Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-04-04
kEEHE'S GREAT COUP.
How He Made His First Three
Millions.
BIG BEAR CAMPAIGN RECALLED.

Famous stock Operator-Hfs Expe-
rience ns "a Curbstone Broker In
san Francisco-How lie Won His
Bride.
In owen Wistar's popular story. 1.-THE
yirginiaD,7 the author fakes for his
hero a youth purtured Ii a southern
environment and transplants him to
the plains of the fer west. The prod
uct is an uncommonly interesting
young man keen In his sensibilities,
mentally alert, a bit romantic, yet
sterniy practical; fond Of a loving wom-
man. fond Of a good horse. plucky al
ways, able to give and to take hard
knocks. %resourceful and cool in every
emergency.
james r. Keene, the great stock op
erator, who has the center of the STAGE
again, is not a Virginlan by birth. but
Virginia was his boyhood environment.
says the New York Herald. He was
born in London Of north of Ireland
stock, but early in life was brought TO
America By his father, who came here
to mend his fortunes. Like the hero OF
''rhe Elrginian." 1t was in the west
that Keene rounded out his young man
hood. He had begun the study of law.
but found 1t little to his taste. In
Shasta county. Cal. he was success
lively a cow pqneher,' a newspaper
reporter, an editor, a sclloolteacher. and
at one time he resorted to the peddling
Of milk to make a livelihood. In those
days his whole income for a week often
would not have purchased thdTperfec.
tos which he now tears to pieces with
his teeth and throws away in the course
of a narrowing day over the stock tick
err.
Young Keene drifted to San Francis
co. That city was then rocking in the
throes Of the gold mining fever. For
tunes were being made in a day. 1t
was nm environment that appealed
strongly to a man of Keene's tempera-
ment, He had gone to Virginia City,
New, after his COW punching and milk
peddling days and had got together
something like $4,000, This was his
San Francisco Capital. His first idea
was to practice law, but the specula-
tive virus was in his veins, and his
surroundings warmed it to fever heat.
Most of San Francisco's law business
in those days consisted in the settle
ment OF mining claims. Those which
were not adjusted by the shotgun and
rife We're sometimes settled by litiga-
ton.
So Keene's law experience was only
fuel to the fire. Flood, Fair and O'Bri-
en- were the ruling spirits then in San
Francisco's speculative world. They
and others We're accommodating great
fortunes under his nose, as it were.
The appeal to his instincts and imagi
nation was Irresistible. He became a
'curbstone broker and soon found il
not only more c%ongenial, but more
profitable. TO be a broker than a law
yer. His first ventures were eminent
ly successful, and within a few months
he had Increased his capital to $125,-
600. lie began to indulge the dream of
becoming a bonanza king, for other
deals soon added to his funds.
He also began to dream of winning
a bride, lie had met and greatly adj
mired Miss Sarah Daingerheld. the
daughter of a Virginian. who had gone
to California to visit her brother. Judge
William Il. Dangerfield of the United
States circuit court. Young Keene
pressed his suit with all the energy and
a%stuteness he afterward displayed in
the manipulation of a stock pool. But
the judge bitterly opposed him. He
suubbed the aspiring youth. spoke of
him as IAN upstart curbstOne broker
and threatened to disown the sister if
she Should marry him. But Keene
won his bride in spite of opposition,
and they were married.
Hardly had they settled down to
housekeeping when he had to face his
first serious reverse. The market went
the wrong way one day in 1870. and
Mr.. Keene saw his whole fortune
swept away into chaos. Even his
household effects were sold out at auc-
ton. Many a time since then the
stock wizard has dropped on a turn of
Il few points in the market double or
treble the 100000 that he lost then
u mas only smiled. But al tnat tlme
it was his all. Its loss had left him
penniless.
Refusing offers of employment, con
WINGED yet that his future lay in the
speculative field. he resumed curbstone
operations in a small way and finally
made a friend of Senator FELTON,, who
was a powerful factor In tiDance. When
the senator became assistant treasurer
of the United States and had to retire
from the San Francisco Mining EX-
change. he offered to sell his seat in
that bourse to young Keene and agreed
to trust him for the money. The ar
rangement made was that when called
upon Mr.. Keene should pay to Senator
FELTON, whatever price seats or the eX
change might be bringing at the time
of the calling Of the loan.
9, - ,r-,, 4i,,4 Tim KaoDn fret Il