Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-03-04
Rocky Mountain jim.

A 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 cab
in. as rough as it could be to be a shell
ter at all, with smoke coming out of
the roof and window We diverged to-
ward 1t; it mattered not that it was the
home, or rather the den, of notorious
"ruffian" and "desperado." One of
my companions had disappeared hours
before, the remaining one was town.
bred youth, | longed 20 speak TO some
one who loved the mountains. |
called the hut a den-It looked like the
the den of wild beast. The big dog
lay outside it in threatening attitude,
and growled. The mud root was COW
cred with lynx, beaver and other furs,
laid out to dry, beaver paws were
pinned out on the logs, part of the
carcass of deer hung at one end of the
cabin, a skinned beaver lay in front OF
heap of peltry just within the door,
and $ntlers of deer, old horse shoes and
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 wearing
gray hunting-suit much the worse
tor wear almost falling TO pieces in
tact), a digger's scarf ¬ted round
his waist, u knife in his belt, and a
blossom friend" "a revolver-sticking
out of the breast pocket of his coat; his
feet, which were very small, were bare
except for some dilapidated moccaSlns,
made of horSe-hide. The marvel was
how his clothes hung together on him.
The scarf round his waist must have
had something TO do with il. His
face was remarkable. He was mar
about forty-tive, and must have been
strikingly handsome. He had large
gray blue eyes, deeply set, with we'll
marked eyebrows, u handsome aquiline
nose, and very handsome mouth
His face was smoothly ShaVen, except
TOR dense mustache and imperial.
Tawny hair in thin uncared-for curls,
fell from under his hunters cap and
over his collar. One eye was entirely
gone, and the loss Of it mad one side
of the face repulsive, while the other
might have been n odele in marble.
Desperate" was written III large let
ters all over him. | almost repented
or having sought his acquaintance.
His first impulse was to swear at the
dog, but, on seeing lady, he contented
himself with kicking him, and coming
up to me he raised his cap, showing as
hedid so a magniticeutly formed brow
and head, and in a cultured tone OF
voice asked if there were anything he
could do for me? | asked for some
water, and he brought some in bat
tered tin, gracefully apOloglzing for
not having anything more presentable.
We entered into conversation, and as
he spoke forgot both his reputation
and appearance, for his manner was
that of chivalrous gentleman, his ac-
cent refined, and his language easy and
elegant. l inquired about some bea-
ver'S paws which were drying, and in
moment they hung on the horn of
my saddle. AprOpos of the wild AMI
mails of the region, he told me that the
loss of his eye was owing to arecent
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 tor
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 a
countryman of mine. hope you will
allow me the pleasure OF calling on
you? 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 origi-
nal of some daring portraits IN fiction
concerning Indian warfare. So far as
Ihave at present heard he is man for
whom there is now no room, for the
time for blows and blood in this part of
Colorado is past, ahd the fame of many
daring exploits is sullIed by crimes
which are now easily forgiven here.
He now has ''squatter's claim" but
makes his living as trapper, and is
complete 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 best to avoid him. 1t is re-
garded here as an evil that he located
himself at the mouth of the only en-
trance TO the Park, for he is danger
Gus with his pistols, and it would be
safer if he was not here. His beset-
ting sin is indicated in the verdict
pronounced on him by my host:
"When he's sober Jim's a perfect
gentleman; but when he's had liquor
he's the most awful rutfian in Colora-
do"
he iobf nf A