The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-11-19
A Midnight Ride with Slim Jim
the Monte King.

We are gliding through the canon of the
lruckee river, at night, nine out of ten OF
the passengers are doing when suddenly
the door opens, and in with the cold night
comes the querest specimen of humanity
ever saw. One side of the slouched hat
IS pinned up, and by the lamplight dis
closes face that is young aud not un-
handsome, pair of honest blue eyes, and
good forehead The beard is unshorn.
however, the hair unkempt, and every
llneament of the countenance betrays un-
mlstakable yerdancy. 1t requires no par
ticular knowledge Of character to decide
that the fellow is q green Missourian.
fresh from the primitive precincts of Pike
county One leg of the corduroy pants is
stuffed into the top OF an old cow-hide
boot. These. and the woollen shirt. and
the dilapidated vest and coat, render his
costume decidedly seedy. As if totally
lngs, he begins humming in low, musi-
cal voice:
Away down South in Dixie,
Away, away
keeping time to his weird song. he
Waltzes with light. shutfiing step the en-
tire length of the car, and in a twipklino
has disappeared He has molested no
one, noticed no one, and vet everybody
Is awake and talking about this strange
parsonage. He has not awakened them
by his humming song or shuffiing dance
so much as by his strange, indescribable
tone, manner and conduct The boy on
the front seat is conyulsed with laughter.
the young miss across the aisle gigoles
with glee, broad smiles overspread the
faces OF men and matrons, and the more
serious mutter, Poor fellow he is crazv y
lhey are as unconscious of the person at
whom they have been looking as of the
scenery through which they have been
GLIDING All that good wife would
scarcely have awakened her drowsy hus-
band to ''looh at that fellow" had she i'm
aglned for an instant that it was
THE TERRIBLE SLIM JIM"
chiefest Of the monte sharps In a lit
tie time he returns, and with the same alb
stracted air pr ceeds to walk through the
car lmpelled by curiosity, several of US
follow him into the smoking-car. lie is
surrounded by a group Of laughing fellows
who are listening to his story At Truckee,
he said, lady had stepped up to the
ticket office to Buy her ticket. aud found
that her purse was missing. She had asked
him tor S TO- and had promised to pay him
when she got aboard the train. He let
her hage the money, and now had gone
"clean through the cars without tinding
her. He told the story in such a droIl
manner that everybody laughed, even
while they pitied the poor fellows loss.
lie seemed to care but little, however, for
lie drew from his pocket large leathern
VI h,lf f,1I ~ ,hin;[, r.oia ,Sl5tii' Ia
toId how hn bad haa =, 5o'u P'eee9 re
1nona, br thn foIiau,s iy'oI T"' VI iiI9
.ha,ns s,,l ,l,.,,aoI,I,j N''.iG.' 4ilonIo
,,1anro,, il, ,rE;nh th",. t,5 ',5'1:, ''0 I!le
,ia;nr that bo ,aJ IVJ'.V III Ie- .,
ron, non, +bo ,,.,.oaI. l9 iC''ii'71' Iiie
fb.4,,o r,,, l.o,,l,I ~ ~ ~ p9'
qn1 in lass 4e, 49,, ';,'t - = ,E6
fn walI-dyasys,I o[a,-+i, iio 49, '1fog
ara,nd His banl5 ,,,rs-ali ""4 stoDa ~
tbat ,.bilI n.,Irli ,,;nI. C ~ "lulF
~ n,ar a,.,,' LII vH" r ~ H.
roniertr- wirin n;. a,.a.,n i'"ogN III
+cmnfaJ ~ cnvn, lna3 3h,.t, w. - Io'
Win the hIqcl-,.isallod ,r,a', 3o - m''9
a. c,e,l fo,6 vi. yc,,1 ~ 's',',' sn,, ~ n"liS
hn7o,, ba,,a,, Is;,r 60 Hf Iiie 7oD-
sn in fha in -l,i,SS to W al 'tis
flcf rlIan + '[:, [;i 'i'Ii a. tHe lilost per
c11o+nnqnra ot ybnIi,t ~ ms
Carried away With tha iaa ~ I2lo
the AIissojIrilu's mnns, III '1ii'S t'iin+iS7
planked down his c8sh bis watob b;s
goId chain. and--Iost XII tbis "ool,,,iaJ ~
not over fen ninntas inrIn,tnl, +ha ,dIt,
the rame tnt The winning I1s+ ~, H.
fellow turnpd the wrnns9 n,rI lo-,y
whistle from the f1rthar and ~ +E'o A..
announced the comir@ nf the canIrotn! ''l
Quicker than ...oat3 ne norJ1 G;.a,l r,,l'
peared. the cannerS and al banGs rro'Slp1 "',,'p
into their seats slim lin, Jroy IL tCU bot
down over his ewes and The ,-int;nl ,t+"., +-'''
g!arjag ercelv aropnd fnr ,no~,nI'+ , az set
died back INTO ,is Scat in woods, aii,noa
The conductor entered and nassad sIo1rIv
through the car. but lot 4 sjnoIe bint dii
he obtain Of tha f,ct thqt orarlo haL a+I't ~
goino on Hardly bad bn rett M A.. ~ l..
fore tbe vil]ainons IooLinr 1.iotir,. rlortl.,-,j
ed another chanra n hnt Er,I,, a,Ia+i1o,
pocket ba lad drawn t,yant,, daIian5 'a9'lIGi L.
last cent. and eaonrlv asked for t.s;obt 80 :.
Coolly disrooar7inr his ;,nnor+,,,;;tios
Slim Jim said M si,, dap,t ,lrt.'t5, ,rn+,t .,
break Won In anotbar n,iniIto y" LaNj
throuo.b he door dano;,,or a,'J
bumminp "Avay =,vav >,
4 oua1ter ofen h6n,. Iato,. wa f,,,,d
Slim Jim and his b4st ranro,. % NJ, SroCiL3 ,2InU
Ian seated IL rhe t1r,,Ji ('e
on an olI 0raanI, t,,.,i7ot ~ ~
man ronsciantio,,slv III o,.a5 I'LL oI.is
jim w9s ! baIGwitfad faIIoT- ~ IL ba5 oi'i,l -
some wav hpnoma ,1o.sosSad -, 80 Snn -
He mrther believed tha noo, feiiou, bad
was bunolincIy attempting. to initiate tbf
game. He saw the capper win three or
tour hundred dollars and had even turned |
the card once or twice that won bundred |
dollars. At last Slim Jim refused to lei |
the capper bet any more because he was
100 lucky, and the latter slipped $3.50 into |
he old mans hand, which he bet. won and |
Instantly returned to the CAMPER After
his he was too honest to bet,
"Iknow | could win yourmopev. youno |
man but will not burden nv conscience !
With such crime" Once he took ont his |
oocket-book and showed a check for q |
thousand dollars and several cold coins |
vet he would NOT bet a dollar He was |