Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-08-19
THE wIDDER wUz wILLrN'.
What She Knew About Jim Blankinship
and His Attractions.

and His Attractions.
Jim Blankenship was the beau-gal-
liant of the Pine mountains, said man
who has seen a good deal of mountain
life and numbering, TO reporter OF the
Star.
a moonshiner by profession,
shooter by instinct and a saw-mill hand
by adoption, he combined in his make
up all those qualifications which COM
mended him TO the romantic ideas OF
mountain wOmanhOOd.
I had been paying Jim dollar day
and found for the past six months as
a helper about the mill, and on the daS
of which this chronicle narrates l was
to look over a lot of logs he had been
collecting
AS l rode along, wondering why in
thunder anybody stayed in that rough
country who was not compelled TO,
overlook a woman on horseback she
was rather better-lOOking than the av-
erage and what was somewhat I'M
usual she was quite 'sprightly,' and
when | saluted her she responded IN
tone which suggested that | might con-
tinue my conversation without meeting
with her disapproyal.
The Lord knows the mountains are
lonely enough, even with companion
shin. and when | found some one TO
talk to I didn't look my gift horse IN the
mouth, but accepted with pleasure any
thing that the gods gave
"Of course didn't know who she was,
but that cut no ice, and l Immediately
proceeded to let myself out.
She was about 35 years of age and as
sharp as briar, and we found not the
slightest difficulty in having plenty to
talk about.
q reckon she said, that you air the
man that is with them timber people,
amt your"
Yes. I replied, but why did you
think SOP
I seed you down at the mill t'other
day, and jim Blankenship told me you
wuz the boss
oh, you know Jim, do you?' and
smiled.
In course. she admitted, with
faint blush, everybody in these parts
knows Jim. He was born and riz here.
Hes a fine fellow, is jim, sald
admiringly. Not many like him IN the
mountains, l fancy?
"'Ain't none, she corroborated, with
a degree OF pOsitiyepess which lndlca-
ted that Notwithstanding Jim WASH
quite 80, he had been as polite TO the
older as to the younger women.
He's a great ladies' man, 100,
went on. innOcenty.
SO Pe heerd. l hain't seed much
Nv it myself. but I've heern folks talk
CT think Jim is rather smooth In
such matters ventured.
How and she looked at me as II
she expected something.
"'Oh. nothing bad of course, l hast
ened TO explain. He is merely sensl-
BILE enough not to boast of his popular
ity.'
e Oh. she said, as if my explanation
were extremely lucid and more or less
satisfactory. Have YOU ever heern jim
say much about the women folks round
here?' she went on.
A little, only. and all that very
complimentary, indeed
Ibid you ever hear him say any
thing about the Wilder Lewis?
d" Never
We'll. I heern he kinder hankered
her mOre'n for J'Other'ns.
Ssh must be a very fine woman II
he does.
u reckon she is. Leastwise, 1
heern him say so.
"I shouldn't think jim would tell
one woman what he thought OF another
if he thought well of the other
Well she hesitated, you see' I've
known Jim q long while
Yes. Now, what do you suppose
the wilder thinks Of JIM
Her face clouded, as if there was
storm OF jealousy in sight
She jis- bankers after him power
full she replied, briefly.
You must know the Widow Lewis
as well as you do jim l said
"T reckon 1 do, mister, she an
swered. with a Frightening face. I'm
the Wilder Lewis - Washington
Star.