River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-11-05


] went To the office and entered into
conversation with the landlord, tall.
sun-brouzed 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
ting experiences. and who was chuck
full of "reminiscences
Afte- 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 a. we aIIuS called him2''
NO, think not, was compelled 10
admit, though gealized from the tone
in which the q ..estion was asked that
IL was a humiliating admission 10 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 . recc4J tha.'u stand a good
many years lie was great man. Jim
was; wonderful Teller. shore. Tough.
Oh. NV. stranger. | reckon be was He
wasn't afeard of nOthin'. an ] que -
the happiest time he ever knOwed was
when he was mixed up in a shOOtin
scrape Thar's no teliin how many
men Jim killed first an last. for he was
50 reckless he'd jest pop 'em over at the
crook of "A finger. an didn't no more
Ieer for II than nothin'. 'TwiXt you
an me. stranger. I think Jim carried
the shOOtin' business leetIe too fer.
like fer man to stand up fer his
rights. and If a Teller needs drapping.
why then drap i'm; but there amt no
call fer gettin' too blamed promisc'u us
bout II an putin hole through a
chap Jest fer the fun of it.
Il reckon. stranger. ever man what
Jim made mp his mind TO kill caught il,
'cept one an that one, guess, " as the
last one he ever laid off TO plant.
Jim caught it that time himself,
eh2' l suggested
No. he didn't" the landlord replied
in tone 90 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 1t happen that he didn't
kill the man you speak Of them |
asked
'.Wal, sir. it was qrire piece of
business. that was. an one % the most
teehin' things I ever see never
knowed Teller 80 broke up in all my
life as linn was, an, sir. II wa, nobody
out a 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 10 hear bout II. eh2 Wal.
the way of il was this:
You see bout the time Oklahoma
was opened for settlement, Big Jim
an me, an four other fellers We're
hertlin on a range in western Texas
We'd been up in the territory herdin' a
right smart, but the soldiers drove u
out with the rest Of the cattle feIlers,
YOU know. and - we laid down ON the
border sorter waitin' for develop
mcnts
while we was in the territory we
picked out a valley what had bout
three thousan' acres a. the bvs, land
an richest --raSs ever see anywhere.
an we lowed as soon As the country
was open for settlement we'd come
back an take possession If it an make
a ranch thar in spite - 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
Vow said I that night a. we
squatted bout our campfire, If none
a. those blamed settlers don't come
foolin' round we're 20 take up claims in
this valley we're fixed. fer this II 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