The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1916-06-17
HOW JIM'S CLAIM
WAS JUMPED
A Strange Episode of the
Days Of Forty.nine.


zas man appeared In Billion gulch
and located claim. He was a power
full fellow and bully. and 1t was not
long before his neighbors were afraid
of him. He didn't trouble them to re-
member his name. and they gradually
got used to calling him "Fighting Jim"
One day Jim told his neighbors he was
going to San Francisco. He intended
leaving his cabin unlocked and his
claim unprotected lust for the fun"
he said, "of SEEM some galoot jumper.
when get back, bunkin in the one or
workin' the other" Then he added,
yell see somepin happen" With this
he departed.
There was none of the people Of BIZ
lion gulch so rash as to interfere with
either of Jim's properties. Several
strangers came along. took look at
the claim. were duly warned and de-
parted.
One day 4 young fellow came to the
gulch. asked great many questions
about the prospects of gold, claims to
be had and claims not to be had. Incl
dentally Jim's claim was mentioned,
with the usual warning. That night
light was observed In Jim's cabin, and
the next morning the stranger was at
work in Jim's cabin. A self constituted
committee Of the most prominent citi-
zens proceeded to the hole that had
been dug and kindly informed the
youngster that he was not only vast
ing his time, but that Jim. when he re-
turned, would necessitate their burying
the jumper at the public expense. The
fellow put his hand in his pocket and.
taking out a bag of gold dust re-
marked:
"I'm no sponge to bring unnecessary
expense on my neighbors. Take that
for security" With that he resumed
his pick, and the committee departed
to spread the news through the gulch
that there was lunatic working
inns claim and the gulch was sure on
Jim's return to be disgraced by its first
murder
In u couple Of weeks Jim returned.
He gathered all he met into the prin-
cipal saloon of the town to drink to his
return, and several citizens took advan-
tage of the fact to break the news Of
and to strive to induce Jim to bring no
disgrace on the hitherto peaceful COM
munity. Their efforts were in vain.
Jim had scarcely heard u the outrage
when. hitching his revolver forward,
he left the saloon In hot haste to wreak
vengeance on the stranger. The crowd
followed with bated breath. On near
ing the mine the peaceful sound Of the /.
pick was heard. Jim, disdaining to
take advantage of m unwarned enemy,
strobe up empty handed to the side Of
the hole. The jumper went on picking
the earth. and Jim growled:
Hello. you. there!'
The youngster turned his oval face,
delicate except the mouth. which was
firm rs ndamant, and replied:
Hello. JIM"
Jim stood paralyzed. and the jumper
continued:
I've understood from these people
that y're goin' to make hash o. me. If
y do, y're good deal changed from
what y were last time l saw y. 1
reckon this western air must ha' put a
lot O. starch into "
Still Jim stood mute and those who
had come to see him 'chaw up" the
stranger wondered.
II want y to understand" the jump
er continued. that this claim belongs
to me. While we been foolin' yer time
away I've been busy a-workin' it.
Now git down here and go to work.
Observation-Disclosures the crowd =
the shows over. There isn't a-goin' to
be any funeral today nor tomorrow nor
none Mt all. So y might as well 60
about yer business"
The party walked slowly away. leav.
ing Jim and the jumper together. From
that day Jim was changed man. He
talked no more of fighting, kept away
from the saloon, devOting his time to
the working of the claim. which had
apparently passed into the control of
the stranger. Then suddenly the jump
er disappeared. AS soon as he had
gone Jim stopped work His old asso-
ciates expected that he would reveal
the mystery. but he maintained alb
solute silence. Weeks passed. then
months.
One day a letter came to Jim bearing
a New York postmark. From the mo-
tAehl VI IT'S reception jim was again
changed. This time it was a different
change; he was hilarious. He gath
cred the people Of the gulch into the
saloon and treated all round Then he
went to his cabin and to bed. The next
morning the cabin was empty. Jim
had disappeared.
Its as plain as the nose on yer
face" said the chief citizen. Jim was
wanted for murder. 1t wouldn't do no
good for him to kill the jumper. sence
he'd been located: so he bribed him to
go back and clear the coast for him TO
take to other cover. That letter tole
him that the p'lice he'd been fooled
One day party Of professional mine
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