The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-05-11
LIMPY JIM.

bNNCO PoAiSN u VI
Webster station n evening after sup
per with 10 "pilgrims'' for the city in
the clouds. Webster was the end of the
track, and the route from there to the
carbonate camp lay owe the summit Of
kenosha mountain, through the north
ern end OF the South park and across
the famous Fed hill, a doubly signif-
cant title by reason Of the color Of the
soil and the bloody murders committed
there by the Mexican bandits, the Es-
pinosos. From Red hill the road again
enters the South park, passes through
the old town of Fairplay, once bolster
GUS with the gayety IF pioneer gold dig
gers.
Red hill was the danger point on the
first division of the road. Near the sum-
NIT is a little basin, where the read is
completely hidden from view Oh all
sides. Little gulches lead up to this
spot from the South park, affording ev-
cry opportunity for road agents to reach
the place unseen and to likewise make
their escape. "Pilgrims' for Leadville
usually were supplied with money, and
a great deal of wealth originally in
tended for investment in the carbonate
camp was turned over to gentlemanly
persons who encountered the stage in
the little basin on Red hill.
The individual who sat on the dusty
old Concord coach and pulled the rib
bOns owe six bronchos between Webster
and Fairplay was known as Jim. made
hic on1oirfonoo 1,hiln r,o 1r,oro o< liz,
ner in the rough board "eating house"
at Webster. He was a tall, slim, mus
cular man, with a swarthy complexion,
dark eyes and a heavy mustache, black
as jet from the oopious use of dye. He
wore high topped boots, with extremely
high heels, and his feet were small and
delicately shaped. His trousers were of
gorgeous plaid material, but the bot
toms We're worn inside his boot tops.
A wide brimmed white SLOUGH hat was
cooked rakishly on the side Of his head.
Some garish jewelry adorned the front
of his waistcoat. There Was q jaunty
air about him which was less pro-
nOunced by reason of the stiff and aWi-
ward way he carried his arms. | attrib-
uted this to the natural effect Of driv-
ing six spirited horses for years over a
mountain road.
He had formerly been a gentleman Of
fortune, and at one time in his career
had amassed a considerable sum of
money in the game of chance known as
draw poker. When he was at the height
of his prosperity, another gentleman of
fortune, late of Texas, drifted unosten-
tatlously into camp and caused the re-
port to be circulated that he was aching
for a game. Jim undertook to relieve
the gentleman Of the pain he was suffer-
ing Oh that account, and they met in
the back room Of Uncle Billy Coleman's
Palace of Fashion, on Main street.
There was a slight controversy in the
early part Of the game, caused by a re-
mark of Jin's to the effect that "people
from Texas seemed to have more luck
than a Chinaman.'
The gentleman from Texas demurred
to this and said there was no such
thing as luck in draw poker. The chance
features of the game, he said, had al
beer eliminated by the application CT
skill and science. He then proceeded to
demonstrate his assertion, which he did
to perfection. At the end OF six hours
Jim's earthly possessions consisted of
the suit of clothes he was wearing.
Everything else be had owned III the
world had passed into the hands of the
skillful and scientific gentleman from
Texas.
The Fairplay gambler arose from the
table and relieved himself of some choice
profanity, most Of which was directed
against himself. He declared that he
was ''better qualified to drive a stage
than to pose as a gentleman of fortune"
The superintendent of the stage line,
who was present, loosely offered Jim
a job, and the renniless gambler il a
spirit of bravado accepted it and de-
c!ared then and there that he would
touch the"pasteboards'' again as
long as he lived.
The gentleman from Texas took his
departure as unostentatiously as he had
come, but leaving behind him in his
room at the hotel a peculiar wire and
elastic continuance which puzzled the
brain of the landlord to determine its
use. Several persons to whom he ex-
hibited it declared they had never seen
anything like it before, but Jim at once
recognized it as a continuance known