The Dillon Doublejack

The Dillon Doublejack, a newspaper founded by Grant Jones did not last long, 1902-1904 and the town itself disappeared by 1907.  Not much of a story there except that Jones was quite a western character and helps the legend of his paper live on to modern times.

Jones did all he could to advertise mining jobs in Wyoming, especially in and around the nearest large town, Encampment. However, most of the responses he got were from people more interested in hunting than in hard rock mining. Jones grew so frustrated that he invented and wrote about new animals hoping to change hunters into miners.

The  Blackboar may have been the most deadly of his fictional game animals. This vicious beast had four legs, short ones on its left and long ones on its right. These purportedly were so the animal could walk level along the side of a mountain. The only way to catch it was by turning it around which caused it to tumble down the mountain.

Hunters could also pursue the Cogly Woo a six legged animal with a tail like a sharp drill bit. With hunters in hot pursuit the Cogly Woo simply stops, spins faster and faster and disappears into the ground.

My personal favorite of Grant Jones fictitious Wyoming big game animals is the One-Eyed Screaming Aemu, (his spelling, may have been trying for Emu) a giant, Sesame Street big bird like creature. When cornered it stops looks in scorn at the hunters and with a vile sounding gulp swallows itself. Ouch!

This is what the hunters really wanted to find

Sadly Jones, who was an 1897 graduate of Northwestern, died before his thirtieth birthday. He had started as a promising news man in Chicago, but drinking and drug abuse shortened both his career and his life. His death was attributed to a combination of alcohol and morphine.

If any readers are wondering about double jack drilling, it is a method where two men work together, one man holds and turns a large bit after each blow while his partner swings a large sledgehammer driving the bit deeper and deeper. (I have seen it in a few old time black and white movies)

No photos of the Dillon or Encampment, Wyoming area, so I will settle for this one of Laramie Peak