The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-06-27
A GOOD BONANZA STORY.
HOW KEENE MADE THE FORTUNE
OF A POOR WIDOW.
A Conversation which n Woman
Hears Makes Her Immensely Rich
A Tale of the COmstock Mines.

story to New orK correspondent OF
the Boston Herald: "In 1874 Flood,
O'Brien, Mackay and Fair organized the
largest scheme of mining speculation
ever known on the Pacific slope. The
stock of the bonanza mines was then
very low-about twenty eight, believe.
One afternoon Mackay, who was general
superintendent of these mines (all 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 just struck the most wonderful
lot of 'bonanzas, or pockets full of al.
most pure gold that he in all his ex
perience 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 Thursday. By Satur-
day evening they had three-ffths of all
the stock. Only two outsidcrs-Sharon
and Bill Ralston-were allowed to come
in, and the only reason the latter was
told was that 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 find out what it was. One
afternoon a little woman in rusty black
came into the office, and, with a 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 had
painted the town red the night before.
He looked over her head and everywhere,
and finally saw it was only shabby
looking woman. He supposed it was
some one who was begging, and inso-
lently answered that Mr. Keene was very
busy then and could see no one. She
waited moment, and modestly said,
Will you take my name in to him. Just
then a 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 me2 Come
into my office, madam 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, q
am the widow of Tom Crittenden, of
whom you once knew, and | have been
used to hearing of mining operations all
my life. am sewing for my living now
Yesterday | was at the house of-naming
one of the bonanza set-and heard a con-
versation which convinced me that a
great operation is being engineered by
Food, O'Brien, Mackay and Fair. They
say they have made wonderful discov-
cry that will put up the Comstock GER
tifcates Of stock 800 to 400 pei
cent She then opened little box, and
handing it to Keene, said: These dia-
mond ear ornaments were my mothers
presents to me the day l was married.
Throughout all my distress and poverty
l have kept them. They are worth $500.
Will you take them as security and buy
for me on margin all of the mining
stock they are good for?"
''Keene saw it all in a second. Here
was the clew he had so vainly tried to
find. you have rendered me a most i'm
portant service, Mrs. Crittenden, said
he. keep your diamonds. l will buy
you line of shares in the mining stock
you mention and carry it for you. When.
ever 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 a million
dollars of 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 twenty-eight it
jumped to sixty in one day, then to
eighty, 100, 1870, 100, 200, 265. The
little woman watched the upward rise
with feelings that can only be imagined.
She scarcely slept; she could not work.
At 2S5 she sent Mr. Keene note to sell
whatever he had bought for her. She
had no idea how much it was, but
thought it might perhaps be 200 shares
maybe not more than 100. This would
give her at least $25, 600 after all COM
missions are paid. That afternoon she
went down to his Office. The smart
young clerk remembered her and was
more civil this time.
"He said Mr.. Keene was ont Just then,
but was momentarily expected. Would
she take a seat and wait for him? She
sat down in sort of daze, hardly know
ing what she did. How long she waited
she has no idea to this day. Mr.. Keene's
voice awakened her faculties, and he was
standing before her. Il got your note
Mrs. Crittenden,' he was saying, and i
sold your stock to-day. Come into my
office, Mr.. Quill See how much money
Mrs. Crittenden has with us, continued
the great mining millionaire. In mo
ment the clerk replied Mrs. Crittenden
has 500, 600, less commissions, making
her profits on 1000 shares $500, S7O.1
win you have check for it nowr asked
Keene. He heard loft sigh. Get
some water here quickly. She has tainted, ;
said he, lifting her up from the sofa on
which she had been sitting. Well my
story is ended, said the Californian.
The lady you see yonder made good use
of her money. She was aided by Keene,
who put it into good hands, and now
there is no happier person than Tom
Crittenden's widow. She has diamonds,
horses and pretty clothes, some of them
so pretty that when she comes into the
parlor at the States the envious women
wish she were dead