Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-03
"ROCKY MOUNTAIN JIM"
From Miss Brid,s LADY Life in the Rocky Noun
tana.1

lfrom MISS Br1ds Lazy Lie IN the Rocky Noun
very pretty mare, hobbled, was feeding; a
collie dog barked at us, and among the scrub
not far from the track, there was rude, black
log cabin, as rough as it could be to be shelter
at all, with smoke coming out of the roof and
window. We diverged toward 1t 1t mattered
not that 1t was the home or rather den Of no
torfous "ruffian and desperate" One OF my
companions had disappeared hours before, the
remaining one was town-bred youth. longed
to speak to some one who loved the mountains.
a wild beast. The big dog lay outside it in a
threatening attitude and growled. The mud
roof was covered with lynx, beaver and other
furs laid out to dry, beaver paws were pinned
out on the logs, a part of the carcass of deer
hung at one end of the cabin, skinned beaver
lay In 'front.' OF heap of peltry just within the
offal OF many animals lay about the den.
Reused by the growing of the dog, his owner
came out, a broad, thick-set man, about the
middle height, with an old cap on his head, and
wear, almost falling to pieces, in facD, dig
gers scarf knotted round his waist, knife
sticking out Of the breast-pocket of his coat !;
his feet, which were very small, were bare, ex-
cept for some dilapidated moccasins made OF
horse-hide. The marvel was how his clothes
hung together and on him. The scarf round
his waist must have had something to do
with 1t. His face was remarkable. He is a
man about 45, and must have been strlklingly
handsome. He has large gray blue eyes, deeply
set, with well marked eyebrows a handsome
aquiline nose, and very handsome mouth. His
face was smoothly shayen, except for dense
uncared-for curls, fell from under the hunters
cap and over his collar One eye was entirely
gone, and the loss made one side of his face re-
pulsiye, while the other might have been mod
eled In marble. "DeSperadO' was written in
large letters all over him. / almost repente1 Of
having sought his acquaintance. His first in
pulse was to swear at the dog, but on seeing a
lady he contented himself with kicking him.
and coming up to me he raised his cap, showing
as he did so magniticently formed brow and
head, and in a cultured tone of voice asked If
him for some water, and he brought me some in
battered tin, gracefully apolOgizng for not
having anything more presentable. We en-
tered into conversation, and as he spoke forgot
both his reputation and appearance, for his
manner was that of a chiyalrouS gentleman, his
accent refined; and his language easy and ele-
CANT. l inquired about some beavers paws
which were drying, and in moment they hung
on the horn OF my saddle. Apropos of the wild
animals of the region, he told me that the loss
Of his eye was owing to recent encounter with
grizzly BEAR which, after giving him death
hug, tearing him all over, breaking his arm, and
scratching out his eye, had left him for dead
AS we rode away, for the sun was sinking, he
said, courteouSly, You are not an American.
know from your voice that you are country
man OF mine. l hope you will allow me the
pleasure OF calling on your This man, known
through the territories and beyond them as
.'Rocky Mountain Jim," or, more briefly, as
Mountain Jim," Is one of the famous scouts of
the plains, and is the original of some daring
portraits in fiction concerning Indian frontier
warfare. SO far as have at present heard, he
is a man for whom there is now no room, for
the time for blows and blood ia this part of Col
orado Is past, and the fame Of many daring eX-
ploits is sullied by crimes which are not easily
forgiven here. He now has ''squatter's claim"
but makes his living as trapper, and is COM
plete child OF the mountain. OF his genius and
chivalry to women there does not appear to be
any doubt, but he is desperate character and
Is subject to ugly fits" when people think it
evil that he has located himself at the mouth of
the only entrance to the Park, for he Is danger
Gus with his pistols, and it would be safer il he
were not here. His besetttng sin is indicated in
the verdict pronounced on him by my host:
when he's sober JimS a perfect gentleman:
but when he's had liquor he's the most awful
ruffian in Colorado"