The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1891-12-02

and so, for the want of other company,
went to the Office and entered into
conversation with the landlord, tall,
sun-bronzed leather-featured man past
middle age, who, 1 soon learned, had
spent many years in the west, and who
had seen some rough, as well as inter
esting experiences, and who was chuck
full of "reminiscences.
After we had talked for a couple of
hours on various subjects, my host sud-
denly remarked:
Il reckon, stranger, you've heard
tell of Jim Dixon, or more likely Big
JIM as we allus called him?'
''No, ] think not" was compelled to
admit, though I realized from the tone
in which the question was asked that
1t was humiliating admission to make.
s'Never?" the landlord repeated.
"Wal, that's strange. Thought shorely
everybody knowed bout Jim. He was
the foremost man on the border, an he
made a record that'll stand a good
many years. He was great man, Jim
was; a wonderful Teller, shore. fought
oh, my, stranger, reckon he was. He
wasn't afeard of nothin', an ! guess
the happiest time he ever knowed was
when he was mixed up in shootin'
scrape. Thar's no tellin' how many
men Jim killed first an last, for he was
SO reckless he'd jest pop 'em over at the
crook of a finger, an didn't no more
keer for it than nothin'. 'Twixt you
an me, stranger, think Jim carried
the shootin' business a leetle too fer.
like fer q man to stand up fer his
rights, and if Teller needs drapping',
why then drap I'm; but there amt no
call fer gettin' too blamed promisc'us
bout it an putin hole through
chap jest fer the fun OF 10.
81 reckon, stranger, ever man what
Jim made up his mind to kill caught it,
'cept one an that one, guess, W as the
last one he ever laid off to plant"
''Jim caught 1t that time himself,
eh?" suggested.
''No. he didn't" the landlord replied
in a tone of slight disgust Marry
time, sir. Jim wasn't the man to be
planted premachoorly, an the Teller
that could drap i'm never lived"
"How did it happen that he didn't
kill the man you speak of, then?" I
asked.
''Wal, sir, 1t was q quire piece of
business, that was, an one o. the most
techin' things l ever see. 1 never
knowed Teller so broke up in all my
life as Jim was, an, sir, it was nobody
but little gal that done tia little
bit o. shaver, bout six or seven years
old reckon, an the poorest peekedist
little thing ever set eyes on.
''Want to hear bout it, Ell? Wal.
the way of it was this:
"You see tbout the time Oklahoma
was opened for settlement, Big Jim
an me, an four other fellers were
herdin' on range in western Texas.
We'd been up in the territory herdin'
right smart, but the soldiers drove us
out with the rest of the cattle fellers,
oueknow, and, SO we laid down on the
borderH sorter% waitin' for develop
ments.
while swe:wass in the territory we
pickeds outF a VALLEY what had bout
three thousan's acres o. the best land
an richest grass ever see anywhere,
an',we lowed as soon as the country
was open for settlement we'd come
back an take possession OF it an make
o ranch thar in spite o. all creation.
''Wal, by an by the president issued
his proclamation, an then when the
day fer enterin' the territory come
round we moved in with our cattle
an took possession Of the valley.
NOW said l that night as we
squatted bout our campfire, If none
o thosel blamed settlers don't come
foolin' round yere to take up claims in
thisfvalley we're fixed, fer this II make
one O. the incest little ranches in the
country
WAL said Big Jim, with an oath,
III any settler wants to take claim,
yere, an thinks he can, jis' let him