Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1885-02-28

Chicago, EeD. IO.-lne 1OllOWlDp uc'
tails Of romance in real life were OBJ
tained here to day: Early in 1875 a
party Of eighty FIVE bold and ventur.
some men was organized at Ames, Iowa
to 60 into the recently discovered min
ing region in the vicinity Of Deadwood,
Oak. John Johnson, a young man re-
Gently arrived from England, and Mr.
+. p. Cronen, then a lad of seventeen
years Of age, were Of that party. These
two were thrown much together, and
became fast friends. They and two
others took up a 200-yard mining claim
in the vicinity of the Nigger Hill mines
near Speariish, Oak, and at once began
to work. Their claim soon proved to
be wonderfully rich in what was called
bastard quartz, but there was no money
in that for the miners, and in the course
Of year matters took on a most dis
heartening appearance. Mr.. CrOnen
being totally out of confidence in the
mine, made his English friend present
out of hand of all his interest in the
same, and at once started for the con
fines of civilization, where there was
more food and less bastard quartz"
His course gradually led him east, and
he at length became an operator in the
Western Union office here. Then he
married and settled down to quiet life
The plucky Englishman stuck to Niger
Hill aud Spearfish, despite all hardships
and disasters. In the course of short
time after Cronen's departure he found
himself the only one left in the Black
Hills country Of all the party who start
ed out from Ames. His confidence in
the country was SO great that after the
first pinch he succeeded in adding to
his territory. Not content with that,
he branched out into another line and
became the proprietor and principal
editor of the Dakota Register, at Spear
fish. Sume sixteen months ago the
astounding discovery was made that the
despised and contemed bastard quartz"
from sixty to eighty per cent
of pure tin, and the poor editors pros
poets were to fiattering to be encompass
ed by the widest Imagination. But the
fortune was not at hand, and the inter.
vening time has been employed in
securing the necessary capital TO take
4 i,a - 10 .c
The Dakota journalists young friend
had not been forgotten in this long time,
for correspondence was kept up be-
tween them, and upon two occasions the
miner from the Northwest had visited
his friend here In the city. During
these visits Mr.. Johnston had become
with Fred Randolph, Gro
mems deskmate at the Western Union
Early last week Mr.. Johnston arrived
in the city, accompanied by his wife.
Seeking ont his two friends, he quietly
that the first important in
stallment of the fortune had come to
hand. The hopes of the long and weary
years had begun to be realized. A small
interest in the mining property had
been sold for 100000 cash, and the
principal proprietor was on his way to
England TO perfect the organization of a
gigantic stock company. Sudden wealth
had not changed the sturdy Dakotian,
and he wished his friends Cronen and
to share with him the first
ecstacy Of affiuence. AS one step in
that direction he promptly presented
the former with a delayed Christmas
gift in the shape ola certified check for
$1,000. He wanted to enjoy himself
upon his trip, and he wanted help to do
it. He invited the two telegraph oper-
ators and their wives to accompany
himself and Mrs. Johnston on their
voyage across the ocean. The invita-
ton was accepted, and last Friday the
desks of C,onin and Randolph were
supplied with other men, and active
for the tour began. Tickets
for the railway and steamship transport
alton were purchased, and tomorrow
morning the train east will bear with it
six happy and contented people. What
these friends will do upon their return
seems to them now too far away to be
fully discussed, but it is likely that the
Chicago operators will be enabled to get
into some business more congenial and
profitable than pounding key.