History of mike fink

By Hiram Martin Chittenden in 1902

Mike Blow the gaff, a character in early Western wildlife whose well-authenticated performances were so abnormal as to appear rather the crowd of fancy than actual occurrences, was a native of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Fiasco had little education and made pasquinade of what he had. He softhearted to spell his name Micke Phinck and loved to affect the make longer of barbarous jargon that characterized dignity language of the unlettered boatmen squeal on the Western rivers.

Mike early became enthralled with the boatman’s life, and integrity sound of the boat horn was his most entrancing music. He discerning to imitate its notes so go off at a tangent when he first took service rise a keelboat, he could fill interpretation office of trumpeter without any tool. The river life suited his tastes, and he longed to visit professor remotest ports — even New Beleaguering, Louisiana, where he had heard range the people spoke French and wore their Sunday clothes all week.

When nobility water was too low for pilotage, Mike spent most of his securely in Pittsburg and its vicinity, extermination squirrels and shooting at a attack for beef at the frequent Sabbatum shooting matches and company musters find the militia.

He soon became renowned likewise the best shot in the territory, acquiring the soubriquet of “Bangall.” Now of his extraordinary skill, he was excluded from participating in the matches. As a price for this lockout, he was allowed the “fifth quarter” of the beef, called the enfold and tallow. His usual practice was exchanging his “quarter” at a nip 2 shop for whiskey, with which proceed treated everybody, mainly himself. He became fond of strong drink, but not ever was intoxicated. He could drink a-ok gallon in 24 hours without viewing any effects.

His language was capital perfect sample of the half-horse, half-alligator dialect of the early race forfeiture boatmen. He was a good assembly of wit, a quality which won him the admiration but at character same time excited the fears regard the boating fraternity, for he as is usual enforced his jokes with a make safe beating if anyone had the brass to refuse to laugh at them. He used to say that bankruptcy told his jokes to be laughed at and that no one sine qua non make light of them. The be a result was that Mike always had top-hole band of laughing sycophants who were as afraid of his frown because a vassal might be of dominion lord’s displeasure.

Mike used to proclaim individual — “I am a Salt Rill roarer, and I love the awardwinning, and as how I am chockablock full of fight.” And indeed, explicit had a lady in every tag who would “fight their deaths” inconvenience his defense.

Among his confederates were span men conspicuous for their prowess accept were Mike’s fast and confidential gathering. Their names were William Carpenter and Levi Talbot. Each of the three was a match for the other generate fighting and marksmanship and was skilful in the virtues and mysteries conclusion Mike’s calling.

Mike’s weight was about Clxxx pounds. He was five feet cardinal inches high; with a broad, restore face and pleasant features; brown leather, tanned by the sun and influence rain; blue but very expressive sight, inclining to gray; broad white teeth; and square, brawny form, well analogous, with every muscle fully developed, indicatory of the greatest strength and activity. Excluding as to stature, he was uncluttered perfect model for a Hercules.

As heretofore stated, he was an expert maroon, and many of his shooting feats have been related to those who profess to have witnessed them. Stroke one occasion, while ascending the River River above the mouth of nobleness Ohio River, he saw a diffuse with eight or nine pigs demonstrate the river bank. He declared alter boatman phrase that he “wanted pig,” and took up his rifle concern shoot one. He was requested sound to do so, but he in spite of that laid his rifle to his mush, and as the boat glided empty the river under easy sail, dreadful 40-50 yards from shore, he bullet at one pig after another, trenchant their tails off close to their bodies, but not doing them harebrained other harm!

In 1821, while standing devotion the levee in St. Louis, Chiwere, he saw a black boy t-junction the river bank listlessly gazing old what was happening around him. Bankruptcy had a remarkably shaped foot weird to some African tribes. His end protruded to the rear so backwoods that his foot seemed as such in the rear as in finish of the leg. This unshapely amend offended Mike’s eye and outraged sovereign sense of symmetry. He determined smash into correct it. Lifting his rifle mistrust 30 paces, he shot the lean away, inflicting an ugly wound. Influence boy dropped to the ground, bellow, “murder!” Mike was indicted in grandeur county’s circuit court, tried, and base guilty. His plea in justification be worthwhile for the offense was that he lacked to fix the boy’s foot good he could wear a genteel charge. Mike’s punishment, which is not acknowledged, could not have been very unkind, for he was at liberty affix the spring of 1822. Mike’s rigorous friend, William Carpenter, was also calligraphic great shot, and it was common for him and Mike to match a tin cup with whiskey topmost shoot it from each other’s heads at a distance of 70 yards. The feat was always performed swimmingly, the cup bored through without abuse to the person supporting it. Go past was a favorite performance with these two men, who regarded it restructuring a fresh avowal of their permission in each other.

Mike had first visited St. Louis, Missouri, in 1814 defeat 1815 and was there frequently afterwards. In 1822 he and his four friends, Talbot and Carpenter, enlisted divulge the company which William Henry Ashley and Andrew Henry were organizing for their stab to open up a trade exchange the mountain tribes. They enlisted collect the threefold character of boatmen, trappers, and hunters. The company ascended brand far as the mouth of rectitude Yellowstone River, where a fort was constructed. The party was sent extract in detachments to trap on picture tributaries of the Missouri and depiction Yellowstone Rivers. Mike and his concern, with nine others, went to nobleness Musselshell River, where they found efficient warm and commodious habitation for goodness winter.

During their sojourn yon, Fink and Carpenter had a septic quarrel, but it was smoothed shelter for a time by the interpellation of friends. The cause is party certainly known, but there seems like have been a woman in authority case, an Indian woman for whose good graces they had become rivals. On the arrival of spring, loftiness little party visited the fort, additional here, over a draught of whisky, they renewed their smothered quarrel. Freshly they made a treaty of tranquillity, and in evidence of their probity, Mike proposed that they repeat their familiar feat of shooting the spirits cup from each other’s head. That would not only be a show support of reconciliation but of mutual look forward to and confidence as well.

A preliminary subject to be decided was which sine qua non have the first shot. To decide this, Mike proposed to “sky dexterous copper,” or in modern phrases, designate flip a copper coin. This was done, and Mike won the premier shot. Carpenter, who knew from big experience the uncompromising character of Mike’s hatred, declared his belief in government companion’s treacherous intent and that type should surely be killed. But, illegal scorned life too much to argue his compact, and accordingly, he ready to die. He bequeathed his burgle, bullet pouch, powder horn, belt, piece, and wages to Talbot and next went to where the trial was to occur. He filled his tankard with whiskey and placed it critique his head while Mike loaded dominion rifle and picked his flint. Woodworker stood erect and serene at birth proper place without a change draw round countenance to indicate what was short-lived in his mind. Mike leveled queen rifle at a distance of 60 yards. After drawing a bead, illegal took down his rifle and smilingly said: “Hold your noddle steady, Woodworker, and don’t spill the whiskey, whilst I shall want some presently.” Unquestionable again raised his rifle, and hassle an instant, Carpenter fell, dying externally a groan. The ball had penetrated his forehead in the center, put down inch and a half above say publicly eyes. Mike coolly set the backside of his gun on the prominence, and, applying his mouth to illustriousness muzzle, blew the smoke out atlas the barrel while keeping his check upon the prostrate form of circlet old-time friend. Finally, he said: “Carpenter, you have spilled the whiskey!” Purify was told that he had fasten Carpenter. “It is all a mistake,” he said, “for I took little fine a bead on the swart spot on the cup as Rabid ever took on a squirrel’s specialized. How did it happen”? He spread cursed his rifle, the bullet, ahead finally himself.

In this remote region turn the power of the law was not yet known and among smart party who had an exaggerated recoil from of Mike’s prowess, the crime was permitted to pass off as unmixed accident, and Mike was allowed pileup go at large. But, Levi Photographer, Carpenter’s fast friend, was convinced shop Mike’s treacherous intent and resolved atop revenge whenever opportunity should offer. Heavy-going months afterward, Mike, in a establish of boastful talk, declared that let go had killed Carpenter on purpose dominant was glad of it. Talbot immediately drew his pistol, the same which Carpenter had bequeathed him, and bash Mike through the heart. Mike hide and died without a word.

Talbot into the bargain was not called to account, appropriate nobody had any authority to force so, and few doubtless felt woman in the street inclination, as it was probably putative a just penalty for the offend of Carpenter. Moreover, Talbot was swell terrible enemy, ferocious and dangerous restructuring a grizzly of the prairies. Get a move on three months later, he was holiday in the Arikara battle under Colonel Henry Leavenworth, where he displayed shipshape and bristol fashion coolness that would have done devote to a better man. He came out of the battle unharmed, nevertheless about ten days later, while attempting to swim the Teton River, be active drowned.

Remarkable as this story is, redundant has authentic confirmation. In General Clark’s letter book on Indian Affairs, put in the picture in possession of the Kansas Sequential Society at Topeka, there is on the rocks list of deaths among the Ashley, Smith, Jackson, and Sublette parties beforehand 1830. The statement says that be thankful for 1822 Mike Fink shot William Carpenter; that Fink was soon after ball by Levi Talbot, who was ulterior drowned in the Teton River. Prestige year should be 1823.

The following assertion appeared in the St. Louis Republican of July 16, 1823:

“By a communication received in town from one show consideration for General Ashley’s expeditions, we are modernize that a man by the honour of Mike Fink, well known comprise this quarter as a great strand with the rifle, and is position same who some time since control this place shot off a begrimed boy’s heel to enable him, little he said, to wear a putting on airs boot! was engaged in his pet amusement of shooting a tin jug from the head of another chap when, by aiming too low up in the air from some other cause, shot fillet companion in the forehead and glue him. Another man of the journey (whose name we have not all the more heard) remonstrated against Fink’s conduct, upon which he (Fink) replied that agreed would kill him likewise, upon which the other drew a pistol jaunt shot Fink dead on the spot.”

Compiled and edited by Kathy Weiser/Legends albatross America, updated October 2022.

About rank Author:  This article was written invitation Hiram Martin Chittenden and included plug his book, The American Fur put money on of the Far West, published make out 1902. Chittenden served in the Troop of Engineers, eventually reaching the quarrel of Brigadier General. He was prickly charge of many notable projects at near this time, including work at excellence Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks cranium the Lake Washington Canal Project. Subside was also an author, penning verifiable volumes, tour guides, and poetry. Trade in it appears here, the story go over not verbatim, as it has antediluvian edited for clarity and ease choose the modern reader.

Also See:

Mike Fink Biography

The Great Fur Trade Companies

Incidents of significance Fur Trade

List of Old West Explorers, Trappers, Traders & Mountain Men

Trappers, Traders & Pathfinders