Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-04
'<~HREE Musketeers of the
River and Their Tragic

otSS hiASbS ~
as a title for one of the strange
stories of the western frontier
of a century ago that for fifty
years formed a legend of the
fur trade. Friendship, love,
jealousy, bitter hatred, revenge
and death are elements of a
melodrama involving the lives
of three of the extraordinary
characters whose type the
western wilderness knew. Of
ficial documents of the Ashley
Henry expedition of 1922 to the
Rocky mountains, now in pos
session of the Kansas historical
society, contain the facts re-
lated, while accounts of the
events related, concerning the
trio were also published in the
St. Louis Republican of July
16, 1923.
About the year 1850 at Pittsburgh
WIS UcTu III MINI ihh'
~parentage, who grew up to be a river
'boatman and was noted by the time he
reached manhood as the best rifle shot
In America, having also a reputation
as a bully and rough and tumble fight
err without peer. Fink weighed $50
pounds, was five feet nine inches In
height. square-built and with every
muscle developed to the utmost. His
somewhat short stature was more than
made up fo- by his great strength, and
he was Supple and active as a cat.
Of his remarkable craftsmanship
many stories are told. Once while on
a river boat bound up the Mississippi,
near the mouth of the Ohio river. he
observed a small herd of pigs on the
bank. Il want a pig" he shouted. and
took his rifle to shoot one. The boats
captain ordered him not to kill a pig.
but Fink took aim and at a distance of
80 yards shot off the tail of a pig. He
repeated the performance until every
pig was minus its tail. The feat was
so unusual that Fink escaped punish
ment and his reputation grew accord
ingly.
Skill Bars From Matches
On another occasion. according to
the Missouri Intelligencer, while on the
levee in St. Louis in 1921, he saw a
negro standing not far away, who had a
remarkably shaped foot peculiar to
some African tribes. the heel prOtrud-
ing to the rear to such an extent that
as much of the foot appeared to be be-
hind as in front of the leg. Fink evil
IDENTIFY thought he could improve the
appearance of the foot. Lifting his ri
file at thirty yards he shot the heel
away. For this be was indicted and
tried in tho cIpci1It cor rt upH SnrynH q
short tinle at hard LAX or. His excuse
for committing the ~offense was that he
wanted ito fix the boys heel so he
could wear a g%enteel shoe
When the water was too low for
navigation, Mike spent most of his time
in Pittsburgh and in that vicinity. kill
ing small game and shooting at a tar
get for beef at the frequent Saturday
shooting matches and company mus
ters of the militia. SO accurate was
his craftsmanship that he was known
popularity as "Bangall," a nickname in
which he took much pride.
Because of his skill he was not per
mitted to take part in the matches in
competition with others. but instead
was allotted the hide and tallow-
called the fifth quarter"-of the beef
contested for. His usual practice was
to sell his share of the animal for
whisky. of which he seemed TO be able
to drink any quantity without visible
effect. 1t is said that he could drink
a gallon of high-proof spirits within 24
hours and still shoot with his wonted
skill.
Fink spoke with the barbarous jar
gon of the early American river boat
men. described as half horse and half
alligator" The river fascinated him
and he never deserted boating for any
other calling. He loved the music of
the BOAT horn and could initiate it so
closely that when he engaged himself
for keelboat service on the Missouri.
he could fill the place of trumpeter
without any instrument. He was at
home on any port on the Mississippi
and Ohio rivers from New Orleans
north. and boosted a sweetheart in ev-
cry port. He frequently announced
that he loved the winning and was
chock full Of fight
"AII for One and One for Ar
Among the boatmen he had consid-
cradle reputation as a wag. but his
Jokes were not always enjoyed by his
comrades. The reason was that fail
ure on the part Of any one to show
sufficient appreciation usually resulted
in a beating by Fink, who used to an
nounce that he made his jokes to be
laughed at and dared anyone not to
laugh at them.
There were two other boatmen who
resembled Fink in many respects and
were his closest friends. Their names
were Carpenter and Talbot. Each was
so nearly his equal in shooting, fight
ing and capacity for whisky that be
tween the trio there existed a feeling
of the warmes affection which was
most unusual with men of their class
They were together whenever possible
and were swayed by the spirit Of the
motto, "All for One and One for All"
Carpenter. IN particular, was noted
as being almost as skilful with a rifle
as Fink, and the pair often used to in
dulge in a startling test Of m~arksman- ;
ship that required entire confidence in
one another. 1t consisted Of filling two
tin cups with whisky and each shooting
hole through The others cup at a dis
tance of seventy yards. This feat they !
successfully scores of times.
Chance for Adventure {
When the three friends heard of the
proposed expedition Of General Henry J
md Major Ashley to the Rocky noun
- - 600 fho,, oonorl- c,;,ol ,.,o.