The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-05-10
RICH JIM, OF BOTTOM CARD.
BY G.. +. GILLIAN.

Yer say yer'd like ter hear somethin'
bout my 'sperience in ther diggln's,
boys? Did | ever tell yer that story bout
Rich Jim, o Bottom Card, an his rack
ct with Curly Jake? No? WALL I'll tell
yer ther story.
Yer see his real name was Richard
James, but ther first man he struck in
ther 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
srrinklin' o. tenderfoots, he'd rushed in
thar an staked our claims, an things
war goin' on kinder flourishin'.
Wimmin o ther right stripe war q
mighty skeerce article in them diggin's s,
an yer kin iedge how we war all tore
up one eyenin' as the stage drawed up
at ther shanty called ther "Top Card, :"
an leetle womin with leetle curly
haired younker. bout or 4 years old,
clumb out an went inter ther hotel. /
walked inter ther bar-room after supper
an Doc Means, ther boss of ther place,
war standin 'mong lot o the boys at
ther end O ther bar, an, as l come up,
he war list sayin':
Il tell yer boys, | war most devilish
sorry fur ther leetle womin, when told
her I'd never heerd o any one in these
parts by thet name. She said they all
lived with her mother in ther East some
whar. an ther old woman an her man
he'd he'd cr fallin' out somehow bout
three years ergo when her kid war six
months old. an as she wouldn't leave
ther old lady, he'd left her. She heerd
some way or neither that he war
out here at Bottom Card, an as her
old mother kicked ther bucket few
months ago, she couldn't rest till she
come out here ter hunt ther old man up.
She kinder broke down an ther water
come ter her eyes when she found [
couldn't put her on ther trail o her
man, an If kinder broke me up, too.
Yer kin take me fur string-hal,ed ten
derfoot, boys. ef [ wouldn't ante up my
pile fur little womin an a kid like
them ar. l calkerlate she amt got any
too much O. ther dust. either, an / be-
lieves it'd be ther squar' thing efwe was
ter raise a leetle 'mong ther boys ter
help her long"
* rect; now yer talkin' sense" a
feller by Their name o Curly Jake chip
ped in He 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 $50 gold piece.
III see thet, an 90 one better" says
Doc Means as he tossed in a couple O.
| twenties.
81 can't quite see yer boys, but here
goes ther only bird I've got left, Says
Poker Jim, as he chueked in q shining
eagle.
Curly Jake passed round the room
an ther 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 sight ther open door, thet
led inter ther hall which communicated
with ther dinin' room. Curly slapped
him on ther 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 thet's in
need"
Rich Jim looked up sullen like, an
says awful short an gruff: Il amt got
anythin' ter give"
s'But this here's er lady," says Curly
kinder insistin' like.
"Oh, git out, an don't bother me-"
Rich Jim answers quick like, an savage
as ther mischief.
Curly's eyes flashed mighty wicked,
drawin' hisSef up an throwin' all ther
Scorn an contempt he could inter his
voice, he says: ''Er man thet's struck it
as rich as yer hey lately, an then'll
refuse ter put up er leetle dust ter help
er womin thet's in distress, amt got er
heart in i'm as big as muskeeter.
whats thet yer say" says Rich Jim
springin' ter his feet with a full string o
cuss words. an him an Curly begin
drawin' thar shootin' irons.
JiSt then war hearn ther patter o lee
tie feet on the floor o ther hall leadin'
ter ther bar room, an womin's voice
sayin': "Come my darlin' yer must not
60 in thar" an ther next instant, with
a scream o childish joy an mischief, a
leetle chubby faced, curly haired boy
run inter ther room, an rushin' ter
whar Rich Jim war standin throwed
his arms round his legs an laughin
like it war lots O. fun ter git away from
his mother, he hid his face ergin Jim S
knees.
l tell yer BOYS eff an angel he'd come
squar down from he'vin us fellers thar
in ther bar room couldn't er been more
took back than we war at ther sight o
that leetle codger. It'd done yer
hearts good boys ter have seen him and
hearn him talk. Rich Jim he jist laid
his shootin' iron on ther table without
glancin' at Curly, an his face war as
gentle as a womin's as, stoopin' down,
he laid his big rough hand soft like on
ther curly ha'r o ther leetle feller. an
says in kinder tremblin' voice: "What
does yer want, my leetle man."
Their younker looked up inter his face
an seein' it war kinder sof' ened up, his
leetle heart seemed ter go right out
ter him, an he answers brave as yer
please:
Il wants my paper. Manner said my
paper war here"
"Who is yer pspsrPn saws Rich Jim.