The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-09-20
JIM MOORE.
Or ssThe Whitest Man in the
Mines" &

known characters in the great Carbonate
Camp during the winter Of '7S-0, and his
popularity did not wane to any perceptable
extent until the first week in March, 1880,
when he joined the church, fors'ok politics,
and permitted the Democrats to elect a mayor
and two Of the six aldermen which com
prised the common council OF Leadville.
Colonel Jim was not handsome by any
means, but what he lacked in personal APP
pearancc he made up for in greatness and
kindness of heart. He stood five feet nine
inches in bare feet, and in bis knee-top pat
ent-lesther boots he was a good inch taller.
His weight never exceeded one hundred and
forty pounds; yet he was All athlete, and
boosted of muscles hat were as hard as iron.
No one knew his age, but his home had once
been in Evansville, Ind, and he was intimate
~ acGua, inted with Frank NJ. Gilbert, one of
the brightest editors o! that little Hoosier
city, and was never so happy as when mar
rating some boy 'sh tiasco wherein Gilbert
was one Of The principal characters. His
forehead was high and narrow, hair so black
that it glittered in the light of day, eyes of
the color steel gray, nose a decided pug,
mouth as large as Emily Soldene's, lips al
most as thick as paper, teeth irregular and
eastly white, chin aud under jaw massive,
cheek bones prominent as all Indians and
his smOoth-shaven face was as sallow as
though he had wresileI with chills and fever
in the low lands Of Arkansas from the day Of
his birth.
By avocation Jim Moore was a gambler.
He found his way to Leadviile in November,
1878, and took rooms on lower Chestnut
street, his meals at the Tontine restaurant,
and dealt faro in the Texas saloon on Har-
risoufasenue. The first day in camp no one
paid him a second thought, and his table was
patronized by strangers alone. The second
day June Richards, the camp bully, charged
him with tnrnimg stop and bottom" Jim
was shuttiing the cards, preparing for the
next deal, and he promptly knocked Rich
ards down with the leayv silver box. When
the bully returned TO consciousness he saw
ohe~ ohbi iSA - AiSo" ~ ofN y "S
dealing rs coily as though nothing had oc-
Cured. The crowd fell back in anticipation
OF all exchange 81 p~istol-shots, but Richard 5
remarked that he Was no hog, knew when he
had enough, and left the house to spend his
money iii the Little Church saloon.
On the fourth day of Jim's soiourn in
camp, IA reckless prospsctnr by The name of
Mooney. who had backed the $ ypn-spot tC
lose. wlleii the seven rad won, called the
Man-from. Indiana a tin-hotn gambler, and
threw his heavy bowie-knlfe across the lay.
out. Jim could not wink a such Il breach q
etiquette, and Shot Mooney through The
heart without rising from hi, chair. An i'll.
quest was held, and as all the gentlemen
present at the time Of the shooting pronounC
ed It an act Of self-dcfense, Jim was back a
he table, dealing, within a lew hours follow
ing the tragedy. This event sent his stocl
way above par, ana from that day he Wa
recognized on tie street by the first gambler.
OF Colorado.
1t was in these early days that claim ant
lot jumping tlourished in Leadviiio. If
man after toil!ng for weeks and months in
small shaft. CHANGED to strike it rich, 1iding
of lis 5000 lack would spread through TIN
camp like wild fire. Ia their greed Tor car
Donates, many mel won Id forget that thei
once poor companion had delved in The har'
stone and f"ireclay until lie had fairly won hi
prize, and their ruling thought was through
what agency lie could he Iispo sessed and hi
pay claim relocated. Claim jumping FINAL.
became quite a science, and mines had 70 b
guarded night and Day. As the price of rea
estate advanced in camp, lot jumping Decam
quite fashionable, and as a half-dozen Ian
companies set up claims To the ownership {
every foot of ground between the Arkanss
and the First Range on one hand. and Cal
fornia Guich and Tennessee Park on tn
other, the only bill of sale recognized as gel
u.ne was a Winchester rife and a pair (
self.cocking revolvers. Might in these day
made right there was no law, and an OF
c~asional lynching hee ouly served to incit
men to more cruz and daring extremes
The camp at this time contained abot
10, 900 souls. and when | write that Of tn
- NUMBER al least LWoInlInS were gambler
. thieves, highw tymen and assassins, | simpl
state facts. Men who endure so many hal
ships and lived up in the heart of the Rock
mountains, two miles above the level of tn
sea, forgot all except that he must acquil
r~iclL5, and it was immaterial to them no
they became wealthy. Every base passio
> was quickened TO such an extent that the o.
adage of s'honor among thieves was eve
y forgotten. Now all this is changed, and Il
" only monument to the winter, spring al
U summer Of 1872 in LeadviIie are the wei
u filed cemeteries.