Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-04-17
~LOVEJONQUEkS.
AcoURTSHlP EPISODE OF TIE GOLD
FEVER OF 1856.

AA
delphia Girl-Her Devoted Lover Goes
West to Seek His I'ortunc-Bc Is Sue
cessful-Their Letters Intercepted.
Minna Stautfer was as pretty d girl as
ever left the quaint little Dutch town of
!Strasburg, overlooking the beautiful Pc
quea valley. aid she was literally seeking
her fortune in Philadelphia. Brought up
in n farmers family, she became weary of
the commonplace and monotono1s labors
of the household. Moreover, she knew
that she vas beautiful, and had an idea of
admirers more pleasing and refined than
the stalwart young farmers who told their
love in a dialect almost as e~uphonious as
the jargon of the digger Indians. So
Mimi: accepted the invitation of IL 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-
sployment, and Minna, being skillful with
@she needle, soon got work with Miss Hawk,
a fashionable shirtmaker, on the east side
of Eighth street, below SAMSON
Although Il bitter old maid, and as ugly
as if she had been bespoken, Miss Hawk
had a good heart, and quickly became
fon 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 Il young lrishman named
Peter Kelley, who was connected with one
of the city journals.
BOTH DOR 81 IN "
AT tbic 1in,a Mrs Morpornt IRA liant
an excellent boarding house in Locust
street, above Fourth, and Miss Stauffer
went there to live.
Living in the house was a young MAJ
named Lilburn. He was a law court re-
porter for the press and u bright fellow,
but his career was handicapped by ill
health. He was as delicate as a girl in ap-
pearance-a gentleman by birth, but poor.
He and Miss Minna became fast friends.
He was q fine musician and gave her les
sons on the piano, while she nlrsed him
through an illness, and they became lovers.
At this time OS56) the gald 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 hat 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 Iilburn
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 Il trip as guard, and, armed
with a heavy double barrelcd shotgun, took
his place OF top. About ten miles from
Carson. at early dawn, the coach was halt
ed by u 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 u gallop. y party went back
and found in the road the body of a noto-
rious ruf1ian named Brannan. For his
taking or killing a large reward had been
offered, and Lilburn received s.. 1000 from
the stage company for his mornings work.
He had Il friend named Folgcr, a shrewd,
hard headed Iankee 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 hpuest little
1rishman who has Il claim, and there is no
better miner between his 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 s., 600 for half
his mine, and unconsciously became IL part
ner in the great Comstock vein. Mike
worked through the rock and struck II bo-
panza. But the last blast hired brought
down a 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 Il rich man. He
took out $4,000 of silver, and in a 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 nc reply came. He waited
and wondered until one day a letter came
from u strange hand, evidently a woman,
The writer thought it her duty to inform.
him that Miss Stautfer had accepted a rich
brewer named Gross, and they had been
married.
AN ENVIOCS WOMAN'S WORK.
Lilburn set his teeth hard and passed a
sleepless night, and then resigned himself
TO Cnc 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 a cripple who
hated Minna Stauffer inadvertently. She
slept in the store and saw the postnlan
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 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
craycbure in America. Peter Kelley did
eventually meet Lilburn, and with char
acteristic vehemcnce told his story. Lii
burn produced his letter, and Peter asked:
"Gross? Who's Gross? There amt no
such man. Some enomo ovid cat has
written that letter and I'd like tn hraak