Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-06-05
A LUCKY WIDOW.
How Jim Keene Was Enabled to Get
Into the Benanza-A zip That I've
Developed for Millions.

Few men have received more SYM
pathy IN misfortune than has James
r Keene the late California nsillioa-
aire, who last week lostip Wall street
the last of the great fortune of $40
100000 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 lie
helped to better fortunes, and I 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 gong to
drive" inquired an OK senator from
California Of the writer as we sat to-
gether on the great hotel piazza one
afternoon "She has had wonderful
experience Would YOU like to hear
how jim Keene helped her to a for
tune" Relighting his cigar, the Forty
miner proceeded Il remember very
well in 1856 when Tom Crttenden
came back from New York with a
pretty little wife. He was daring
operator then, and fer while all he
undertook succeeded. But times
changed Critteuden got on the
wrong side of the market and could
not get right One day he 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
10 battle with poverty aud the world
who had known her husband in his
better days interested themselves in
her. and their wives gave her enough
work in the shape OF plain sewing TO
keep the wolf hunger from tie door.
In 1874 Flood, O'Brien, Mackey
and Fair organized the largest scheme
of mining speculation ever known Gu
the Pacific slope. The stock of
Bonanza mines was then very low
about Is, | believe. One afternoon
Mackey, who was the general supern-
tendcnt of these mines Cali Part of
the great Comstock SYSTEM, came in
hurry TO San Francisco aud went at
once to Flood and O'Brien He said
that they had struck the most won
derful lot of 'bouaUzas, 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 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 iiftbs of all the stock
Only two outSiders-Sharou and Bill
Ralston-were allowed to come in.
and the only reason the later 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 he
could not tell what 1t 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 addressed was
very busy Just then telling a story to
another clerk of how he and several
others 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 someone who was
begging, and insolently answered
that Mr.. Keeue was very busy then
and could see no one. She waited a
moment and modestly said: 'Will
you take my name into him2 Just
then a tall, slender man came out of
Q back Office with two or three others,
and, hearing the conversation, said
/ am Mr. Keene; did you wish to see
me2 Come into my office, madam.
She went with him. He offered her
a chair with rs much courtesy as ii
she had been the reigning belle of
San Francisco and waited for her to
speak Mr.. Keeue, she said. L am
the widow of Tom Crittenden, of
whom you once knew, and [ have
been used to hearing OF mining
operations all my married life. | am
sewing for my living now. Yester
day | was at the home of-naming
one of the bonanza set-and heard a
conversation which cor WINGED me
that a great operation is being en-
gineered by Flood. O'Brien, Mackey,
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 diamonds ear
ornaments were my mothers present
to me the day / was married.
throughout all my distress and
poverty have kept them. They are
worth 500 VIII you take them as
security aud buy for me on margin
alI Of this mining stock they are good
torl'
"Keene saw it all in a second. Here
was the clew he had 50 vainly tried to
find" You have rendered me a most
important service, Mrs Crlttenden,
sand he Keep your diamonds l
VIII buy You 4 line of shares in the
muing stcck roU mention and carry
it foryou. Whenever you want your
profits come to me, and be bowed her
out There was no time to lose, but
by working diligently he had stock
enough to make 81, GOO. 000profit if the
stock wenta above POO -Four days after
The wonderful news became public.
EFaN .l.s. Lvy,lrl,.g. tI4rttfrbf yrr9G u