The Portland daily press., 1884-06-11
A Lucky Widow.
How Jim Keene was Enabled 90 Get HnSs
the BOnanza-A Trip that he Developed
for Millions.
On. Y. Corr. Pittsburgh Gazetts.)

I %"-@---N@~FN
| On. Y. Corr. Pittsburgh Gazette)
Few men have have received more sympa-
thy in misfortune than has James r. Keene,
the late California millionaire, who last week
lost in Wall street the last of that great for
tune of $4,000, 700 which he brought from
San Francisco to New York ten years ago.
Innumerable stories are told of his rise in
the world and of those he helped to better
fortunes, and shall try to tell one of these
as it was told to me at Saratoga two years
ago. ''Do you see that little woman with
the India shawl who is just going to drive:"
inquired an ex-senator from California Of
the writer as we sat together on the great
hotel piazza one afternoon. "She has had a
wonderful experience. Would you like to
hear how Jim Keene helped her to a for
tune%' Re-lighting his cigar, the Forty
miner proceeded: 81 remember very well in
1856 when Tom Crittenden came back from
New York with pretty little wife. He was
daring operator then, and for while all
he undertook succeeded. But times
changed. Crittenden got on the wrong side
of the market and could not get right One
day be came home ruined, and after brief
illness died, some said, OF a broken heart
1t was hard lines for his wife. She had
been gently reared, and was no more fitted
to battle with poverty and the world than is
turtle-dove. A few friends who had
known her husband in his better days inter-
| ested themselves in her, and their wives
gave her enough work in the shape of plain
sewing 10 keep the wolf hunger from the
door.
In 1874 Flood, O'Brien, Mackay and Fair
organized the largest scheme of mining
speculation ever known on the Pacific slope.
The stock of Bonanza mines was then very
low-about rs, believe. One afternoon
Mackay, who was the general superintend-
ent of these mines fall part of the great
Comstock SYSTEM came in a hurry to San
Francisco and went at once to Flood and
OBrien. He said that they had struck the
most wonderful lot of 'bonanzas.' or pock-
cts, full of almost pure gold that he in all
his experience had ever seen. He proposed
to the two gentlemen named and Fair that
they should quietly get hold of all this stock
that could be had before the news of this
wonderful strike was made public. This
was on Thursday. By Saturday evening
they had three-ffths of all the stock. Only
TWO outsiders-Sharon and Bill Ralston--
were allowed to come in, and the only rea-
SOD the latter was told they wanted the bank
OF California to carry them through. Keene,
shrewd and sharp, felt that something was
in the air, but for the life of him could not
tell what il was. One afternoon little
woman in rusty black came into the office
aud, with a timid air, asked clerk If she
could see Mr. Keene.
Inc young man was very busy Just then
telling story TO another clerk OF how he
and several others had painted the town red
the night before. He looked over her head
and everywhere, AID finally saw it was only
shabby-looking woman. He supposed II
vas someone who was begging, and inso-
leDtly answered that Mr. Keene was very
busy then and could see no one. She wait
ed moment and modestly said: will YOU
take my name into himp Just then a tall,
slender man came out of back office with
two or three others, and hearing the CONVEX
satioD, said: 4 am Mr.. Keene did you
wish to see me? Come into my office mad
ame.' She went with him. He offered her
chair with as much courtesy as if she had
been the reigning belle of San Francisco,
and waited for her to speak. 'Mr. Keene,'
she said, i am the widow of Tom Critten-
den, of whom you once knew, and have
been used to hearing of mining operations
all my married life. l am sewing for my
living now. yesterday L was at the house
of-naming one OF the bonanza set-and
LOaAN COufCIodblOu WHICH CONVINCED me
that great operation is being engineered by
Flood, OBrien, Mackay and Fair. They
say that they have made a wonderful dis
covery that will put up the Comstock GER
tlhcates OF stock 800 or 400 per cent She
then opened little box. and handing 1t to
Keene, said: These diamond ear ornA-
ments were my mothers present to me the
day was married. Throughout all my dis
tress and poverty have kept them, They
worth uRr falra
curity and buy for me on marpin all of this
mining stock they are good tor?'
heene saw IL all in second. Here was
the cleW he had so vainly tried to find. You
have rendered me most important service,
Mrs. Crittenden,' said he Keep your dia-
monds. will buy you line Of shares in
The mining stock you mention and carry it
for you Whenever you want your profits
come to me- and he bowed her out. There
was no time to lose, but by working dill
gently he had stock enough to make 81, 00O,-
0OO profit If the stock went above 200. Four
days after the wonderful news became pub
lie. At first the brokers thought it was a
JOB, but The experts they sent down to ex-
anime said that nothing like such deposit
mad ever been known in mining history.
The stock started From 28 it Jumped TO 60
in one day, then to 80, 100, 100, 1850, 200.
2o0. The little woman watched the upward
rise with feelings that can only be imagined.
She scarcely slept; she could not work. At
$50 she sent Mr.. Keene note to sell what
ever he had bought for her. She had no
idea how much it was, but thought it might
perhaps be two hundred shares-maybe not
more than one hundred. This would give
her at least $4,000 after all commissions
were paid. That afternoon she went down
to his office. The smart young clerk remem-
bered her and was more civil this time.
de said Mr.. Keene was out lust then. but
was momentarily expected. Would she take
seat and wait for him? She sat down in a
sort OF daze, hardly knowing what she did.
How long she waited she has no idea to this
day. Mr.. Keene's voice awakened her fac
ulties, and he was standing before her. Il
got your note, Mrs. Crittenden,' he was saw
ing, and l sold your stock TODAY. Come
into my office, Mr.. Quill. See how much
money Mrs. Critten len has with u.s. contin-
ued the great mining millionaire. In a mo-
ment the clerk replied: Mrs. Crittenden
mas S5IO,OO0, less commissions, making her
profits on 1000 shares $685., S70.' will YOU
have check for it now? asked Keene. He
heard soft sigh. Get some water here
quickly, she has tainted said he, lifting her
up from the sofa on which she had been sit
ting. Well, my story is ended" said the
Californian. "The lady you see wonder
made good use of her money. She was aid
ed by Keene, who put it into good hands.
and now there is no happier person any,
where than Tom Crittenden's widow. She
has diamonds, horses, aud pretty clothes.
some of them so pretty that when She comes
into the parlOr at the States the envious wo-
M NaTau 1aa1