The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-02-05
Fiddling Jimmy,

He was long, lank and lean, light
haired, with pale. blu eyes, the product
of the Missouri bottoms, where things
sprout up with such amazing quickness
and then mature with so much DELHI
GRAFTON.
When he d opped from a train at
Dodge City be had an oldtashioned
carpetsack in one hand and under his
other arm was fiddle in faded brown
bag. He looked about him somewhat in
wonderu ent at h, river and the roll.
ing, treeless country merging into the
sky far away to The south, and then
again At the long, crowded street on
the other side. He looked but for
moment, however, and then proceeded
straight 10 the office of the Southwest
ern Stage Company. His inquiry there
was short and to the point.
"Have ye got airy job Teller kin
do?"
This was years ago, when Dodge was
the end of the overland cattle drive and
fully entitled to its reputation of a wild
and woolly town. To the south for
few miles was a sprinkle of settlers and
beyond that all was lonesome and in
hospilable
The Southwestern Company always
had vacancies. Along the many routes
were certain relay stations, some of
which were sure to be in need of ke ep-
ers. There was one line in particular,
running down to TacOsa, on the South
Canadian, in Texas, stretch of $50
miles, and just little over half way
was a station, No. 10, where man was
needed at once. The pay was $40 a
month. The duties were simply to
watch half dozen mules and have a
team ready for the weekly blackboard
that performed all the transportation
the freight being usually two of Uncle
Sans mail sacks. The company sup
piled gun and ammunition, -four, cof-
fee, salt and groceries. Truly it seemed
bonanza TO our knight of the violin.
There was no hagglipg over terms,
and Jim Cusenbury, fiddle and carpet.
bag, were duly dispatched the very next
morning to the field OF his new labors
And Jim was duly dubbed Fiddling
Jimmy by clerk, driver and all who
came in contact with him.
Jimmy had been duly informed that
he woulo find things " sorter" lone.
some out No. 10, but had responded
that he didn't d" keer durn for being
by himself The fiddle was plenty Of
company 80 his grub came regular.
Now, there were certain things abou
No. 13 that bad been discreetly over
looked IN the telling. 1t was thirty. five
miles from the stations on either side
and consisted of square hole dug a.
the top of steep bank overlooking {
water hole in one OF those plains creeks
where such holes occur at long inter
walls, the remainder being simply
grass-grown depression. The hole wa,
rooted with cottonwood poles, upon
which dirt had been thrown-a dugou
pure and simple. There were rude
fireplace and hole for a chimney
This was Jimmy's residence. There
was slOckade upon the fiat for thu
mules, and with this you have tn,
station complete.
No man who knew the country coul,
be induced 10 take No. Ii for love o
money, 80 the company had to Deepen,
upon the ignorant and the transie nj
The country was full of rustlers an,
cow-thieves. Occasional gangs of In
dams from the nation used to slip alon
there, bent on any deviltry that cam
handy. When No. 13 was occupied,
was shining mark for such gentry
The last occupant had been found, nc
fortnight before, lying out on the fla
with bullet in the back of his head
The man before him had had thirty
mile ride for life and month in be
from leg broken by Winchester bu
let. On each occasion No Ii had bee
Quilted and the mules run off.
But, in blissful ignorance, Jimm
took possession of his new home. Th
blackboard ratified away, the drive
looking back, sympathetic but nor
committal.
For some weeks all was quiet an
peaceful. 1t was the pleasant season
the early autumn. Jimmy put line
the water hole and had fish whenev'
he wanted. Twice he shot anteloI
coming down to drink and reveled
fresh meat He shot everything of ar
size that had wings and feathers, al
being IMMERSED as to what was good I
bad TO eat cooked and tasted all. Son
he ate, and some he threw away. TT
buckboards came by with prompt rel
ularity, dumping off sack of -four {
meal, and the report came weekly
headquarters that the "feller with IL
fiddle out on Lost Creek hadn't bee
pestered yet"
The feller" put in his days watcl
ing his stock, fishing, hunting, cookir
and eating, and when the chill of Il
evening came after supper he won
throw a little wood on his fire, draw l
soap-box seat and play on the fidd
until he was sleepy enough to roll l
in his blankets on the clay floor al
sleep the sleep of the man perfect
healIh End cnnRcipucp-