The Indianapolis journal., 1894-01-14
UNEXPECTED WEALTH
BookkeeperLowes, Ofthe Meridian
Bank, Given HALF a Silver Mine.
New Years Present from an Old Army
COmrade- Strange Career of ''Dickey"
Met After Many Years.

James II. Loves, modest little book
keeper at the Meridian National Bank, and
an ex-soldier, is the proud owner of a half
interest in the famous Sarah E." Now,
this feminine appellation has no reference
to q steamboat or a fast mare The
Sarah E'' is a. Colorado silver mine, and
it is not the fact that the possession Is
probably very valuable, but the singular
manner in which it came into the hands of
the holder that brings q thrill of pleasure
to the bookkeeper when he chances to gaze
upon certain document filed away in his
private desk. The Sarah e. came as a
belated New Years gift to Mr.. Loves, and
is the munificent Offering of an old army
Comrade. The donor is Joseph Michaels,
one of the richest miners in the vicinity of
that wealthy Colorado section known as
the Creede Camp. The lives of the joint
partners in the rise and fall of Sarah e.
stock are peculiarly interviewer with a
story of interesting detail. romance that
began away back in the days of coun-
try's peril, when the manhood of 1863 was
hurrying to the call of the Nation.
When the Seventh Indiana Cavalry
passed out of Indianapolis for the front
two strapping young fellows rode side by
side. James III. Loves, the smaller of the
two, knew his companion by the name OF
Joseph Dickey, although the latter admit
ted that ''Dickey" was not his true name.
He had adopted It to thwart the attempt
of his mother, a resident of Dayton, o.,
to take him from the service. However.
the young fellow was recorded as ''Dickey''
on the army register and as "Dickey'
passed through the thickest of the fights
into which the Seventh Cavalry was fire.
quently thrown. ''Dickey'' and Loves grew
by side they fought each kindly solicitous
for the other. At mess and around the
camp fire the young soldiers were together.
sharlng each others joys and SorroWs.
After a few months James FL. Loves be-
came Lieutenant Loves. Private Dickey
remained In the ranks but the distinction
ly relations of the two. They continued TO
live as brothers in glorious cause until
commission and was mustered out.
In the city of Memphis the men said good
bye, one returning TO his home in the
North and the other turning his face to-
ward Texas, the objective point of the regi-
men m%ent; The parting was Is srTensely -, saa a,hr nut
Loves came home and did not rejcin his
company. The years passed on and the
memory of his old comrade grew dim. AT
the close OF the war Joe .;Dickey' received
an honorable discharge and disappeared.
No one knew where he had gone 3nd after
a score of years had placed the lighting
days far in the rear his name was taken
from the roster OF the regiment as dead.
To the world and TO his family the soldier
was dead. After parting from his regiment
in Texas he set out for the North not
stopping until he reached the mining camps
of Leadville and Durango. Here he Knocked
about for two or three years and then
established a pony express but after six
years in the employ OF the government ms
old mining fever returned and he began
prospecting Phenomenal success rewarded
his hard work and he began to grow rich
In the snow capped hills OF Colorado Joe
Dickey" buried his identity and Joseph
Michaels, the true name of the sturdy
miner emerged from obScurity. Michaels
was mourned as dead by the members OF
his company and during the years that in
tervened since the war he saw none or his
comrades He married a Colorado woman,
a daughter was born TO them and Michaels
settled down to enjoy an income from the
production of a half dozen silver claims.
on Saturday evening preceding the Ma
tional Encampment in this city dust
covered traveller attired in a Grand Army
suit and wearing the red Colorado badge
stood upon the corner OF Meridian and