Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-02-23
Truthful James-Some Wyoming Pre-.
VaricatOrs.


A party of ranchmen were assembled
together at Bailey's corral, Denver. one
night last week, passing the time away
telling stories The wind storm which
swept over the city a few days before
was variously commented on. Some had
seen worse storms and some hadn't
Among those who had was Jim Blanch.
ard, 49er In California and Seer in
Colorado and Wyoming. Jim is known
as truthful James" and the story he
related that evening as taken down by
Republican reporter, shows that the title
Is deserved one. After wetting his
whistle Jim said:
That there storm reminded me of the
zephyrs they have in Kansas and New
brasky. I've seed worse in Iowa, and
worse right here in Colorado, but I
kinder think that if a man wants to see
the wind run hundred-mile race in half
a minute, stopping three times to spit ON
its hands, he'd better go to CHEYENNE.
Wyoming. That there place is lust
little the windiest this side of the knee
quater. Its common thing there for
the boys to hitch log chain to Hat car
and fly 1t for kite. When l was livin'
there L used to hitch good sized cable
to my house, take up the anchors from
the four corners, whenever a storm was
comm, and go up in the hevings beyond
the clouds. | had capstan in my house.
and as soon as the storm was over / would
wind up the cable, and come downon top
of the snow, nice and dry. One of nv
kids fell outn the front door one day
when we was above storm and ex-
pected the poor thing was dashed to
the yeth and mangled into a fright
ful corpse. Its nanny was cryin' and
takin' on dreadful, when she looked out'n
the winder and seed that kid floating
round the house, permiscuous like. She
reached out and yanked it in, and gave
it the derndest spankin' it ever had.
There was one time when snow storm
lasted for three days, and we got mighty
short of water. I'd bout made up nv
mind to wind up the cable when happy
thought struck me. / slid down on the
rope till reached the storm, then / COM
menced maxim snow-balls and throwin'
'em up to my wife, who was standin' in
the door, who'd ketch 'em and stow 'em
away in one corner. In that way got
enough water to last me till the yele-
ments was sufficiently imposed for us to
return to the yeth. 1 forgot to say that
on the third day of that storm the top of
it froze over solid, and as 1 was lookin'
down l saw drove of black tailed deer
feedin' along on top"
what was they feedin' on?' inquired
q sore-eyed miner.
Jim paid no attention to the Interrupt
ton but continued:
II strapped my rife to my back, and
catchin' old Bose by the tail, / slid down
the rope agin, and had the purtiest DAVIS
huntin' ever had in my life. / killed
seventy-tive deer and two bears. The
bears was so fat they want fit to eat, so
Just made kettle out'n ice, built fire
and melted 'em up into taller. didn't
know how to'get that taller home, SO l
Just rammed both barrels of my gun full
of the stuff and shot it up to my wife,
who caught the candles and slowed 'em
away. l kept on shootin', till my wife
yelled to me that the cabin wouldn't hold
any more candles, so had to quit, leav-
ing at least two tons of as good bear
grease as was ever rendered down. 1
piled them deer and kettle together, and
when the storm was over, and the thaw
had set in, and we was back on the yeth,
they Just settled down in my back yard.
81 opened butcher shop and sold veni-
son so cheap that / run every butcher
in town out of business and got enough
money to make good start in life"
When Jim finished his story, his health
was drunk in silence. After a rest of
minute or two, the sore-eyed miner took
fresh chew of tobacco and said:
81 was in Cheyenne after Jim had got
rich, aud persuaded him to give me that
dog of his'n, Bose. He was some on deer,
and don't you forget it. l was out
hutin' one day near Laramie, when one
OF them Hurricanes come up, and | didn't
know what to do. 1t was perrant all
around. ! could see the storm comm,
but two miles Off If l run, it would
ketch me. If staid thar it was DEATH.
So l jes' took and showed old Bosses nose
agin a bank and yelled 'ratsp You
orter have seen that dog scratch! He
throwed dirt behind him like breakin'
pillow drawed by twenty yoke of oxen.
held on to his tail, and he scratched.
We hadn't got into the ground more'n
200 feet when the storm struck us. But
Bose kept on scratchin'. / let him go
on for mile or so, when told him to let
up, which he did, the surprisedest dog
you ever seed because he didn't caught
up with the rat. got back to the top
of the ground, went to Laramie and
started the story that had found cave.
l made 100000 by showin' tourists that
cave, but lost it all in speculatin' in
mines"
AS the miner turned to look at Jim
that individual rushed out of the
corrall, ordered his horse, and the last
seen of him he was going out of town on
adead run.-DenUer Republican.