Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-05-12
RICH jim, OF BOTTOM CARD.

Yer say yer'd like to hear somethin'
bout my 'sperience in Their diggin's,
boysp Did ever tell yer that story
bout Rich Jim, o. Bottom Card, an his
racket with Curly Jake? Mop Wall,
I'll tell yer ther story.
Yer see his real name was Richard
James, but Their first man he struck in
Their mines shortened up Their tail end
o. his name frum James ter Jim, an
chopped off piece o. his front name
and called him Rich Jim.
Wall, yer see, some one had struck it
rich at Bottom Card few months afore,
an all O. us old pilgrims an 'er good
sprinklin' o. tenderfoots he'd rushed in
thar an staked our claims, and things
war goin' on kinder fourishin'
Wimmin o. Their right stripe war
mighty skeerce article in them diggins,
an yer kin jedge how we war all tore
up one evenin' as Their stage drawed up
at ther shanty called Their ''Top Card"
an leetle womin with leetle curly
haired younker, bout three or four
years old, clumb out an went inter ther
hotel. / walked inter ther bar-rOOm
after supper, an Doc Means, ther boss
of Their place, war standin' 'mongS a lot
o. the boys at Their end o. ther bar, an >,
as come up, he war jist sayin':
81 tell yer boys, war most mighty
sorry fur Their leetle womin, when told
her I'd never heerd O. any one in these
parts by tibet name. She sed they'd all
lived with her mother in Their East some
whar, an Their old woman an her man
he'd he'd er fallin' out somehow bout
three years ergo when her kid war six
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 Card, AN as her old
mother kicked Their bucket few months
ago, she couldn't rest till she came out
here ter hunt the old man up. She
kinder broke down and the water come
ter her eyes when she found couldn't
put her on Their trail o. her man, an it
kinder broke me up, too. Yer kin take
me fur string-halted tenderfoot, boys,
eff wouldn't ante up my pile fur little
womin an kid like them ar. l cal
kerlate she amt got any too much o.
Their dust, either, an I believes it'd be
ther squar' thing if if we was ter raise
leetle 'mong Their boys to help her
long"
"K'rect; now yer talkin' sense" a
Teller by Their name o. Curly Jake
Clipped in. He war one o. Their rough
est men in Their camp, but he he'd er
heart in i'm bigger'n an OK, an takin'
off his hattie dropped in twenty-dollar
gold piece.
'I'll see tibet, an go one better"
saws Doc Means, as he tossed in a couple
o. twenties.
II can't quite see yer, boys, but here
goes Their only bird I've got left" says
Poker Jim, as he chucked in a shining
eagle.
Curly Jake passed round the room
an the boys throwed in purity lib'ral
till he come ter man who war settin'
with his head restin' on his hands at a
table right side Their open door, tibet led
inter Their hall which communicated with
ther dinin'-room. Curly slapped him
on Their back in kinder friendly, jockey
way, an says: erich Jim, we wants
yer ter help us on er purse we're raisin'
fur 'er womin thet's in need"
Rich Jim looked up sullen like, IN
says awful short an gruff: II lint got
anythin' ter give"
"But this here's er lady," says Cur
ly, kinder insistin' 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 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'n refuse ter put up er leetle dust
ter help er womin thet's in distress,
amt got er heart in Inn as big as er
muskeeter."
What's tibet yer say" says Rich
Jim, springin' ter his feet with hull
string O. cuss words, an him an Curly
begin drawin' thar shootn' irons.
Jist then war hearn ther patter o. lee
tie feet on the floor o. Their hall leadin'