The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-08-09
THE wAIF OF DEADwOOD.
How "the Pride Of the Family" Game {,
the Black HiIis--IIis Untimcly End.

tors also, were for moment diverted |
from the contemplation of sundry piles
OF chips and some other matters per-
taiuing TO gambling by the appearance
OF small boy in their midst. He was
an uncommon boy, too, because no COM
mon boy would have gone of his own ac-
cord iuto the Minerva saloon.
"Young chap, where did you come
from, and who are you, anyhow?"
"My names Jim, and L cum up here
crom Cheyenne to make stamps like all
the rest. Don't you want boy here.
boss ?"
"A boy Major. do you heaf 'hat ?
The boy wants a place here. Jim's his
name, he says
eyes, and reckon we'd best take him.
zoo oDiv wbat'll we do with him ?tbats
what l don't know. Jim, where's yotr
| folks?"
"Dun no-home, I spect."
"Apd where's that ?"
L don't like 10 tell you that and you
don't know emmy folks-so what's
5he use in telljn' all about 'em, Ell ?"
"That boy is sharp, maior, sharp
And you want place he'e, boy, Go
you?"
Yes, boss ; I'm lookup for q place.
l. eau SHINE boots, and do most any
thing. l never cusses and swears, but
Ike to smoke cigar butts and whole ones,
too" .
"Sh'oe can you? Now let's see how
you can sj'ne before we hire you for
steady work"
Aud Major Showers left the ''look out
seat at The faro game to test the capacity
Of the small boy who wished for place.
Major Showers was a gambler-a faro
dealer and his partner, "Doc " Puffer,
had earned the curses, because he had
been the ruin of more than one poor
fellow.
This boy, Jim, was certainly the only
small boy without an owler N Dead
wood. 1t was a wonder how such little
wait came away there in the Black Hills.
His own statement of it was perhaps as
good as any:
81 jest kept comiu' till 1 got here,
boss that's the way it was.
And that shine of yours, Jim. amt
quite up to what we're used to here I; but
nebbe you'll improve. You see, we
don care what it costs, but we must have
The best"
That was the only bargain ever made
with the boy; but he became presently,
and curiously too, part and parcel of
the establishment. Like rare paint
ing or a curiosity, the lad became an at
traction. His quaint old-manish ways
and sayings caused many rough Gus
iomer, and those bet er bred. 100 10 stop
and wonder at the boy.
, "Whose little cuss is he. Doc ?" asked
. Joe Bunce, Deadwood terror, as be
watched the boytill he wholly forgot a1d
neglected his fa o chips.
Mine and maio"'s."
, "Young fellow, What's your name?"
"Jm.
"Jim what ?? out with it, qeick or -
J "Jim-I don't like 70 tell, so l do1't.
Ny mamma wouldn't like me to tell
, neither, She said how L was going to
, be the piide of the family some day, if I
was good boy. Oh. ] wish could jest
} see my mamma jest onst Ooh !"
5 And torrent of tears told the earnest
! love of the lad for his far-away mother.
: Other eyes, total strangers to such sen
S sations, were puzzled at the effect of the
e boys tears.
: "Let the little chap alone, Joe
t You've made him cry-and 1 won't have
e it." said Doc sharply. --.----
l Il didn't go to hurt his feelin's, Doc
e [ only wanted to call the little cuss by
n his full name."
/ The desperate was actually trying ic
soothe and caress tue Lad.
"Then call him Jim P'ide, if yor
want to aud let him alone"
And so he was called Jim Plide aftel
: that. A very nice boy in his ways, he
Il remained too, in spite of the fearful life
: around him. And those gamblers of th'
Minerva saloon We're presently as watch
J full and Jealous of the welfare and gooC
morals of their boy as lover would b.
of his mistress.
), "The boy don't know anything bad
and he amt agoing to learn it from you,
3 was the quietus Doc aud his yevolve
y j, put upoa the wickeduess of more tina
= one too-talIatjve desperate.
"Why don't you set up Sunday
f school for the boys here? When m
u and little Jim here takes a hand you'll
:, have to call in the checks and close tn
i game, ell, Doc?"
u From no greater cause than this hante
of Joe Bunce, with the laugh of other
= around the gambling table, came ho
u words, and then the inevitable revolvers
There was in moment cu0s'ng, shoot
y ing, yells, and the terrific uproar OF
!, frontier barroom light. Final'Y the nois
;. ceased and the crowd came slowly tc
~. ~ gether again. The faro dealer took hi
: seat again.
- "Nobody hurt, gentlemen. No
,, We'll go ON again with the game p
7 1t was then that somebody pointed
= a corner. A little bunch of clothes la
i there behind chair.
- "Oh, God !" cried the dealer, sprln,
-, ~ ing up and throwing away his box an
- cards. "It's our little boy, Jim. Dead
yes, dead And L wish it was me.
wish it was me and not him !"
The next day Deadwood had funer
"a very sad one! There was sma
W, rough coffin into which the entire pop
ng lation in town gazed earnestly and tea
to fully. Many Rough and some cru
'et hands suddenly became strangely tend
is, and wished to help bear away that cofli
all No one knew the boys real name b
there is marble slab at his grave. W
ut it tender chord in a gambler's hea
tie that prompted this inscription?
"Uuder this bit of turf, under this forest tr
to Waiting for God to call, lies the pride of