The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-08-23

naming. l paid visit to Jim Moore
and briefly explained the situation
81 catch on" said he, "and shall
slide down from the fence. l propose
to deal faro in this camp until l ge,
ready to leave, and il any one dared to
interfere with me there would be cir.
Gus and menagerie turned loose in fif.
teen seconds; and they have actually
ordered the newspaper men out ol
town 2" he half Questioned, land still
they call themselves SPORTS"
He practiced new shuttle for few
minutes, then, tossing his cards into the
drawer, said:
"Go back to the boys and tell then
70 scribble their lies in peace. 1 shal
pay visit to the Law and Order abb
ders, and convince them in a very few
minutes that newspapers are the saliva
ton OF this mining camp"
That night the roughs held a meeting
and when the whitest man in the mines
strobe into their midst and took sea
on the platform he was cheered heartily
He announced the object of his cal
briefly and emphstically, and swore BY
all the noop-poles in Posey County tina
he would shoot the first man who wen
fooling around a newspaper Office o.
cunning for newspaper men. He wa
respected and feared by all the knaves
and nothing more was said about de
Estroying the newspaper offices until tn,
Vigilantes captured Stewsrt and Fro
sham and hanged them to the rafter o
a building in course of erection.
The newspapers did not hang them,
said Jim Moore, sit was the Vigiantes.
t'But did not the papers counsel lynch
ing us p demanded the leaders of th,
Law and Order hand.
aWhat if they didw was Jim's reply
saint this free country, and don't tn
Constitution provide for free press :
or course it does, and just feel lik,
shooting somebody who wants to insul
the Constitution and the American flag
When one of Wall u Writer'S stage.
capsized few miles below Leadville
and Rev. Mr. Picket, who was riding il
the boot with the driver, was crushed u
death, Jim swore that "the parson hat
been a Prince" and subscribed liberally
toward defraying bis funeral.
But the Saturday night that Jim con
cluded to quit dealing faro and 20 to
preaching will long be remembered in
Lake County, Colorado. He stopped
in the middle of the deal and removed
the cards from the box, explaining thai
all bets were of, that the cases were off
and that he had dealt his last card.
'.What is the matter, Jim?" cried 8
dczAp in one'voice.
"NSthing," he replied, "only that ]
have concluded that preaching; and not
dealing, isSmy trade. You may call me
Jim, and the swhitest man in the
mines, Tonight. but hereafter you must
always address ne as Mr.. Moore"
The proprietor Of the house endeav-
ored to induce Jim to remain, but he
was firm in his intention.
"You might offer me a thousand 0
minute" said he, "and it would not in
fluence me in the least. l have done 8
terrible lot Of harm guiding the Royal
Bengal, and now I intend to do pow
ertul lot of good. Bar keeper. drinks
for the house at my expense"
Jim Moore did some missionary work
in Leadville. His sermons was always
brief but forcible, and we're interspersed
with slang phrases acquired at the gam.
ing table. About the lst OF April, 1880,
be set out for Gunnison City, on snow
shoes, saying that he "felt called upon
to wrestle with the Gunnison heathen." /"
He did not arrive at Gunnison, or did
be return to Leadville. His strange
was unaccounted for un-
til the following July, when bold pros
pectors penetrated the gulches on Tay-
lor River above Ruby Camp. There. 10
one of the deep fissures, they found a
human body. 1t was still frozen, and
decomposition had not set in. From
the position of the body they judged
that the unfortunate man had acciden.
tally fallen into the fissure. Frank Prit-
chard, one of the party of prospectors,
who had loi!ered behind testing the
rocks, came cup to his companions, cast
one glance at the remains, and said, with
great emotion:
"Heavens, boys, this is the body OF
Jim Moore, the whitest man in the
mines p RALPH BAYARD.