Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-07-12
Gales aud Sketfhes.
A Lucky Widow.
How JIM KEENE Cor INTO THE BONANZA

The New York correspondent of the
Pittsburg Gazette tells the following in
teresting story:
Few men have received more sympathy
! in misfortune than mas James K. keene,
the late millionaire. who lost in Wall street
| the last of that great fortune OF Sl0,OOO.-
! 900 which he brought from San Francisco
| to New York. ten years ago. Innumeraole
stories are told of his rise in the world,
and of those helped to better fortunes,
and | shall try to tell one OF these as 1t
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?'
incurred 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
! fortune? ?"
Relighting his cigar he 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 I'M
dertoek succeeded. But times changed.
| Crittenden got on the wrong side OF the
market and could not get right. One day
he came home ruined, and after a briet
illness died, some said. of 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 a turtle-dove. A few friends who had
known her husband in his better days in
terested themselves in her, and their wives
gave her enough work in the shape of
~ tn Eaon tho Wnlf hnnOpr
! from the door.
Fair, organized the largest scheme of min
ing speculation eve- known on the Pacific
slope The stock of Bonanza mines was
then very low-about %, believe. One
afternoon Mackey, who was the general
superintendent of these mines Gall a part
of the great Comstock system) came in a
hurry to San Francisco and went at once
to Flood and O'Brien. He said they had
struck the most wonderful lot of 'bonan-
zas. or pockets 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-tiths of
all the stock. Only two outsiders-Sharon
and Bill Ralston-were allowed to come
in, and the only reason 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
it was. One afternoon a little woman in
rusty black came into the office and, with
timid air. asked a clerk if she could see
Mr. Keene.
The young man was very busy just then
telling a 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. and finally saw it
was only a shabby-looking woman. He
supposed it was some one who was beg
cling, and insolently answered that Mr..
Keene was very busy then and could see
no one. She waited moment and mod
estly said: will you take my name into
him?' Just then tall, slender man came
out of back office with two or three
others. and hearing the conversation. said ::
Il am Mr.. Keene did you wish to see me ?
Come into my office, madame She went
with him. He offered her a chair with as
much courtesy as if she had been the
reigning belle of San Francisco, and wait
ed for her to speak.
"'Mr. Keene, she said, Il am the widow
OF Tom Crittenden, of whom You once
knew, and have been used to hearing of
mining operations all married my life. lam
sewing for my living now. Yesterday |
was at the house of-naming one of the
bonanza set-and heard conversation
that convinced me that great operation
is being engineered by Flood. O'Brien,
Mackay and Fair. They say that they
have made wonderful discovery that will
put up the Comstock certificates of stock
800 or 400 per cent She then opened a
little box, and, handing it to Keene, said
| These diamond ear ornaments were my
motherss present to me the day | was
married. Throughout all my distress and
poverty | have kept them. They are
worth $4,000, Will you take them as Sc
curity and buy for me on margin all of
the mining stock they are good for?'
keene sawit all in asecond. Here was the
clew he had so vainly tried to find. You
have rendered me most important ser
vice. Mrs. Crittenden,' said he. Keep
your diamonds. | will buy you line of
shares in the mining stock you mention
and carry it ror you. Whenever you want
your profits come to me, and he bowed
her out. There was no time to lose, but
by working diligently he had stock enough
to make 100000 profit if the stock
went above 200. Four days after the
wonderful news became public. At first
the brokers thought it was Job, but the
experts they sent down to examine said
that nothing like such deposit had ever
been known in mining history. The stock
started. From % it jumped to 60 in one
day, then to so, 100, 120, 100, 200. 2S5.
The little woman watched the upward rise
with feelings that can only be imagined
She scarcely slept; she could not work. At
| 2S5 she semitic Mr.. Keere note to sell what
ever he had bought for her. She had no
idea how much it was. but thought per-
haps it might be 200 shares-maybe not
more than 100. This would give her at
least 5000 after all the commissions
were paid. That afternoon she went down
to his office. The smart young clerk re-
membered her and was more civil this
| time.
| He 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 know
ing what she did. How long she waited
| she has no idea to this day. Mr.. Keene's