The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-12-26
BIG JIM.

as 1t was a wet day l was forced to
remain for the greater part Of it
cooped up in the little hotel. The
house had no other guest, and SO for
the want of other company I went
to the Office and entered into CONVEX
sation with the landlord, q tall, sun
bronzed, leathery featured man past
middle age, who, l 80 n learned,
had spent many years in the
west, and who had seen some rough,
as we'll as interesting expert
ences, and who was chuck full of rem
%iniscences.
After we had talked for a couple
of hours on various subjects, my host
suddenly remarked:
Il reckon, stranger, you've heard
tell of Jim Dixon. or more likely Big
Jim as we allus called him."
mo, I think not" l was compelled
to admit. though l realized from the
tone in which, the question was asked
that it was a humiliating admission to
make.
.:Never?" the landlord repeated.
oval, that's strange. Thought shore
ly everybody knowed bout Jim. He
was the forem st mar on the border.
and he made a record that'll stand a
good many years. He was a great
man, Jim was; a wonderful Teller,
shore. Tough! oh, my, stranger, !
reckon he was. He wasn't afeared OF
nothin' an l guess the happiest times
he ever knowed vas when he was
mixed up in a shootin' scrape. Thar's
no tellin' how many men Jim killed
fust and last for he was so reckless
he'd jest pop 'em ove at the crook of
a finger, and didn't no more keer for
it than nothin.' Twixt you an me,
stranger, 1 think Jim carried the
shootin' business a little too fer. /
like fer a man to stand up fer his
rights, and if a Teller needs drappin'.
why then drap i'm; but there amt no
cali fer gettin' too blamed promisc'us
bout it an putin a h le through a
chap jest fer the fun of it.
IL reckon. stranger. ever man
what Jim made up his mind to kill
caught it, 'capt one, an that one, l
guess. was the last one he eve laid
off to plant"
.:You see bout the time Oklahoma
was opened for settlement. Big Jim. an
me, an four other fellers e 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 tellers.
you know. and so we laid down on
the border sorter waitin' for develop
meuts.
.While we was in the territory we
picked out a valley what had bout
three thousan' acres O the best land
an richest grass l ever see anywher.
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 is
sued his proclamation. and then when
the day for enterin' the territory come
round we moved in with u cattle
an took possession of the valley.
".Now,' said l that night as we
sauatted 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 a claim
we're, an thinks he can. jis' let him
try it. I low he'll find out monty
| blamed soon that he's undertook a
most miserable unhealthy job. This
valleys ours an we re goin' to hold il
spite O. the dickens; an T ear tell you
right now, fellers. that I'll shoot the
first chap what offers to stop here.
I'll make SIGH a example of him that
| Their 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 'crcss the valley was a old
covered wagon not more'u a quarter OF
a mile away. The wagon had come
in, I recon. jis' after we went to sleep.
an the folks he'd put up a tent like as
if they was fixin' to stay. Big jim
he took a squint at the outfit then he
tore loose and swore fit to set the woods
afre. Then he got his pistols an
when somebody axed what he was goin'
to do, he said:
..Tm goin' over thar an wipe that
derned settler out. I'm goin' to shoot
him so full o. lead that he'll weigh {
ton. Ill break up this squatter bust.
ness right on the start
al knowed Big Jim meant what he
said an / felt kind O sorry for the set
tier, but I didn't say nothin'. Me ant
the other boys jest set down an
watched Jim as he strided cross the
prairie, an waited to see what wal
goin' to happen.
"When Jim got up sorter close tx
the wagon we seen him draw his CUR
an git ready to shoot then we saw
him edge up a little closer kinder keer
full like, then all to once we seen hin
stop an wait like he was listening a
somethin'.
.Well. I reckon most q half houl
must . passed that way, an we got Il
! wondering whas made Jim stan Their