The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-28
The Man Who Failed for -Four
Millions

Mr.. Keene married in San Francisc,
Miss sara Jay Daingerield, of Virginia
whose acquaintance he made at the hous.
OF her brother, Judge William L. Dain
gerfield. Miss Daingerieids grandfath'
er was one of the eight colonies commits
stoned at the outbreak of the revolution
aud another ancestor was one Of th.
knights of the Golden Horseshoe" who
accompanied Governor Spotwood on til,
first journey made by white men 10 the
Shenandoah Valley
Mr.. keene was well-known and much
liked by his wife's brothers, several Oi
whom we're living in California at the
time OF his marriage, though the Judge,
feeling himself his sisters guardian, hes.
ltated for a time to give his consent to
her union with a man 50 full Of s~pecula.
tive ideas and adventurous spirit as Jim
Keene."
A successful dash about this time gave
Nr. krene $50, 600, and an unlucky one
a few months later left him almost pen
niless. he has often alluded gl,cfully tl
this period, saying he sometimes had
scant rations, but never reached the point
when he would eat a free lunch or sell hi.
mining stocks at a sacrifice
When the wheel of fortune brought the
California adveLturer to the top one OF
his hrs. C res was TO provide comfortably
for his father, a man of literary tastes,
who had always led a retired life.
When he came East, some eight years
ago. Mr.. Keene brought with HIM Sc,
600, 900 IN gold, to give him credit in
Wall Street, where his adventurous dis
position made him long to enter the lists
with the bulls and bears, reckless of the
consequences which those furious and
carnlyorous animals might bring upon
him.
Since then he has been constantly en-
gagged IN specializing and at present seems
badly worsted. but he is still in the prime
OF HE, and another turn may bring back
his luck.
His family has been established for
some years at Newport, which Mrs.
keene greatly preferred to the hustle and
commotion of New York. Mr.. Keene,
although fond of hospitality and fine
horses, has simple personal tastes, and
when one of the millionaires Of the West,
he begged his wife mot to let their little
girl wear silk dress until she was sixteen
years old" saying he thought it SO iDju-
rious to a child to wear fine clothes.
Like most of the Virginians, Mrs.
Keene's family were in poor circum-
stances after the war. and Mr.. Keene has
been truly benefcent not only to his W
but his wife's relatives.
He held very strong union sentiments
during the war, but finding two of his
Confederate brothers-in-la law disabled by
wounds and living in poverty, he has pro-
vided literally for both of them. One
of these gentlemen, Capt. j. A. p. Dain-
gertield, was the paymaster at Harper's
Ferry at the time OF John Browns raid
and the principal witness at the trial of
Old Ossowatomie, who produced such an
impression upon his whilOm prisoner that
John Daingerfeld said:
Il could not go to see him hanged"
Another of his wife's relatives Mr..
Keene discovered to be an artist of prom
Using talents, and for years he gave the
young man every advantage New York
could afford him, and, to complete his
generous work, has frequently bought
the young artists pictures when painted.
Some years & Mr.. keene made his
brother in-law, Capt. +. A. Daingerield,
~Harrisonburg, a present of Sam Purdy,
the famous king of the Western Turf"
an animal he had once sold for $50, 600
and afterwards repurchased for $40, 900.
Exchange.
The young artist referred to is well
known at Fayetteville. Mr.. r. l.. Dain>
gerfield, one of our Henderson subscri-
bers, cashier of Burgwyn Bank, is also a
nephew, we believe.