The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-06-11

the market and could not get right
One day he came home ruined, AM
after q short illness, died, some said
of q broken heart. It was hard line
for his wife. She bad been gentl,
reared, and was no more fitted t
battle with poverty and the worl.
than is q turtle dove. A few friend
who had known her husband in hi
better days interested themselves il
her. and their wives gave her enough
work in the shape Of plain sewing t,
keep the wolf hunger from the door
I'm 1874, Flood. O'Brien, Mackay
and Fair organized the creates
scheme of mining speculation eve
known on the Pacific slope. II
stock of Bonanza mines was then very
low-about q, I believe. One after
noon Mackay. who was the genera.
supt rintendent of these mines
(all a part of the great Comstock sys
tem) came in a hurry to San Francis
co and went at once to Flood and
O'Brien. He said they had STRUCK
the most wonderful lot Of 'bonanzas,
or pockets of almost pure gold, thai
he in all his life had ever seen. HI
proposed to the two gentlemen named
and Fair that they should quietly gel
hold Of all this stock that was to be
hal before the news Of this wonderful
strike was made public. This wae
on Thursday. BY Saturday evening
they bad three fifths of all the stock.
Only two outsiders - Sharon and
Ralston--were allowed to come in and
the only reason the latter was l am
told was that they wanted the Bank
IF 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 q little woman
in rusty black came into the office
and, with q timid air, asked q clerk
if she could see MI Keene.
1.-The young man addressed was
very busy 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 s,meone who was
begging. and %insolently answered
that MIR. Keene was very busy and
could see no one. She waited q
moment and then modestly said {:
"Will you take my name to him?"
Just then q tall, slender man came
out of q back Office with two or three
others, and hearing the conversation,
said; II am MI. Keene, did you wish
to see me9 Come into my office,
madam" She went with him. He
offered her . chair with as much
courtesy as If she had been the reign
ing belle of San Francisco, and
waited for her to speak. .sMr.
Keene," she said, II am the widow
of Tom Crittenden, of whom you
once knew, and I have been used to
hearing of mining operations all nv
life. I am sewing for my living now.
Yesterday I was at the house Of
naming one::of the bonanza set-and
heard a conversation which CON-
WINGED me that a great operation is
being engineered by Flood, O'Brien.
Mackay, and Fair. They say that
they have made a wonderful discov-
cry that will put up the Comstock
certificates of stock 800 or 400 per
cent She then opened a little box
and banding it to Keene said: These
diamond a ornaments were nv
mothers present to me the day I was
married. Throughout all nv distress
and poverty I have kept them. They
are worth $500. Will you take them
as security and buy for me on margin
all of this mining stock they are good
for?"
"Keene saw it all in a second. Here
was the clue he had SO vainly tried
to find. You have rendered me q 1
most important service, Mrs. Critics.
den.' he said. Keep your diamonds.
[ will buy you a line Of shares IN the
mining stock you mention and carry
it for you. Whenever you want your
come to me- and he bowed
her out. There was no time to lose, |
out by working diligently he had
stock enough to make 81, OOO, 900
profit if the stock went above zoo. |
Four days after the wonderful news
became public. At first the brokers
it was a job, but the expert
hey sent down to examine said that
like such a deposit had ever
'een known in mining history. The
took started. From % it jumped to
70 in one day, tten to 80, 100, 100. 200.
IS. The little woman watched the
Upward rise with feelings that can
My be imagined. She scarcely slept,
he could not work At 2s5 she sent
dr. Ke-ne 8 note to sell whatever
70 had bought for her. She had no
lea how much it was. but thought it
hight perhaps be two hundred shares
may be not more than n hun
red. This would give her at least
5000 after all commissions are paid.
hat afternoon she went down to his
flee. Thesmart young clerk remem-
cred her and was more civil this
lme.
He said MI. Keene was out lust
hen. but was momentarily expected.
Would she take a seat and wait for
i'm? She sat down in q SOFT of daze.
ardiy knowing what see did. How
ing she waited she has no idea to
lis day. Mr.. Keene's voice awak-
ned her faculties, and he was stand.
70 before her. L got your note.
[rs. Crittenden,' he was saying. and /
sold your stock to-day. Come into 6
~ office. Mr.. Quill, zee how much {
loney Mrs. Crittenden has with u.s. 8
'ntinued the great mining million
re. In a moment the clerk replied: !
IRIS Crittenden has $3.50, 600 less COM :
issions. making her profits on 1900 I
'ares 1867, $40. Will you have check =
r it now?' asked Keene. He heard a o
It sigh. Get some water here q
she has fainted,' said be. I
ting her up from the sofa on which a
e had been sitting. Well, my story c
ended" said the Californian. 1.-THE r
dy you see yonder made good use f
her money. She was aided by O
.ene, who put it into good hands, b
d now there is no happier person q,
ywhere than Tom Crittenden's n
dow. She has diamonds, horses v
d pretty clothes. some of them 80 II
city that when she comes into the d,
rlor at the States the envious wom- Il
wish she was dead.-N. ?. Corr. y