The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-11-20
Doubling Dixon.

Blakely, II don't reckon ! told you any
thing about Doubling Dixon yesterday when
we was talking of Denver in '53F'
Emigrant Blakely ard l were seated ono
pleasant summer evening, after a comfort
able supper, in front u the Paxton house,
Omaha, Mr.. Blakely hal been labeled ''Emi-
grant" because of his intimate relations with
the land department Of the Union Pacific
railway, and his interchangeable exertious in
providing eastern colonies with new homes
on railroad land in the fresh and adolescent
west.
mo, / believe not" l replied. "You told
some very interesting anecdotes Of early
days on the frontier, but l don't him you
referred to Doubling Dixon.n
"So, ! b1ievo not. Wal, Doubling Dixon
come on from Massachusetts in 1852, / think,
an all he had in the world was about one
hundred an fifty dollars in cash an IA 4-year-
old kid. He thought everything Of that boy,
an Dixon couldn't very well go back on
him, neither, fur the lad was a perfect inn
age of hiniself-a regular epitome of Doubt
ing Dixon, only he war "a duInmed light
hvelier. Dixon was u silent, tacitum sort Of
a beaneating Yankee; didn't have much to
say when folks was around. an contrived to
keep hisself to hisself in the best kind of
shape. He got the name of Doubling Dixon
because he never seemed to believe in moth
ing nor nobody, and when anything n little
out Of the ordinary rut was told to him,
he always kinder threw cold water
upon tho account an talked an
acted as II he didn't take no kind of stock
in IT, OF course, such monkey business as
this rather conveyed the idea to people who
was telling him anything that Dixon consid-
cred them cool, calm and unregenerate liars.
Dixon staked q claim fifteen miles out
from Denver, put up a shanty, and lived
thara ulAna uuteh hsa lAI II.Aal.nt 49,. -.
town oftener than once a week after some
smnll stores, an mighty small stores they
was, too, l tell yer. The boys used to won
der what hin and the kid lived on. He
generally come in Saturday nights, an after
hanging nroun' the saloons, stores an post
office u while, he'd pile on his mule an pike
fer his claim. There was another little pc
culiarity about Dixon, he never would drink
anything ut the bar, an he didn'te ever carry
home anything in a jug. In consequence
OF this little excentricity, Doubling
Dixon wns unpopular with the boys an
Dixon, hiSself, didn't appear to have
any great an o~verpowering affection for
them. l said that he was unpopular, an
didn't seem to AVE many friends. There
was one exception. This was a vicious hook
Ing York state Teller, a gambler, and the boys
all said n skin gambler at that. He an
Dixon were seen together occasionally, con-
yerSing in low tones, an everybody wondered
why Pistol Grip, as this York state chap was
called, an Doubling Dixon should be so
thick when Dixon didn't gamble or drink
either. One day this Doubling Dixon struck
it rich in his claim, an he sold out for sl4O,-
OOo, an he an the kid left the shanty an
come into town an commenced boardin' at
the hotel One Saturday afternoon Doubt
ing Dixon sat watching n game of billiards
in the Senate saloon, an Monte Bill come in,
an he says;
"'Dixon, there's a lady outside in Il kerr
ridge as wants ter see YER
go don't know no ladies in Denver said
Doubling Dixon, n trile uneasy, an | don't
believe as any ladies wants ter see me-
"Mebbe you think Pm a liar said Monte
BIZ, carefully rubbing the nickel plate on his
revolver with his thumb.
mo, l won't say you're a liar, Bill said
Dixon, meek as a lamb, but l dou't hardly
reckon any lady wants TO see ine. Who is
shef
81 don't know who she is said Monte
Bill, but she's a lady, an says she got some
news from your wife,
Doubling Dixon started suddenly from his
chair, an then sat back again, an his face
was blue, just MS though he had been swim.
min in ice water for nj hour or so.
al don't believe she has got any news
from my wife, said Dixon.
"'Nell, come along out an see,' said Monte
Bill. Hit amt no use OF your sittiu' here
incoming an implying as if everybody else
but you was n liar. Come along out an see
for yourself
when Doubling Dixon got up out OF the
chair, he weaved back and forth a minute, as
II he was going TO fall, but he braced up, an
went out TO the carriage with Bill. There
was n lady there, sure enough, an' II right
handsome one at that, dressed up to kill, an
diamonds all over her where they would do
the most good.
"'Is this Mr.. Dixonr said the lady. with
a most fascinating smile.
"'Yes, m'm,' said Dixon, huskily.
"'Well, your wife is down at the Tallman
house, an she would like TO see YOU
Dixon seized hold of the tire of the car
riage wheel to steady himself.
"'She wants to take the kid away from
me, don't shof inquired Dixon, with a terrible
anxious look on his face.
40, no, l guess not said the lady pleas
antly.
"'She's got a divorce an big alimony, and
the care of the boy, an all that sort of thing,
l suppose. Remember I've got the money au'
III fight it; I'll fight it through every court in
the land
"'No, nothing Of the kind said the lady,
but she wants to see you an the boy. She
came here with me from Boston, where she
has been working
"'Workingr said Dixon, blankly.
"'Yes, she has been living all alone by her
self, and working hard for her support Get
into the carriage with me, an We will drive
down to the hotel
when they arrived. Dixon met his wife
with the coolest kind of reserve, an she, poor
woman, was almost heart broken. The hand
some lady and Dixon had stopped on the way,
an got the kid, an Mrs Dixon cried over
the boy, an Rugged an kissed him, but Dixon,
be stood by as cold as an ironclad, an
never cried a drop, while the woman washed
the boys face with her tears. Dixon spoke
up an said:
Katie, where's the gambler
"'What gambler said Katie, looking
suddenly up, an 1t seemed as If the fire in her
eyes had dried up all the tears.
u" The gambler chap you took up with an
run away from home with
Its false said the woman, false as
henP
Doubling Dixon looked wonderfully pug
zled at this.
Didn't you leave me, Katier he snid.
81 did, Harry answered the woman, Il
left you for your own good 1 left you be-
cause 1 saw nothing but ruin for you, body
an SOUL. an weary poverty for the little boy
AM me. You drank tho last cent away that
you en- l could earn
81 did bowl up too much,' said Dixon,
but then
az left the child with its father In the faint
hope that IL might work in you reformation.
l knew be was the apple of your eye, and
trusted he might save you. He has now