Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-01-29
BIG jim DIDN'T SHOOT.

1t recently fell to my lot to pass a
Sunday in a small Kansas town. and
as it was wet day, 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 l went to
the Office and entered into converse
ton with the landlord. tall, sun
bronzed, leathery featured man past
middle age. who, soon learned, had
spent many years in the West. and
who had seen some rough. as well as
interesting experiences, and who was
chuck full of "reminiscences.
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."
No, l think not" l was compelled
to admit, though realized from the
tone in which the question was asked
that it was humliating admission to
make.
"Neveri" the landlord repeated.
wal, that's strange. Thought shore
ly everybody knowed bout Jim. He
was the foremost man on the border,
an he made q record that'll stand a
good many years. He was great
man, Jim was; a wonderful feller,
shore. Tough Oh, my, stranger,
reckon he was. He wasn't afeard Of
nothin', an l guess the happies' times
he ever knowed was when he was
mixed up in a shootin' scrape. Thar's
mo tellin' how many men Jim killed
first an last, for he vas so reckless he
would jes' pop 'ein 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 sthe
shootin' business a leetle too fer. |
like fer a nlan to stand up fer his
rights, and IL a feller needs drappin',
why then drap i'm but there amt no
call fer gettin' toe blamed promise
bout it an putin a hole through
chap jest fer the fun OF it.
II reckon, stranger, ever man what
Jim made up his mind to kill caught
it 'cept one, an that one, guess, was
the last one he ever laid off to plant" !"
Jim caught it that time himself,
eh p suggested.
mo, he didn't" the landlord re-
piled in a tone of slight disgust. Mar
ry time, sir. Jim wasn't the man to
be planted preInachoorly. an the fel-
ler that could drap i'm never lived"
How did it happen that he didn't
kill the man you speak OF, then ?" /
asked.
well, sir, it was a quaire piece Of
business, that was, an one o the most
techin' things ever see. never
knowed a feller so broke up in all my
life as Jim was, an, sir, it was no.
body but little gal that done it-a
little bit O. shaver. bout six or seven
years old, / reckon, an the poorest.
peekedest thing ever set eyes on.
Want to hear bout it, eh j., 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
herdin' On 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 fel-
lers, you know, and so we laid down
on the border, sorter waitin' fer de-
velopments.
while we was i'm the territory we
picked out a valley what had bout
5000 acres o. the best land an richest
grass ever seen anywhere, an we
open for settlement. we'd come back
and take possession OF il an make a
ranch thar in spite O. all creation.
Wal, by an bv, the President is
sued his proclamation. an then when
the day fer enterin' the territory come
'rouud we moved in with onr cattle
an took possession of the valley.
Now said / that night a We
squatted bout our campfire, If none
o. those blamed settlers don't come
foolin' 'round y-re TO take up claims
in this valley, we're fixed, fer this ill
make one o. the incest little ranches
i'm the country
wall, said Big Jim with an oath.
If any settler wants 10 take a claim
yere, an thinks he can, jis' let him try
it. l bet he'll find out mouty blamed
soon that he's undertook a most mis-
erable unhealthy job. This valleys
ours an we're goin' TO hold il spite o
the dickens an can tell you right
now, fellers, that I'll shoot the first
chap what offers TO stop here. Ill
make sich a example Of him that ther
won't another settler come in 40 mile
OF u.s.
wal, we wuz purity well 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 fus' thing we saw when we