The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1884-02-01
Sudden Wealth.


their lives and never succeeded in scrap
together as much as 100 at time were
suddenly masters of $4,000 or $4,000,
their greatest trouble was to know
what to buy first. There is an old
story-and it is likely true one-that
one clustering winter night a miner
who had just made a big haul was
standing ON street corner IN Lead
vile, when a holloweyed woman,
clutching a ragged shawl about her
shoulders, drifted up and stopped ir-
resolutely. There was famine in her
eye and desperation in her rags. The
miner was unused to ladies society and
| felt embarrassed, but he felt also that
she was in distress, and in the flush of
his prosperity and bigness of his heart
he wanted to do something for her.
Finally he said:
wait here minute, missus; I'll be
right back"
In short time he returned, and pres
sing a bundle into her hands, hurried
away before she could stammer out her
fearful thanks. The outcast opened
the package eagerly. 1t contained a
PAIR of silk stockings.
Among the people l knew around the
camp was man named Ed Braden,
who divided his time between report
ing ON newspaper and prospecting,
and who loved to tell what good and
noble and sensible things he would do
should he happened to strike it. When
fortune did smile on him one day, he
launched Immediately upon several
enterprises not contemplated in the
original prospectus. Among other
vagaries he became enamored of vi
vacous little soubrette who was play
ing at the opera house. and arranged a
unique and remarkable testimonial to
her beauty and talents. At great ex-
pense he procured from Denver some
twenty or thirty hot-house bouquets
The holders of those he had weighted
with leaden spike-point downward,
so when 1t was thrown upon the stage
it would stick in the boards and stand
erect. His idea was to precipitate the
whole number at once when the sou.
brette made her appearance, and to use
his own language, transform the stage
into a bower of roses" 10 this end he
had number of friends stationed at
different points in the audience, each
bearing deadly bouquet.
The curtain rose, the actress trippcd
on, when bang! bang! bang! the flower
decked missiles hurlted through tht
air. The poor girl, who had read some
thing of wild western ways, thought i
was plot to kill her, and fled to thu
cellar, from which she had to be sub
sequently dragged by main force, utter.
ing piercing shrieks. The BradeI
party were all somewhat inebri aztec
and the more enthusiastic fired thel1
bouquets with such reckless aim that
one of them hit the leader of the or
chestra on the bald head and he had tt
be held by two men while the gore was
being mopped off and explanations
made. This went a great ways TOWARD
marring what might have otherwise
been a pleasant occasion. This is fail
specimen Of the pursuits in which Bra
den spent very decent fortune and sue
ceeded in three brief months in getting
back into scrub journalism and pros
pecting again.
A contemporaneous gentleman OF
fortune was Capt. Connor. well known
to all residents of the camp. He ha!
often told me the story of his first
stake" He received $4,000 for hI'
interest in some mineral property, an(
it was paid to him at the bank in foul
rectangular packages of bills of $40,
600 each. The captain had kept hi!
good fortune secret from his wifi
and he hurried home to tell her. She
was sitting down after hard days
work, and without a word he dropped
the armful of greenbacks into her lap
1t was loyal and touching thing to do
For a moment she sat paralyzed will
astonishment, and then, hugging tht
mass up to her, she sObbed out:
"Oh, Tom, how dirty they are! LIE
me put them in tub and wash them.
"Do it if you want to, dear" he repli
ed, with tenderness that 1t would b.
well for other rich men of Colorado b
emulate. "but you will never wash any
thing else again."
One of these kings for day, l can
recall his name, but at subsequent tria
in the criminal court in Leadville il
, 1881, created quite sensation, made
lucky strike that netted him $4,000 il
cash. He at once wrote to his wife O
his good fortune, and intended to leav
tor his home the following day. Tha
evening he was taken in tow by coupl
of those couriers of crime, and in les
than two hours was gambled out Q
d every dollar. He made a complaint {