Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-11-07

and so, TOT the want or OCner cOLupdhy, I went to the office and entered into conversation with the landlord, tall, sun bronzed leather-featured man past middle age, who, soon learned, had spent many years in the west, and who had seen some rough, as well as inter est;ng 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:
 'I 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 it was humiliating admission to make.
 "Never?" the landlord repeated. 'Wal, that's strange. Thought shorely ever body 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; wonderful feller, shore. Tough! oh, my, stranger, reckon he was. He wasn't afeard of nothin', an I guess the happiest time he ever knowed was when he was mixed up in a shootin l men Jim killed first an last, for he was so reckless he'd jest pop 'em over at the | crook of finger, an didn't no more keer for it than nothin'. 'Twixt you an me, stranger, I think Jim carried | the shootin' business a leetle too fer. l like fer a man to stand up fer his rights, and if feller needs trapping, why then drap i'm; but there ain't no call fer gettin' too blamed promisc'us bout it an putin hole through a chap jest fer the fun of it.
 "I 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 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 feller that could drap i'm never lived"
 "How did it happen that he didn't kill the man you speak of, then?" asked.
 Wal, sir, it was a quire piece of business, that was, an one O the most techin' things I ever see. never knowed feller so broke up in all my life as Jim was, an, sir, it was nobody but little gal that done it--a 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, eh? Wal. the way of it was this:
 You see bout the time Oklahoma was opened for settlement, Big Jim E~11 herdin' 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 a valley what had bout three thousan' acres O the best land an richest grass I ever see anywhere, was open for settlement we'd come back an take possession of it an make a 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 "n IOoA poSsesS40n O' .ile .&aAey' "'Now,' said l that night as we squatted bout our campfire, if none O thoseI blamed settlers don't come foolin' round yere to take up claims in this valley we're fixed, fer this fl 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