Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-09-17
JIM KEENE's GREAT COUP.
The Story of His Battle with the Bo-
nanza Men Told by One Vino Was
There. 4.,

The story of the bogus map, which
created u great deal of excitement
among mining-stock speculators in
California some fifteen years ago, has
never, l think, been told in detail A
man who asserted himself to be one Of
the principal actors in the transaction
gave me the particulars one windy
night last winters rs, we sat in d little
mining cabin on one of the bleak slopes
of the Sierra Nevadas, watching with
hungry eyes our supper of bacon and
fapjacks cooking on the stove. My
friend, whom I will call Hill, was Hat
on his back at the time, dead broke,
but he talked as airily and familiarity Of
millions as though the miserable, shanty
was palace on Mob hill and the flap
jack he was tossing was block of
stock just ready to be hurled upon the
market to make or break the fortunes
of the day. ..;n sao,
AT, the time refer to. "Jim" Keene
was just coming prominently into view
among the little coterie Of dashing
spectators which, in those days, ruled
California street with rod of iron.
He was a large holder in the, Consoli-
dated Virginia and California mines on
the Comstock;. so heavy holder. in
fact, that he was allowed the privilege
of having an expert in the mine to look
after his interests. The bonanza crowd,
Flood, O'Brien, ct al, also held large
blocks of stock, which they were try
ing to unload upon Keene. and in pur-
suance of this design were circulating
rose-colored reports of extraordinary
indications and rich strikes, especially
on the fifteen hundred foot level
Keene's expert accordingly turned all
his attention to that part of the mine.
Now, once in the labyrinth Of drifts
and leads, which constitute the big
Comstock mines. it is, of course, inn
possible TO obtain any idea of their to-
biography without the aid of instru-
ments, and these he was not allowed to
have. The expert, not to be outdone,
had a small compass inserted in his
watch locket and also provided him.
self with pedometer. BY tho aid of
these he could easily obtain data which
would enable him to construct toler-
| ably correct map of the level, and so
to get at the true condition of affairs.
Butlon the second day the man was
detected and Mr.. Kcene was informed
that this man could not enter the mine
again. The expert went down to the
"bay" and had long talk with Keene.
He told him that. as far as he could
Judge, the mine was worthless, but, of
course, could not support his assertions
with proofs. d The, bonanza people,
seeing that it was necessary to disarm
any suspicious Keene might have in
vited him to make u personal inspec-
ton of the mine. The drifts and leads
to the big silver mines are generally
boarded up at all sides by loosely-it-
ting planking. Through the chinks it
Is easy to see whether the drift is run
ming through pay dirt or through coun-
try OF barren rock. The bonanza crowd
salted three or four drifts by putting
ore behind the boards and Kcene was
then shown through. There were mill
lions. in sight everywhere and they kept
leading him backwards and forwards
through the salted Leads untilhe should
suppose hc had seen the entire level
Keene went back to San Francisco
not knowing what to think. Naturally,
be suspected the bonanza people, and
| there swassthe evidence ef his esxpert
| Cd the other hand, he sknsw whas he