The Men
Central to the expedition and to the ensemble of Men on Boats are the nine men that joined Powell on the river. These volunteers range in experience and skill, from John Colton Sumner, who was an experienced frontiersman, to “Old Shady,” Powell's war veteran younger brother, to Frank Goodman, an adventure-seeking tag-along. Ultimately, the crew’s inexperience in running rapids contributed to the danger of the mission, but each man played a special part in the journey that we see on stage today. Yet, not much is known about most of them, and few gained any level of fame and fortune that was afforded to Powell. The Men on Boat’s characterizations come from few historical records and commentary in Powell’s journal. While some men may have been lost to history, Powell's journal provides a look at each of the pivotal roles the men played. The text often speaks poetically and fondly of the individuals that formed the group. Below are the descriptions of the men as found in Powell’s journal.
Walter H. Powell
"He is silent, moody, and sarcastic, though sometimes he enlivens the camp at night with a song. He is never surprised at anything, his coolness never deserts him, and he would choke the belching throat of a volcano if he thought the spitfire meant anything but fun. We call him "Old Shady."" |
O.G. Howland
“O. G. Howland is a printer by trade, an editor by profession, and a hunter by choice. When busily employed he usually puts his hat in his pocket, and his thin hair and long beard stream in the wind, giving him a wild look, much like that of King Lear in an illustrated copy of Shakespeare which tumbles around the camp.” |
John Colton Sumner
“He is a fair-haired, delicate-looking man, but a veteran in
experience, and has performed the feat of crossing the Rocky Mountains in midwinter on snowshoes. He spent the winter of 1886-87 in Middle Park, Colorado, for the purpose of making some natural history collections for me, and succeeded in killing three grizzlies, two mountain lions, and a large number of elk, deer, sheep, wolves, beavers, and many other animals.”
“He is a fair-haired, delicate-looking man, but a veteran in
experience, and has performed the feat of crossing the Rocky Mountains in midwinter on snowshoes. He spent the winter of 1886-87 in Middle Park, Colorado, for the purpose of making some natural history collections for me, and succeeded in killing three grizzlies, two mountain lions, and a large number of elk, deer, sheep, wolves, beavers, and many other animals.”
George Young Bradley
“He is scrupulously careful, and a little mishap works him into a passion, but when labor is needed he has a ready hand and powerful arm, and in danger, rapid judgment and unerring skill. A great difficulty or peril changes the petulant spirit into a brave, generous soul.”
“He is scrupulously careful, and a little mishap works him into a passion, but when labor is needed he has a ready hand and powerful arm, and in danger, rapid judgment and unerring skill. A great difficulty or peril changes the petulant spirit into a brave, generous soul.”
William Dunn
“He dresses in buckskin with a dark oleaginous luster, doubtless due to the fact that he has lived on fat venison and killed many beavers since he first donned his uniform years ago. His raven hair falls down to his back, for he has a sublime contempt of shears and razors.”
“He dresses in buckskin with a dark oleaginous luster, doubtless due to the fact that he has lived on fat venison and killed many beavers since he first donned his uniform years ago. His raven hair falls down to his back, for he has a sublime contempt of shears and razors.”
Andrew Hall
“Hall is a Scotch boy, nineteen years old, with what seems to us a "secondhand head," which doubtless came down to him from some knight who wore it during the Border Wars. It looks a very old head indeed, with deep-set blue eyes and beaked nose. Young as he is, Hall has had experience in hunting, trapping, and fighting Indians, and he makes the most of it, for he can tell a good story, and is never encumbered by unnecessary scruples in giving to his narratives those embellishments which help to make a story complete. He is always ready for work or play and is a good hand at either."” |
Frank Goodman
“Goodman is a stranger to us--a stout, willing Englishman, with florid face and more florid anticipations of a glorious trip."
“Goodman is a stranger to us--a stout, willing Englishman, with florid face and more florid anticipations of a glorious trip."