The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-05-28
CRAZY COLONEL NIX.
Gloomy End Of Brilliant and Prom.
isinx Career.

SvAvu tu0 Wal UFOAc OUL OWdiu OCChuA0
Colonel Of regiment, and his young
nephew, James B. Mix, then just of age,
was pushed forward rapidly at Washing
ton. Mix was in every sense of the word
wild boy, but his dash, his assurance
his young churchman's manners, and,
above all, his striking physical appear
ance, writes the New York correspondent
of the Chicago Herald, made him a
marked man wherever be was stationed.
Standing six feet two and having mag
nificent head of leonine build. with its
soft, dark curls and flowing Dundreary
whiskers, made more striking by the gold
glasses always astride of his nose, Mix
soon became a familiar figure on Penn
sylvania avenue a. he sapntered up and
down. that great thorouehfare, towering
like an Apollonian collegian playing at
war above the common herd of folk. A
dozen times the War Department threat
ened to send him to the front when the
newspapers would TEEN with accounts of
his midnight adventures, big carousings
and infractions of the rules Of the provost
marshal of the district, but his strong in
fuence at court always saved him. AS
the war progressed it was deemed neces-
sary to surround Lincoln with guard,
and Mix was made the commanding off
Ger of the Presidents troop. This brought
the brilliant but cratic young man in
daily and intimate contact with the
President, but instead of striving to gain
the good will of this king in frock coat,
and thus make his future advancement
secure, Mix continued his mad rollicking
course and was in the end thrown out of
position by the assassination of the Pres
ident, and had thus allowed the great OPP
portunity of his life to slip away from him
unused.
When the war closed the dashing young
Colonel Mix, with his. towering figure,
flowing Dundrearys and gold glasses,
forthwith made his appearance upon
Broadway, and soon became one of the
characters of the street. In summer, clad
in white duck from head to foot and
wearing 5000 Panama hat, he presented
so striking an appearance that every head
was turned.
Dy the influence of friends he now Sc
cured place on the Tribune, and had he
been able to settle down to work HE adj
vancemeet would have been rapid and
sure, for his father had been one of Gree
ley's old friends-a coworker upon the
very founding of the paper. But the
young guardsman continued the even
tenor of his way, one of the most lab de-
dah..fops and affected dudes of the day
Gifted with a tenor voice of exquisite
sweetness, Mix had always been great
favorite with women. "Mark but bis fall
and that ruined him." Strange to say, a
half bottle of wine brought out the full
sweetness and sympathetic timber of his
voice, hence Mix was always welcome
guest at every dinner, every reception,
every social gathering, as be was also at
every stag party for, as veteran of the
Seventh regiment and member of the
guard he still had plenty of opportunity
to sing for the boys. In his young guards.
mans days Mix had made the acquaint
ance of pretty little black eyed woman
who bad drifted into the great city in
search of gold, and gold she found, too
although her methods were not those o
respectability. In few years her ill-famt
began to spread through all the land, ant
that gilded youth argued himself IN
known when he confessed not to be &C
quainted with Nine. Sanchez. The in
vcstments of this notorious woman pros
pered wonderfully, and while still thi
side of so, she retired from business wortl
100000. Her affection for the dashin.
commander of the Presidents body guart
had not been blighted by her increase ii
riches, and she always Stocked after" tn
Colonel. While he continued to make
small income as clerk in the Postoffice
yet it was an open secret with his friend
that the $1,000 year drawn out of Uncl
Sans pocket did not and could not pa,
for the superb pair of horses which tn
Colonel drove through the park.
In word, the former dashing guards
man, now in the scar and yellow leaf, &C
ceptcd the position rare one in thi
country-of "homme entretenil" of tn
wealthy Nine. Sanchez, made his hom
under her roof and spent her money en-
Pertaining his friends of the old guard
He was still Beau Brummel of the town
although the flowing Dundrearys wer
tieoked with gray, and his tall figure, a
lie marched with the old guard, was some
what bent with ill health. What Ne,
York man about town doesn't remombe
his $500 sealskin overcoat, which Uncl
Sam never paid for2 About six years ag
Mix did thing which made the tow
talk; he married Nine. Sanchez, posslbl
thinking that he would thereby blot OF
her woful past and improve his own pres
ent in his friends eyes. Alas it was a
awful blunder. His friends cut him rigt
and left, and being of proud and Taught