Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-03-26

Trying Experience of Beautiful PhiIa-
delphia Girl-Her Devoted Lover Goes
West to Seek His Fortune-He Is Sue
cessfuI-Their Letters interrupted.
Mlnna Stauffer was as pretty a girl as
ever left the quaint little Dutch town of
Ssrasburg, overlooking the beautiful Pc
quea valley, and she was literally seeking
her fortune in Philadelphia. Brought up
In farmers family, she became weary of
the commonplace and monotonous labors
Of the household. Moreover, she knew
that she was beautiful, and had an idea of
admirers more pleasing and refined than
the stalwart young farmers VINO told their
love in a dialect almost as euphonious as
the jargon of the digger Indians. So
Nina accepted the invitation of married
sister living here, and came to the city
This was not the day of the sewing ma
chine, and girls were not compelled to
make shirts for a shilling apiece, for a
smart seamstress could find lucrative en-
ployment, and Minna, being skillful with
the needle, soon got work with Miss Hawk
fashionable shirtmaker, on the east side
of Eighth street, below SAMSON.
Although bitter old maid, and as ugly
as if she lad been bespoken, Miss Hawk
had a good heart, and quickly became
fond of her pretty employe, who had no of
fensive vanity and did her work extremely
well, but the old lady had her hands full
when Minna's beauty brought male ad-
mirers, who lowered around the door to
pay her compliments. The most persistent
and sincere was young Irishman named
Peter Kelley, who was connected with one
of the city journals.
BOTH POOR, BUT IN LOVE.
At this time Mrs. Margaret Travilla kept
an excellent boarding house in Locust
street, above Fourth, and Miss Stauffer
went there to live.
Living in the house was a young man
named Lilburn. He was a law court re-
porter for the press and bright fellow,
but his career was handicapped by i'll
health. He was as delicate as girl in ap-
pearance-a gentleman by birth, but poor.
He and Miss Minna became fast friends
He was fine musician and gave her les
sons on the piano, while she nursed him
through an illness, and they became lovers.
AT this time 1S56) the gold fever was
raging, and Jason Lilburn determined to
tempt fortune by crossing the plains to the
FL Dorado in search of health and wealth
With some aid from friends he got to-
gether sufficient means, and consoling his
sweetheart with the hope that he would
return with enough to make their union
happy one, he started.
After eight months danger and priva-
tion he came in sight of Virginia City
The journey had restored him to health,
and his letters made Minna's cheeks flush
with pleasure. Like many men of fine
organization and slender physique Lilburn
had plenty of grit, and he got employment
with the Wells-Fargo Stage company.
THE LOVER GROWS RICH.
For some time the coaches out of Carson
had been held up and robbed by one man
and several drivers murdered. Lilburn
offered to make trip as guard, and, armed
with heavy double barreled shotgun, took
his place on top. About ten miles from
Carson, at early dawn, the coach was halt
ed by tall masked man, pistol in hand.
Lilburn let go 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 a noto-
rious ruifian named Brannan. For his
taking or killing large reward had been
offered, and Lilburn received $1,000 from
the stage company for his mornings work
He had a friend named Folger, a shrewd,
hard headed Yankee who knew the Carson
City country well. His advice was: ''This
deestrict is full of silver. Go in and win
There is Mike Dalton, an honest little
Irishman who has a claim, and there is no
better miner between this and Frisco He
has had partners before, and they always
made money. Mike is in porphyry rock
now, but he will win if some one hell
him. But he's out of money. Go in with
him" Lilburn offered Mike s., 900 for half
ner in the great Comstock vein. Mike
worked through the rock and struck bo-
Danza. But the last blast fired brought
down a fall of rock, and the poor little fell
how was brought out of the tunnel crushed
out of shape and dead. He had no kin
dred, and Lilburn became a rich man. He
took out $4,000 of silver, and in few
months sold out for $50 600
Up to this time he had received Minna's
letters, but here they stopped. He wrote
and wrote, but no reply came. He waited
and wondered until one day a letter came
from Il strange hand, evidently 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.
AN ENvIOUs wOMAN's WORK
Lilburn set his teeth hard and passed a
sleepless night and then resigned himself
to the situation. "Poor girl. She had her
living to make and was tired of waiting,'
md in loving consideration he justified
,er, and went into his work with renewed
Energy. The facts were these: Among
Miss Hawks girls was a cripple who
hated Minna Stauffer inadvertently. She
slept i'll the store and saw the postman
first in the morning. Minnas letters were
intercepted, and at the proper time Lii
burn received the epistle that crushed out
his hopes.
In the meantime Minna's cheeks grew
pale, and many silent tears were sned.
Peter Kelley had become a favorite with
Miss Hawk, and one day frightened her by
declaring that he was going to the gold
mines himself" and if he met his old news
paper associate Lilburn, would 'oblither-
ate him" for his trayson to the swoastest
craychure in America. Peter Kelley did
eventually meet Lilburn, and with char
acteristic vehemence told his story. Lii
burn produced his letter, and Peter asked:
Gross? Who's Gross? There amt no
such man. Some venomous ovid cat has
written that letter, and I'd like to break
her neck"
Inside of two days Lilburn was passen-
ger on the Overland, and one fine day in
April, 1859, gentleman, stalwart and sun
Drowned, with a broad brimmed hat on
his head, stepped into Miss Hawks place
on Eighth street MY name is Lilburn
and wish to see Miss Stauffer" he said
The little woman dropped her scissors.
"Oh, the good Lord, is It possible?" she saiu
Minna came out, pale as a calla lily 1t would
take a column to describe what followed.
Miss Hawk ordered the shutters to be put
up, and gave all the girls holiday. The