy mortgage on the place wher
they were living. The prodigal so
had made much money in the wild
of the far north and he saw that ~
old folks had a chance to spen
, their declining years in peace an
plenty.
{ Mr.. Lewis stated that in all Q
J the hardships that he had bee
through he had never touched a dro
S of whiskey, and said that many {
| the men who had worked beside hiI
who had been users of alcohol
{ stimulants had dropped out, not bein
, able to stand the hardships of tn
march. He said that he had fe
A the lack of education and could sc
S that it is most necessary thing !
this age of the world. He advised Ii
Y of the boys who had wild west idea
: in their heads to lay them aside an
take up their books, for he said tina
) the day of the trapper and the scot
e are things OF the past.
While the lecture lacked the finis
n that college man might possibl
L have given to it, it was rich III tn