The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-07
TRUE LOVE CONQUERS,
cOURTSHIP EPISODE OF THE GOLD
FEVER OF 1856.

| Trying Experience of . Beautiful Phi1a.
delphia Girl-Her Devoted Lover Goes
West to Seek His Fertune-He Is Sue.
| cessful-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 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 who told their
| love n dialect almost as euphonious as
| the jargon of the digger Indians. So
Minna accepted the invitation of a 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 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.
as if she had 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 add
mirers, who lowered around the door to
pay her compliments. The most persistent
and sincere was a 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 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 QS56) the gold fever was
raging, and Jason Lilburn determined to
tempt fortune by crossing the plains to the
Ell 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 a
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.
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 a trip as guard, and, armed
his place on top About ten miles from
Carson, at early dawn, the coach was halt
ed by a 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 ruffian 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 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 helps
him. But he's out Of money. Go in with
him" Lilburn offered Mike 50 600 for half
his mine, and unconsciously became part
ner in the great Comstock vein. Mike
worked through the rock and struck bo-
nanza But the last blast fired brought
down fall of rock, and the poor little fel
low was brought out of the tunnel crushed
out of shape and dead. He had no kin
dred, and Lilburn became rich man. He
took out $4,000 of silver, and in a few
months sold out for $4,000
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 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 ENvToUs woMAE's WORK.
Lilburn set his teeth hard and passed
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 iuStified
her. 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 in the store and saw the postman
first in the morning. Minna's letters were
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 swoas.est
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 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 Llburn was passen-
ger on the Overland, and one fine day in
p-il, 1859 a gentleman, staiwart and sun
with a broad brimmed hat on