The Wahpeton times., 1891-10-22
WHY JIM DIDN'T SHOOT.

as IL was q wet day i was forced to re-
main in the greater part OF it cooped
up in the little hotel. The house had
no other guest, and so for the want
of better company went to the Of
fee and entered into conversation with
the landlord, Il tall, sunbronzed,
leathcry-featured man past middle
age, who soon learned, had spent
many years in the West, and who had
seen some rough as we'll as interesting
experiences, and who was chuck full
OF "reminiscences.
After we had talked for couple Of
hours on various subjects; my host
suddenly remarked:
II reckon, stranger, you've heard
tell OF Big Jim, as we allus called him"
"No, l think not" was compelled
to admit, though realized from the
tone in which the question was asked
that it was O humilating admission to
make.
"Never!' the landlord repeated.
oval, that's strange. Thought shore
ly everybody knowed bout Jim. He
was the foremost man on the border,
an he made record thatll stand a
good many years. He was a great
man, Jim was; a wonderful feller,
shore. Tough! oh my, stranger, 1
reckon he was. He wasn't afeard of
nothin', an Iguess the happiest times
he ever knowed was when he was
mixed up ina shootin' scrape. Thar's
no tellin' how many men Jim killed
first an last, for he was SO reckless
he'd just pop 'em over at the crook Of
a finger, an didn't no more keer for it
than nothin'. Twixt you an me, stran-
ger, think Jim carried the shootin'
business leetle to fer. like fer a
man to stand up fer his rights, and if
a feller needs drappin', why then drap
'im; but there amt no call fer gettin'
too blamed prom,sc'us bout it an
putin hole through a chap Jest fer
the fun OF it.
81 reckon, stranger, every man
what Jim made up his mind to kill
caught it., 'cept one, an that one, l
guess was the last one he ever laid off
to plant"
"Jim caught it that time himself,
eh?" I suggested.
"No, he didn't, the landlord replied
in 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"
GLOW did it happen that he didn't
kill the man you speak of, then?"
. asked.
oval, sir, it was a quaire piece of
business, that was, an one O. the
most techin' things l ever see. never
knowed Teller SO broke up in all my
life as Jim was, an, sir, it was no.
bodoy but a little gal that done it
a little bit O. shaver, bout six OF seven
years old, l reckon, an the poorest
peekedist little thing l ever set eyes on.
"Want to hear bout it, eh? Wal,
the way of it was this:
"You see bout the time Oklahoma
was opened for settlement, Big Jim,
an me, an four other fellers was herd
in on a range in Western Texas. We'd
been up in the territory herdin' a right
smart, but the soldiers drove us out
with the rest of the cattle fellers, you
know, and so we laid down on the
border sorter waitin' for develop.
ments.
"While we was in the territory we
picked out q valley what had bout
three thousan' 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 q ranch thar in spite O. all Gre
alton.
oval, 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. those blamed settlers don't come
foolin' round yere to take up claims
in this valley we're fixed, fer this Il
make one O. the incest little ranches
in the country
"'Wal," said. Big Jim, with an oath
If any settler wants to take claim
yere, an thinks he can, jis' let him try
it.. I low he'll find out mouty blamed
soon that he's undertook a most mis-
cradle unhealthy Job. This valley
ours an we're goin' to hold it spite o
the dickens; an l can tell you right
now, fellers, that I'll shoot the first
chap what offers to stop here. I'll
make sich a example OF him that thel
won't another settler come in forty
mile OF u.s.
Wal, we was purity we'll tired out so
we turned in quick as supper was
over an we slept like logs till morn
in When we woke the sun was up,
an the fust thing we see when we
glanced cross the valley was old
covered wagon not more'n quarter
of mile away. The wagon had
come in, recon, jis' after we went to
sleep, an the folks had put up tent
like as if they were fixin' to stay.
Big Jim he took q squint at the out
fit, then he tore loose an swore fit to
set sword afre. Then he got his
pistols, an when somebody axed
what he WIS goin' to do, he said:
"'I'm goin' over thar an, wipe that
derned settler out. Pm goin' to shoot
him so full o. lead that he'll weigh a
ton. I'll break up this squatter busi-
ness right on the start
II knowed Big Jim meant what he
said, an l felt kind o. sorry for the
settler, but I didn't say nothin.' Me
an the other boys jest set down an
watched Tim ma he strided 'crOss the