The daily Alaskan., 1918-11-12
HERO OF FRONTIER
Good and Bad Qualities Mixed in
 Western Pioneer.
Mike Fink Long Known on the Border as "The Snappins Turtle" and on the Mississippi River as
 "The Snag."

It is characteristic of the records Of the early a0n on the river that they al- most as q whole make some reference to a character known as Mike Fink. Mike was not an outlaw, says the Louisville COurler-Journal, but he bor- dered rather closely to that state or being; he was considered more in the light of a rowdy. Mike secured his education in the hard and dangerous life in the country around Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, where he was engaged as one of the leaders in red skin warfare. He was, it Is said, the envy of comrades for his bushwhack- ing and ranger qualities. It was also during his young days that Mike learned to use the rife with unerring skill and was accredited with being the surest shot in the Ohio valley. It has been said that so sure of shot was he that he was frequently offered a large share of the prizes to be won at shooting matches if he would stay out. There was no successful competition against him. In the Ohio valley Mike was known as the "Snapping Turtle" and on the Mississippi as "The Snag." He was easily king of the valley.
 There is related of Fink an incident which serves to detract from the good qualities which he is supposed to have had. Known as tender-hearted man normally, 1t is strange that such man would at times give way to the darkest and most wicked passions. At one time Mike made an attempt to burn his wife alive; or if that was not his actual Ob- ject, he played good and realistic part. It so happened that Mike and his wife were of party on q number of barges floating down the Ohio river. By what follows it is assumed that Mrs. Fink, who went by the name of Peg, was i'm bued with the instincts of woman of her sort.
 When the barges landed against the shore for the night Mike immediately got his rifle and ordered his wife to follow hun up the bank of the river to a point where he piled heap of brush wood. Mike ordered the woman, who readily saw that Mike was in no good mood, to crawl into the bruShwOOd. The good woman objected, but Mike threatened to shoot her and in the end she Obeyed. Mike covered her com pletely over with the brushwood. He then deliberately set fire to the pile and In a moment the whole thing was blazing. Through fear of Mikes rifle the wife stood the heat of the flames as long as she could, then she kicked the brushwOOd from her and ran for the river, her clothing already in flames. Mike then informed his bet ter half that her punishment was the result of her "winking at them fellers on the other boat"
 Such were the men who made his tory through the valley of the Ohio In those days when Louisville stood on the edge of a dense wilderness, and when the town could have had but a small population. While these men were not as important to the building of the great empire of the west as men like Boone, Kenton, Clark and others, they were nevertheless neces- sary evils and did their part In thrust Ing the Indians back that the land might be broken. At any rate they are recorded in the historical annals of the state.