Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-10-13
THE HISTORY OF YANKEE JIM.

One scorching afternoon in July.
lS5-, the Hangtown stage creaked
slowly over the plank roadway forming
the principal street of Sacramento CITY.
finally coming to full stop in front of
the I'll Dorado Hotel. Ii had not ac-
tually stopped before the usual knot of
ldlos were collected to stare, as they
had done year in and year out, ut the
dozen or so dust-begrimed passengers
who alighted, and who began thrashing
themselves like men who had been out
IN heavy fall of snow, instead of
having just finished the hottest and
dustiest sixty miles of road i'm America.
This particular stage usually made
connection with the day boat for 1.-THE
Bay" rs San Francisco was usually
termed in the interior; but on this oc-
caSion IT had come too late by an hour,
Mt least, and the boat was consequently
ut that moment twenty miles down the
river. Upon learning this disagreeable
piece OF intelligence, the belated trav-
elers scattered. grumbling at a deten-
ton which each took good care to ex-
PLAIN could never have been worse
timed or more inconvenient to him
self than upon this particular after
noon.
One traveller, however, stood appar-
emily nonplussed by the situation for q
moment or two longer. until his eve
caught the word "Bank," in big golden
letters, staring ut him from the opposite
side OF the street. He crossed over.
read II again from the curb-stone. and
then shambled in ut the door, He knew
not why. but once within. he felt n
strange desire to get out again rs
quickly as possible. But this secret ad-
monitiOn passed unheeded.
Before him was counter, extending
across the room, at the back of which
was n solid w III of brick. Within this
was built the b nix vault, the iron door
of which being half opened disclosed
bags of coin piled upon the floor. and
shelves from which the dull glitter of
gold-dust caught the visitors eve di-
rectly. The middle of the counter was
occupied by a pair of tall scales of beau
tiiul wOrkm nship. in which dust was
weighed. while on a table behind Il
were trays conta ming gold and silver
coins. Ayoung m N. who was writing
ana smoking NJ the same time, looked
up when the door opened to admit the
person OF whom we were speaking. To
look ut the two men, one would have
said that u was the bank clerk who
might be expected to feel the presenti-
meut of evl. Really the other was half
bandit in appearance.
In the solitary individual who has Just
entered the bank we shall describe not
one man only, but type of the thou
sands who. like migratory ants. passed
and rcpassed the great highway leading
to the mines of the Golden State. He
was n bronzed, bearded and weather
beaten hOnt,rC, dressed in faded wool
on shirt, rantaloons secured at the hips
by belt, and tucked loosely within a
pair of miner $ boots, broad brimmed
felt hat that had been hastily crushed
upon his head. and pea-jqcket dang
ling from his left shoulder like the short
cloak OF an ancient cdbdiicro. The HIATT
of bowie-knife protruded. ready to be
grasped, from his belt; and when he
walked, big six-shooter' tapped
against his,right hip at every step. The
man seemed a wa king arsenal; but
had the well-dressed young person be-
hind the counter been searched. a der
ringer" would have been found in his
pocket, while a revolver lay conven-
lent to his hand underneath the coun-
ter. C
Although be was, alone and unnot;ced.
yet the stranger >, ,manner was undeni-
ably nervous and suspicious. Address
ing the Cashier. Inc disjointedly said:
IL say, mister, this yer boats left;
can't get to- FffscT af6re tomorrow
Ginquiringly).
That's 81 che Cashier .assented.
"Well," 5eontfifhed 2 the miner,
"herc's my Ak. hound home for the
States" (dF0pping his voice. T" got