The Florence tribune., 1899-08-05
CLIMAX JIM, HUSTLER.
The Varied Adventures of an Arzona
 Cattle Thief.
[grom the saiford Arizonian.l


 was riding across Ash Flat one day, he came across a small bunch of cattle be- longing to the Chiricahua Cattle com pany. Just then nobody happened to be in sight. NOW" thought Climax, "if just push this here bunch of cat tie along until I come to the owner or a roundup I could turn them over. and if l do not come across any oneaA Fl might chase them over the mountains to Valencia county, New Mexico. They would give me start in the stock business, and I might become one of these here cattle kings of the west. Besides, this here bunch of live stock is mighty liable to increase on the road. guess I'll just punch lem along little ways for luek."
 Climax Jim, cowboy and rustler, then drove the cattle towards the Black river country, and no one appearing to whom he coull deliver them, gradually came to view himself in the light of owner. lie took easy drives, and was gradually making his way towards the county of Valencia, territory of New Mexico. After going about seyenty-fye miles and hearing no sounds of pursuit, Cli- max Jim, cowboy and rustler, con ceived another idea. ''Now, if am going to be one of the live stock barons of this here country, I've got torun a brand" This thought came to Climax when he was in lonesome part of the country, and with no danger of being interrupted. Thereupon he dismount- ed, built fire, and proceeded to oblit- crate the brand of the owner and dec crate the stock with 50.
 And right then was organized the Star Bar-circle Cattle company, with Climax Jim as president, board of di- rectors, general superintendent, range foreman and roundup cook.
 However, all was not smooth sailing for the new cattle corporation. The range foreman of the Chiricahua Cat tie company missed the bunch of cat tie from their accustomed range. He acted promptly; noted the direction taken by the stock, wired to the north ern counties, and, with companion, followed the trail.
 Now. Sheriff Ed. Beeler, of Apache county, was the recipient of one of the telegrams. He, in company with his chief deputy, Hank Sharp, started for the White mountains to intercept the fugitive. They apprehended Climax Jim, with thirty head of cattle, over in the Black river country, and right there occurred dissolution of the cor poration founded by Mir. Climax.
 Beeler took the president, board of directors, etc., to Springerville before Anthony Long, justice of the peace, who proceeded to hear the case. Beel- CT and his prisoner arrived in Spring. erville about the same time as MT. Crowley, superintendent of the Chiri- cahua Cattle company, who had as his companion a henchman named Tall Bell. A recess was taken during the progress of the hearing before Squire Long, during which Climax Jim, cow boy and rustler, asked the privilege of changing clothes, as driving stock on the range in July was hot dusty work.
 His Honor, Judge Long, also serves the people of Springerville in the ca pacity of village blacksmith. He di- rected Deputy Sharp to take Mir. Cli- max 10 the blacksmith shop to make change of raiment. In few minutes Sharp came back and reported that Climax had ''gone out the same hole that the smoke does"
 It seems that Climax Jim, cowboy and rustler, just at the time he had shed his old clothes, spied the hole in the roof, and not taking time to don the new and clean suit, clambered ! oRt NA6Ff AO0 eblOuBliJ lG9pCQ uOWu duQ took to the open range, wearing sim liar uniform to that worn by Lady Godiva during her historical canter through Coventry.
 That is the latest known of Climax Jim, cowboy and rustler, and nothing will be known of his whereabouts un- til he makes another attempt to reor- ganize the Star-Bar- Circle Cattle com pany.
 1 Climax being gone, Justice Long now had nothing claiming his attention but Mr. Crowley and his thirty head of cattle, and what disposition to make of them was disturbing the judicial mind. Nothing couldbe done by Judge Long, and he was ill a quandary. How ever, he made his usual order when up a tree, and gave direction that the only way of having the cattle delivered to the owner was to demand that Mir. Crowley '.give bond"
 Crowley could not see the matter in