The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-05-02
RICH jim OF BOTTOM CARD.
b. c. +. GILLIAN.

Yer say yer'd like to bear somethin'
bout my 'sperience in Their ciggin's. boysf
Did ever tell yer that story bout Rich
Jim, of Bottom Card, an his racket with
Curly Jake2 No2 Wall, I'll tell yer that
story.
Yer see his real name was Richard James
but the first man re struck in Their mines
shortened up Their tail end O his name
from James ter Jim, an chopped of q
piece o his front name and called him Rich
Jim.
Wall, yer see, some one had struck it rich
a. Bottom Card few months sfore an all o.
Us old pilgrims an err good fprinklin' o. ten
derfoots, he'd rushed in thar an stsked cur
claims, an things war goin' on kinder -four
hhin'.
Wimmin O. Their right stripe war mighty
skeerce article in them diggin's, an yer kin
ledge how we war sll tore up one evenin' as
Their stage drawed up at Their shanty called
"Top Card" an leetle vomin with a
leetls curly haired younker, bout three or
four years old, clumb out an went inter ther
hotel. / walked inter Their bsrroom after
supper, an Doc Means, Their boss of ther
place, war stsndin' 'mong q lot O. the boys
at lher end o. ther bar, an, as come up, he
war ssyin':
al tell yer boys, 1 war most devilish sorry
fur ther leetle womin, when l told her I'd
never heerd o. any one in these parts by that
name. She said they'd all lived with her
mother in Their East some whsr, an Their old
woman an her man he'd he'd er fallin' out
somehow bout three years ergo whe1 her kid
war months old, an as she wouldn't leave
Their old lady, he'd left her. She heerd
some way or mother that he war out here
at Bottom Gard, an IS her old mother
kicked Their bucket few months ago, she
couldn't rest till she come out here ter hunt
ther old man up. She kinder broke down
an Their water comes ter her eyes when she
found couldn't put her on Their trail o.
her man, sn' it kinder broke me up, too.
Yer KIN take me fur a string halted tender
foot, boys, eff / wouldn't ante up my pile
fur little womin an a kid Ike them ar
/ calkerlate she amt got any too much o.
ther dust, either, an b'lieves it'd be ther
squsr' thing of we was ter raise leetle
'mong thsr boys ter help her long"
'.K'rect; now yer talkin' sense" q Teller
by ther name O. Curly Jake Clipped in.
BE war one o. ther toughest men in ther
camp, but he he'd er heart in i'm bigger n
an OK, an takin' off his hat he dropped in
q $50 gold piece.
arm see thet, an go one better" says
Doc Means as he tossed in couple o
twdnIies.
al can't quite see yer boys, but here goes
Their only bird I've got left" says Poker
Jim, rs he chucked in shining eagle.
Curly Jake passed round the room an
Their boys throwed in purity lib'rsl
till he come ter man who was
settin' with his head restin' on bis
hands st a table right side Their open door,
thet led inter Their hall which communicated
with Their dinin'-rOom. Curly slapped him
on Their back in akinder friendly, ioky way,
an says: "Rich Jim, we wants ger ter help
US out on er purse we're rsisin' fur er womin
thet's in need"
Rich Jim looked up sullen like, an says
awful short an grufi: ~ amt got snythin'
ter give"
"But this here's er LADY," says Curly kin
Ger insistia' like.
"Oh, git out, an don't bother me-" Rich
Jim answers quick like, an savage as Their
mischief.
Curly's eyes flashed mighty wicked, as
drswin' hisself up an thrown, all Their scorn
an contempt he could inter his voice, he
says: 'Er man tibet struck it as rich sc yer
hev lstely, an then'n refuse ter put up er
leetle dust e. help or womjn thets in dis
tress, amt got er heart in i'm Is big as er
muskeeter"
Whats the. yer cay" says Rich Jim,
spriDgin' Ter his feet with huh string o.
cuss words, an him an Curly begin drawin'
thar shootin' irons.
JET then war hearn Their pstter o'leetle
feet On the floor o. Their ball leadin' ter Their
bar room, an womin's voice sayin': "Come
my dsrlin,' yer Eust not 60 in thar" an
Their next instant, with q scream o'childlsh
Joy an mischief, leetle chubby faced, curly
haired boy run inter ther room, an rushin'
ter whar Rich Jim war stsLdin' throwed
his arms round his legs an laughin'
like it war lots o fun ter git away from his
mother. be hid his face ergin Jim's knees.
tell yer BOYS eff an angel he'd come
sQusr down from he'vin US feliers thar in ther
bar room couldn't er been more took back
than We wsr st Their sight o that leetle cod
ger. Ipds done yer hearts good boys ter
have seen him and hesrn him talk. Rich
Jim be jist laid his shcotin' iron On ther
table without gls1cin' at Curly, an his face
war as gentle as q womin's as, stoopin'
down, no laid his big rough hand soft like
on Their curly HAIR o. ther leetle Teller, an
says in q kinder tremblin' voice: "What
does yer want, my leetle man."
Thar voun ker looked nm inter his face an
seein' 1t war kinder soi'ened up, his leetle
heart seemed ter go right out ter him, an he
answers brave as yer please:
II wants my paper. Manner said mi
paper war here"
sWho is yer psper7" says Rich Jim
bendin' down an rsisin' him inter his arms
"My papers manners paper. Is yer my
psperf" nj,
Jim, Their water comm ter his eyes, 80 Of th'