The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-03-26
TRUE LOVE CONoUERS.
AcouRrsHiP EPISODE or THE GOLD
FEVER OF 1856.

Il
cessfuI--Their Letters interrupted.
Minna Stauffer was as pretty girl as
| ever left the quaint little Dutch town OF
| Strasburg, 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 mopotonous 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 who told their
| love in dialect almost as euphonious'a as
| the jargon of the digger Indians. So
| Minna 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
smart seamstress could find lucrative EN-
| ployment, and Minna, being skillful with
| the needle, soon got work with Miss Hawk,
q fashionable shirtmakef, on the east aide
| OF Eighth street, below SAMSON.
Although n bitter old maid, and as ugly
| as If she had been bespoBen, 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
| we'll, 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 young man
| named Lilburn. He was law court re-
porter for the press and bright fellow,
but his career was handicapped by i'll
| health. He was rs delicate as girl in APP
| pearanco-a a gentleman by birth, but poor.
| He and Miss Minnn became fast friends.
/ lie was fine musician and gave her les
| sons on the piano, while she nursed him
through nillDess, 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-
| ton 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.
e LOVER GROWS RICH.
For some time the coaches out of Carson
had been held up and robbed by ne man
| and several drivers murdered Lilburn
| offered to make n trip rs 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 noto-
rious ruflian named Brannan. For his
taking or killing large reward had been
| offered, and Lilburn received 5000 from
the stage company for his mornings work.
He had friend named Folger, shrewd,
| hard headed Yankee who knew the Carson
| City country we'll. His advice was: This
| deestrict is full of silver. Go ia and win.
! There is Mike Dalton, an honest little
| lrishman who has claim, and there is no
I 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 helps
| him. But he's out of money Go in with
him" Lilburn offered Mike So 900 for half
/ his mine, and unconsciously became part
! ner in the great Comstock yeln Mike
| worked through the rock and struck bo-
nanza. But the last blast fired brought
| down a fall of rock, and the poor little fell
| low was brought out of the tunnel crushed
! out of shape and dead. He had no kin
! dred, and Iilburn became a rich man. He
| took out $4,000 of silver, and in few
months sold out for 100000.
| 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 letter came
| from strange hand, evidently a woman.
| The writer thought it her duty to inform
him that Miss Stauffer had accepted 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"
and in loving consideration he justified
her, and went into his work with renewed
energy. The facts were these: Among
Miss Hawks girls was cripple who
hated Minna Stauffer malevolently She
slept in the store and saw the postman
first in the morning. Minna's 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 fayorite with
Miss Hawk, and one day frightened her by
declaring "that he was going to the gold
mines himself" and IL 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:
"Grossi Who's GrossS 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 Iilburn was passen-
ger ON the Overland, and one fine day in
April, 1859, 3 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 Stau1er," he said.
The little woman dropped her scissors.
"Oh, the good Lord, is 1t possible'" she said:
Minna came out, pale as aealla lily. Itwould
take a column to describe what followed
Miss Hawk ordered the shutters to be put
up, and gave all the girls holiday. The
letter was produced, the handwriting iden-
tilted, and despite Minna's intercession the
wretched woman who had done the mis-
chief was told to go and never show her
face again.