The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-27
JEALOUS Of the BEAUTY
How . Spitsful Woman Almost
Blightsd the Life Of = Com
panion.
Love Trlumphod and Minnie 6tauf.
for and Jason Lilburn Wore
Married.
Romance Of Life In y PhiIsdsIphIa Hoard
ing HOuse and In Western
Gold Fields.

oVbD GbBbuDs
The varied bssuty Of American women Ia
largely due to the cosmopolitan character
Of our population. Fine compilations.
symmetry Of form and o sturdiness Of con-
stitution are the inheritance Of those whole
thin native blood has been enriched by
union with the strength and vitality Of tho
races Of northern Europe. Any n visit
ing Lancaster City on Whitsuntide Mon
day. says the Philadelphia Times. will see
more pretty German-Amcrican girls from,
the country than at all the summer water
ing places on the Atlantic coast combined.
Although mostly blondes, there IL often
ing with health and viRor.
Minis stsufer was ~ pretty . girl ~
ever left tho quaint little Dutch town OF
Strasburg, overlooking the beautiful
Psvues valley, and she was literally seeking
her fortune in Philadelphia. Brought MP
in q farmers family, she became weary Of
the commonplace and mOnotonous Iabors
Of the household. Moreover, she knew that
she was beautiful and had an idea Of ad-
mirers more pleasing and refined than the
stalwart young farmers who told their love
in . dialect almost ~ e~uphonious ~ the
jarg0n Of the Digger Indians. SO Minna
accepted the invitation OF = married sister
living here n came to the city. This was
not the day Of the sewing machine, and
girls we're not compelled TO make shirts for
3 sbilling q piece, for n smart seamstress
could ind lucrative employment. and
Minna. being skilIful with the needle. soon
got work with Miss Hawk, a fashionable
shirtmaker, ON the east side of Eighth
street, below SAMSON.
Although o bitter old maid and as ugly
~ il she had been bespoken, Miss Hawk
had a good heart, and quickly became fond
Of her pretty empIoye, who had no offensive
vanity and did her work extremely well.
But the old lady had her hands full when
1inns's beauty brought male admirers,
who lowered around the door to pay her
compliments. The most persistent and
sincere was q young Irisbman named Peter
city journals. He nearly drove Miss Hawk
crazy. Twice a week would he leave . roll
Of manuscript as long as the presidents
message, telling his love in prose and verse,
Addressed to the beautiful Miss stauffsr.
But Peter was a gentleman and his atten-
bi0ub WCI0 uOt OUtIubJVc, Auu uO Whb COIL
tent with seeing his goddess 20 to and from
work. Al this time Mrs. Margaret Travilla
kept an excellent boarding house in Locust
street. above Fourth. and Miss Stauffer
went there to live. The girls beauty was a
revelation to those she met there, but her
quiet grace OF manner and absence of pre-
tSntiOn disarmed all criticism, and she be-
came q 9enersl favorite.
Living in the house was = young man
named Lilburn. de was . law court re-
porter for the press and q bright fellow, but
his career was handicapped by ill-health.
"A gentleman by birth, but poor. He and
Miss Minna became fast friends. He WAS q
fne musician and gave her lessons on the
piano, while she nursed him through an
illness, and they became lovers.
Az this time 1856 the gold fever was rag
ing and Jason Iilburn determined to tempt
fortune by crossing the plsins to the Edo
RADIO in search of health and wealth. With
soms aid from friends he got together sufi-
cient means, and c0nsoling his sweetheart
with the hope that he would return with
enough to make their union q happy one, he
started. After eight months' danger and
prIvation he came in sight Of Virginia City.
The journey had restored him to health.
n his letters made Ninna's cheeks flush
with pleasure. Like many men of fine or
ganization and slender physique, Lilburn
had plenty Of grit, and he got employment
with the Wells-Fargo Stage company. FOr
some time the coaches out of Carson had
been held up and robbed by one man and
several drivers murdered. Lilburn offered
to nal = trip as guard, and armed with
a heavy double barraIed shotgun tool his
place OF top. About ten miles from Carson,
at ssrly dawn, the coach WAS halted by a
tall masked man, pistol in hand. Liiburn
let 90 both barrels and saw the man go down.
The frightened driver whipped up his
team and made the next station at a gallop.
A party went back and fOund in the road
the body Of notorious rufIian named Bran
nan. For his taking or killing q large re-
ward had been offered, and LiIburn received
5000 from the stage company for his
mornings work.
He had a friend PANIED FoIger, q shrewd,
hard-headed Yankee. who knew TIE Carson
City country we'll. His advice was: ''This
district il full Of silver. Go in and win.
There IL Mike Dalton, an honest little Irish
man, who has q claim, and there is no bet
ter miner between this and Frisco. He has
had partners before aud they always made
money. Mike il in pOrphyry rock now, but
he will win II some one helps him. But
he's ont Of money. Go in with him." Lii
burn offered Mike 5000 for half his mime
great Comstock vein. Mike worked through
tho rock and struck q bonanza. But the
hist blast fired brought down q fall Of rock
and the poor little feIlow was brought out
OF the tunnel crushed ont OF shape and
dead. He had no kindred and Lilbnrn be-
came q rich man. He took out $4,000 of
silver n in q few months sold out for
10000.
Up TO this time he had received Minna's
letters, but here they stopped. He wrote
and wrote, but no reply came. He waited
snd wondered urtiI one day n letter came
from q strange hand. evidently a woman.
The writer thought it her duty to inform
him that Miss Stauffer had accepted a rich
brewer named Gross, and they had been
married. Lilburn set his teeth hard and
passed a sleepiess night, and then resigned
himself to the situation. Poor girl. She
had her living to make and was tired Of
wsiting.'t and in loving considerations he
justified her and vert into his work with
renewed energy. The facts were these:
Among Miss Hawks girls was a cripple who
hated Ninns Stsufiner mslevolsntly. She
slept in the store and saw the postmnn first
in the morning. Ninna's letters were IN
tercepted and nt the proper time Lilburn
received the epistle that crushed out his
hopes.
In the meantime Minna's checks grew
pale. and many silent tears were shed.
Peter Kelley had become q favofite with