The Meeker herald., 1916-04-01
| HOW JIM'S CLAIM
WAS JUMPED
A Strange Episode Of the
Days Of Forty.nine.

In the days when the forty miners in
California were hunting for the big
mines that afterward became bonan-
xas a man appeared In Billion gulch
and located q claim He was power.
full fellow and . bully. and u was NOT
long before his neighbour were afraid
of him. He didn't trouble them to no
member his name, and they gradually
got used to calling him Fighting jim"
One day Jim told his neighbour be was
going to San Francfsco. He intended
leaving his cabin unlocked and his
claim unprotected '.just for the fun"
he said, "of seein' some saloot Jumper.
when get back, bunkin' In the one OF
workin' the other" Then be added.
yell see somepin happen" With this
he departed.
There was none Of the people Of Bill
lion sulch 20 rash As to interfere with
either of Jim's properties. Several
strangers came along. took look At
the claim. were duly warned and d.
parted.
One day . young fellow came to the
gulch. asked 4 great many questions
about the prospects of gold. claims to
Ike had and claims not to be had. Incl
dentaIiy JIm's claim was mentioned.
with the usual warning. That night Q
light was observed I'm Jim's cabin, and
the next morning the stranger was ut
work In Jim's cabin. A self constituted
- &6~ vxsoat rNDngy1fnAnf rv@ti.
zens proceeded to the hole that had
been dug and kindly Informed tie
youngster that he was not only wast-
ing his time. but that Jim, when b 10
turned. would necessitate their burying
the jumper At the public expense. The
fellow put his hand in his pocket and.
taking out . bag Of gold dust. 10
marked:
I'm no sponge to bring unnecessary
expense on my neighborA Take that
for security" With that he resumed
his pick, and the committee departed
to spread the news through the gulch
that there was q lunatic WORKING
Jim's claim. and the gulch was sure On
inns return to be disgraced BY its nrst
murder.
In u couple Of weeks Jim returned
He gathered all he met into the pFin-
cipal saloon of the town to drink to hi
return, and several citizens took advan-
tage Of the fact to break the news Of
the jumping Of his cabin and his claim
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 d 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, Obtaining to
take advantage Of nm 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
drm as adamant. and replied:
Hello. Jimr'
Jim stood paralyzed. and the Jumper
continued:
1--WE understood from these people
that y're goin' to make hash O. me. II
y do. y're a good deal changed from
what y were last time ! saw y.
reckon this western air must ha' put q
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 20 to work.
Observation-Disclosures the crowd
-"the shows over. There isn't a-eoin' to
be any funeral today nor tomorrow NOR
none at all. 30 y might ~ well 20
about yer business"
The party walked slowly away, leav.
ing Jim and the Jumper together. From
that day Jim was 4 changed man. He
talked no more Of lighting, 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 ~ 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 q letter came to Jim bearing
q New York postmark. From the mo-
ment Of Its reception Jim was again
changed. This time 1t was q different
change: he was hilarious. He gath-
cred the people Of the gulch into the
saloon and treated all round. Then be
went to his cabin and to bed. The next
morning the cabin was empty. Jim
had disappeared.
'Its as plain rs the nose on yer
face" said the chief citizen. Jim was
wanted for murder. It wouldn't do NO
good for him to kill the jumper, sence
he'd been located: 30 he bribed him to
60 back and clear the coast for him to