Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-08-26
TIMID SIMS.

"Timid Suns" as he was called, was
held in very inferior reputc among the
boys at Texas Bar because he backed
down before six-shooter. A man on
Texas Bar might be lacking in many
qualities, but if he had the sand" it COW
cred a multitude of sins "Sandn was
the jocular translation for grit" Sand,
in a locality possessing but little law and
less order, was an absolute essential to a
good standing in Texas Bar.
Timid Sims was pale, slender, molten
sive, dreamy character, whose general as
pect and manner gave you the impression
that he didn't know exactly what he had
come into the mines for; indeed, that he
didn't know eXartly what he came into
existence for. He had body to clothe,
shelter and feed, and it was imperative that
heshould work to shelter, clothe and feed it.
He was not strong enough to do an able
bodied mans work. No one would en-
ploy him, even when hands were needed
in the river claims during the busiest
season: a circumstance which seemed to
puzzle Sims exceedingly until at last he
was plainly told by one of the rough
er and more outspoken miners that he
couldn't keep up his lick with other
men anyway, and the best thing he could
do was to 90 into grocery store, tend bar
or keep school"
Sims, however, would mine. He Dor
rowed rocker, procured very limited
supply of -four, pork and potatoes on
credit at the store took possession Of a de-
serted log cabin at the farther end of the
Bar, patched Up the roof with old boards
which came floating down the river, and
tried at night 10 sleep comfortably on the
floor in his scanty blankets He worked
here and there along the bank, sometimes
washing over "old tailings," sometimes
working some bit of a bar or rifle, exposed
during a low stage of the river, which,
since "'49,n had been dug over a score of
times. He made "six bits" sometimes
one dollar and half, per day. often moth.
ing. His were reckoned aChinaman's
wages Taken altogether, poor Sims
hardly passed for a whole man 1t was
not so much that he was feeble in body
either, for there were others resident near
him able to lift no more pounds or swing
a pick hour after hour with no more vigor
than he, but there was about Sims an at
mOsphere of weakness and selfdeprecia-
ton. tie was always shrinking into holes
and corners. He had no g bluff" no self
assertion If he went into room full of
strangers he seemed frightened at an inn
aginary something. With few he be
came intimate, and they called him
clever little fellow" To these he clung,
and desired no more acquaintance. Every
stranger he seemed to regard as an enemy.
be was fond of solitude, and during the
summer would neglect work altogether,
wandering about the surrounding mount
aims.
Sims had one merit He was an indie
fatigable prospector, and at last struck
gravel diggings on Bixel's Flat Had he
been smart" he might have monopolized
the entire lead He contented himself
with modest slice at one end. Then
came the able bodied cutting and shooting
men of Texas Bar Jim Freemantle had
worked bank claim facing the fiat two
years previously without suspectng the
dlggings which existed an eighth of a
mile back. No matter On the plea of
possessing prior claim on BiXel's he and
his compeers argued that they had the
right Of running the first boundary
lines" Sims had already run his own,
which included, so far as he could Judge
by external indications, fair slice of the
read supposed to exist underneath. This
freemantle & Co. coveted. SO they ran
helr lines, which clashed with those Of
Sims. Sims found Freemantle's notices
posted in the heart of his claim. He ex-
postulated with him He renewed his
own notices, which had been torn down.
These were again snatched off and his
boundary stakes kicked over This was
accompanied by threat from the propri-
ciors Of the Conquer we mustn claim
mat any more OF that sort of thing would
lead 10 bullets" SO Sims "tOok water, -
and was obliged 70 take up with frar-
ment Of the ground he had discovered
Wang Gnu kept China store" a little
above BiXel's Flat Wang Chu dealt
Principally II gin, salt fish, tea and OPT
UNI. In his leisure hours he had con
STucted boat for Transporting parties OF
MS countrymen who from time to time in
heir migrauons about the country in
search Of diggings might desire to cross
me river. II was built after the Chinese
style OF marine architecture. 1t was
eambrous, heavy, lop-sided and unman
aseaole in the most quiet waters. One
am IN It's construction had been to use a.
much old lumter as possible When
wang Chu had finished The Ark" az
ne miners termed 1t, he painted two grea
vyes IN the bows. Thereby he deemed hi
Lad made 1t rational. living. seeing
N'eatuFc. When il was first SET afioa
'Aere was dedicatory burning of crack
Ct JOSS sticks, other pow -wowing, ant