Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-02-20
FIDDLING JIMMY

Thank God for death.
FIDDLING JIMMY.
He was long, lank and lean, light
haired, with pale blue eyes, the product
Of the Missouri bottoms, where thing.
sprout up with such amazing quickues.
and then mature with so much dehb'
Grafton.
When he dropped from train al
Dodge City, he had an old fashioned
carpetsack in one hand and under his
other arm was a fiddle in a faded brown
bag. He looked about him somewhat
in wondermeut at the river and the
rolling, treeless country merging into
the sky far away to the south, ano
then again at the long, crowded street
on the other side. He looked but fol
a moment, however, and then pro.
ceeded straight to the Office Of the
Southwestern Stage Company. HI.
inquiry there was short and to the
point.
Have ye got airy job feller kin
do?'
This was years ago, when Dodge
was the end of the overland cattle
drive and fully entitled to its reputa-
ton of a wild and woolly town. To
the south for a few miles was sprin-
kIe of settlers and beyond that all was
lonesome and inhospitable.
The Southwestern company always
had vacancies. Along the many routes
were certain relay stations, some Of
which were sure to be in need Of keep
ers. There was one line in particular
running down to Tascosa, on the South
Canadian, in Texas, a stretch Of 25C
miles, and Just a little over half way
was a station, No. Is, where a man
was needed at once. The pay was
$40 month The duties were sim
ply to watch half a dozen mules and
have a team ready for the weekly
blackboard that performed all the trans
portation, the freight being usually
two of Uncle Sans mail sacks The
company supplied a gun and ammuni-
ton, flour, coffee, salt and groceries.
Truly it seemed a bonanza to our
knight of the violin.
There was no haggling over terms,
and jim Cusenberry, fiddle and car
pet bag were duly dispatched the very
next morning to the field Of hls 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 would find things 'sorter' lonesome
out at No. l3, but had responded that
he didn't "keer a dunn tor beng by
himself. The fiddle was plenty OF
company 50 his grub came regular.
Now, there were certain things
about No. Is that had been discreetly
overlooked in the telling. 1t was 80
miles from the stations on either side
and consisted Of square hole dug at
the top Of steep bank overlooking a
water hole in one of those plains creeks
where such holes occur at long inter
vals, the remainder being simply a
grass grown depression. The hole was
rooted with cottonwood poles, upon
which dirt had been thrown-a dug
out pure and simple. There was a
rude fireplace and hole for chin,
ney. This was Jimmy's residence
There was a stockade up on the fiat
for the mules, and with this you have
the station complete.
No man who knew the country could
be induced to take No Is for love ol
money, SO the company had to dePenc
upon the ignorant and the transient
The country was full of rustlers anc
COW thieves. Occasional gangs OF In
dians from the nation used to SLY
along there, bent on any deviltry tha
came handy. When No. l3 was oe
cupied, it was shining mark for sucl
gentry. The last occupant had beer
found, not fortnight before, lying GU
on the fat with bullet IN the baci
of his head. The man before him ha(
had a so mile ride for life and a month
in bed from leg broken by Win
chester bullet. On each occasion No
13 had been Quilted and the mules rul
off.
But in blissful ignorance Jimm.