Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-30
HOW JlM'S CLAIM
WAS JUMPED
A Strange Episode Of the
Days OF Forty-nine.

IN the DAYS NuCu inc LOFTY -ulllcFS IN
California were hunting for the big
mines that afterward became bonan-
Eas Il man appeared in Billion gulch
and located a claim. He was Il power
full fellow and Il bully, and it was not
long before his neighbors We're 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 Just for the fun
he said, .tof seem some galoot jumper,
when l get back, bunkin' in the II or
workin' the other" Then he added,
Yell see somepin happen" With this
he departed.
There was none Of the people of Bill
lion gulch so rash as to interfere with
either of Jim's properties. Several
strangers came along, took a look at
the claim. were duly warned and de-
parted.
One day Il young fellow came to the
gulch, asked a 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 a
light was observed in Jim's cabin, and
the next morning the stranger was at
work in Jim's cabin. 4 self constituted
committee Of the most prominent citi-
ems 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 & 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 a lunatic working
Jim's claim, and the gulch was sur on
Jim's return to be d%isgraced by it's first
murder.
In a 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
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 We're in vain.
Jim had scarcely heard of 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 tie
pick was heard. Jim, d%isdaining to
take advantage of an 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 y%oungster turned his oval face,
delicate except the mouth, which was
firm as adamant. and replied:
Hello, JIM
Jim stood paralyzed. and the jumper
continues:
Eve understood from these people
shat y're goin' to make hash O. me. If
y do, y're a good deal changed from
what y We're last time I saw v. I
reckon this western air must ha' put a
lot O. starch into y"
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 at all. SO v might as we'll go
about yer business"
The party walked slowly away, leav-
ing Jim and the jumper together. From
that day Jim was a 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
err 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-
ment Of its reception Jim was again
changed. This time it was a different
change; be a 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.
cts as plain as 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, enc
he'd been located; sc he bribed him to
go back and clear the coast for him to
take to other cover. That letter tole
him that the p1ice he'd been fooled"
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