The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1884-02-07
CAREER OF AN OREGON PIONEER.
:" Buckskin Jim" Gets Tired Of New
York in Twenty -Four Hours.

! One of the most remarkable of the III men,
bers of the Oregon Pioneer association. Of
| Portland Oregon, who arrived in this city
| from the west on Thursday night, and who are
domiciled at the ST. Nicholas hotel, is "BUck-
skin Jim," an old western settler and trapper
of the Misunderstanding school, who derives
his nickname from costume which he usually
wears, made of dressed buckskn in the real
Indian style so familiar to the readers of dime
novel literature. "Buckskin Jim's' real name
is James Hearn. He is over 20 years of age,
well-to-do in the world. and few men are bet
ter or more favorably known on the Pacific
slope. His story, as told to a reporter last
night, had best be given in his own words:
Il ran away from my home in England, +"
said he, "when l was IS years of age, and
sailed for the Pacific coast The brig | went
in was wrecked on the coast south Of San
Francisco and the few who were saved, in
Guiding myself, fell into the hands of the In
dams, who treated us well. l staid among
the Indians, wandering along the coast fish
ing and hunting. At Guaymas. in Sonora, in
1899, think l was taken by party of Santa
Annals soldiers, who had orders to arrest
every white man that could be found. We
were marched thence to Tepee on foot, and
put in double irons. We were con-
fined without the slightest pretext
in a loathsome Jail, and suffered
greatly during the six months we spent there,
in irons and prosecuted by vermin. The
British consul said that if every one of us
would declare himself ali Englishman he
would liberate us at once. One of our party,
the celebrated Yankee Jim, declined at first,
and said that nothing would induce him to
declare himself a Britisher, but he came
around and we all were liberated. Mr..
Saunders preferred claim against the
Mexican government for damages, and he
was so sure of getting it that he paid us $500
per man and Off we went.
Il then took sailing vessel to Alaska, where
lived among the Flathead Indians. In As,
caught the gold fever and dug for gold in
California Oh, l struck it rich, you bet.
Sometimes | had as much as $50 pounds
weight of gold all at once but it never lasted
very long l have no idea how much money
have dug out of the earth in my time, but
never coul keep it. You'll never see an old
forty miner who has a cent. Since then I've
given up mining, and have been engaged in
real estate and stock raising in Idaho and
Washington territory. l am going abroad
next week to buy some Durham and Muley
calves, and when get back shall migrate
to Snake river, the widest place in Idaho.
| Do like the city, Not much. have been
here twenty-four hours and I'm sick to death
of it, There is not room enough for me. To
morrow | am going to Bridgeport to try 10
find my sister, whom haven't seen nor heard
of for fifty years. | don't know whether
she's alive or not, but maybe I'll find some
nephews and niecesn
The aged pioneer suggested that it might
be a good idea to go down Broadway to-day
in his buckskin suit but friend advised him
, against it, on the ground that he might be
mistaken for an advertisement.