Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-05-26

Doc Means Of Bottom Card Tells His
Story
OF A MAN WHO STRUCK 1T RICH IN
PLACER COUNTY.

Yer say yer'd like ter hear some
thin bout my 'sperience in the dig
gins, boysi Did I ever tell yer that
story bout Rich Jim, o. Bottom Card
an his racket with Curly JakeG No!
Wall, I'll tell yer Their story.
Yer see his real name was Richard
James, but ther first man he struck
in Their mines shortened up Their tai
end O his name frum James ter Jim,
and chopped off piece O his front
name and called him Rich Jim.
Wimmin O. Their right stripe war a
mighty skeerce article in them dig
gins, an yer kin jedge how we war
all tore up one evenin' as the stage
drawed up at ther shanty called ther
"Top Card" an leetle womin with
leetle curly headed younker, bout
3 or 4 years old, clumb out an went
inter ther hotel. l walked inter theI
bar room after supper, an Doc Means.
Their boss OF ther place, war standin'
'mong a lot O. the boys at Their end O.
Their bar, an, as come up, he war jist
sayin':
II tell yer boys, / war most devilish
sorry fur ther leetle womin, when l
told her I'd never heerl O. any one in
these parts by tibet name. She said
they'd all lived with her mother in tho
East some whar, and Their old woman
an her man he'd he'd er fallin' out
somehow bout three years ergo when
her kid war months old, an as she
wouldn't leave the old lady, he'd left
her 1 calkerlate she amt got any
too much O. the dust, either, an l
b'lieves it'd be Their squar' thing of we
was ter raise leetle 'mong Their boys
ter help her long"
Curly Jake passed round the room
an tber boys throwed in purity ib'ral
till he comes ter man who war set
tin with his head restin' on his hands
at a table right side Their open door,
tibet led into Their hall which commun-
icated with ther dinin'room. Curly
slapped him on the back in a kinder
friendly, joky way, an says: Rich
Jim, we wants yer ter help us out on
er purse we're raisin' fur er womin
that's in need"
Rich Jim looked up sullen like, an
says awful short and gruff: II amt
got anything ter give"
"But this here's er lady" says Curly
kinder insistin' like.
sob, git out, an don't bother me-
Rich Jim answers quick like, an say
age as ther mischief.
Curly's eyes flashed mighty wicked,
as DRAWN hisself up an THROWN all
Their scorn an contempt he could inter
his voice, he says: "Er man thet's
struck it as rich as yer hev lately. an
then'll refuse ter put up er leetle dust
ter help er woman thet's in distress,
amt got heart in i'm as big as er
muskeeter."
whats tibet yer say!' says Jim,
springin' ter his feet with hull
string O. cuss words, an him an
Curly begin drawin' thar shootin'
irons.
The next instant, with scream o.
childish Joy, rushed er curly haired
boy. right ter whar Rich Jim was
standin', throwed his arms round his
legs, an laughin' like it war lots O. fun
ter git away from his mother, he hid
his facein Jim's knees.
wont yer be my paperi / likes
YER the leetle I'M said, pattin' his
face easy an tender like, with his
leetle chubby hands.
."Does yer?" Rich Jim says.
ayes, l does, an ] likes manner, toe"
says Their leetle chap. Don't yer
want me ter tiss yer, DIES like l tisses
mameri"
"Yes, eff yer will" Rich Jim says,
in or kinder pleadin' way.
~ tiss manner hull many lots er
times, an love her too, free bushels;
an Ill tiss yer hull many lots a
times, too" An ther affecshernate
leetle creetur throwed his arms tight
round Jim's neck an kissed him
about a dozen times.
While he war still er kissin' Rich
Jim, little womin with sweet. sad
lookin' face glided inter Their rom
kinder skeery like, an says: "Come
Richly, dear: come ter manner, now
At Their sound O. her voice, Rich
Jim turned 'rofnd white as Their driv-
en- snow, and jist give one look, an
then, in er voice qniverin' with feelin',
an in which thar war a world o.
love an tender pleadin', said jist ther
one word, "Nellie."
She gin start an leetle scream,
an weaved back'ards and for'ards
like she wer goin' ter fall, an then
with Their joyful cry. 'Oh, Richard,
my husban', five found yer at lastl''
she darted for'ard inter his arms, an
cuddled her purity leetle head down
onter his breast like she war parfec'ly
satersfied.
DR.. Henry McCormac, Of Belfast,