The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-11-17
CAREER Or AN OREGON Pr
ONEER.
"Buckskin Jim" Gets Tired Of
New York In Twenty-Four
Hours,

One of the most remarkable of the
III members of the Oregon Pioneer
Association, of Portland, Oregon,
who arrived in this city from the
west on Tuesday night, and who are
d0miciled at the st. Nicholas Hotel,
is "Bucksin Jim," an old western set
tier and trapper of the Leather stock
ing school, who derives his nick
name from a costume which he usu-
ally wears. made of dressed buckskin
in the usual Indian style so familiar
to the readers of dime novel litera-
ture. "Buckkin Jim's'' real name il
James Hearn. He is over 10 years of
age, well-to-do in the world, and fe
nIen are better or more favorably
known on tie Pacific coast. His
story, as given to a reporter last
night, had best be given in his own
words.
II ran away from my home in
England" said he, "when I was Is
years of age, and sailed for the Pa
cific coast. The brig I went in was
wrecked on the coast suuth of San
Francisco, and the few who were
saved, including myself, fell into the
hands of Indians, who treated US
we'll. I stald among the Indians,
wandering along the coast fishing
and hunting. At Guaymas, ia So
nora, in 1889, l think, / was taken by
a party of Santa Annals soldiers. who
bad orders to arrest every man that
could be found. We were marched
thence to Tepee on foot, and put in
double irons. We were confined
without the slightest pretext in a
loathsome jail, and suffered greatly
during the six months we spent
there, In irons and per.ecuted bv
vermin. The British counsel said
that if everyone Of US would declare
himself an Englishnlan he would
liberate us ut once. One of our party,
the celebrated Yankee Jim,' de-
clined at first, and said that nothing |
would induce him to declare himself
Britisher, but he came around and
all were liberated. Mr.. Saun-
deis preferred a claim against the
Mexican government for damages, |
and he was so sure of getting it that
he paid us $3.50 per man and off we
went.
II then took a sailing vessel to
Alaska, where l lived among the
F'lathead Indians, In '48 I caught
the gold fever and dug for
gold in California. Oh, I struck it
rich, you bet. Sometimes I had as
much as 600 pounds weight of gold
all at once, but 1t never lasted very
1 have no idea how much
money [ rave dug Out of the earth in
my time, but I never could keep it.
never see an old fo%rty-niner
who has a cent. Since then I've
given up mining, and have been en-
gagged in real estate and stock rails
ing in Idaho and Washington terri
,Ory. I'm going abroad next week
q buy some Durham and muley
and when l get back I shall
Migrate to Snak- river, the widest
,lace in Idaho. Do I like the city?
Not much. I have be n here TWEEN
hours and I'm sick to death
# il. There's not oom enough for
ne. Tomorrow / am going to
Bridgeport to try and find my sister,
whom / haven't seen or heard of for
fifty years. [ don't know whether
is alive or not, but maybe I can
ind some nephews ara nieces"
The aged pioneer suggested it nigh
re a good idea to 60 down Broad
vay to-day in mis- buckskin suit, but
friend advised him against it, on
he ground thar he might be taken
or all advertisement. - Near York