East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-12-31
OF AN OLD COUPLE.

ROMANCE OF AN OLD COUPLE.
The following somewhat remarkable
narrative il related by Western lady,
now on a visit to this city from Mariposa.
She is herself a character. She has
crossed tho plains twice--frst in 1919,
during which her husband porishod
is the first American lady who returned
to the East by the way o. ne istnmus of
Panama. She is genuine horoine--a
iino specimen OF stout-hcarted Western
womanhood- and her adventures in the
wilds Of the un9eoglcd West have been
humorous and exciting. If tho good
folks of Maripose have missed lady
from their neighborhood, they are hereby
appraised that enc is comfortably located
at the clearinghouse Of Mrs. Nogbit, ON
the corner Of Montgomery and Suffer
streets, and will not return to the noun
tains until Holmes, of the Gazette, ceases
to harrow the hearts of Mariposl mothers
by calling their little babies "brats,"
Well, while the train of which this
lady was member was encamped at
point on the Humboldt where the Lessen
trail intersects the Carson track of travel,
she visited. tho tent of family, consist
ing of an elderly couple and ono child
daughter of fourteen or fifteen years.
The old lady was sitting on pilo Of
blank dts, under the canvass, encouraging
most determined attack Of the 'sulks,"
while tho masculine head Of affairs had
planted himself on his wooden tongue,
and was sucking his pipe as lcisurely as
though he expected to remain there for
ovor. a oingls glance developed thu fact
that there was difficulty in that ittlo
train of one wagon and three persons,
and that it had attained point of quiet
desperation beyond the reach Of adjust
ment. Three days before they had
pitched their tent at tho forks Of tho
road, and as they could not agree upon
tho route By which to enter California,
there they had remained. The husband
expressed preference for the Carson
road-the wife for tho Lessen = and
neither would yield. The wife declared
siss would remain there all winter; the
husband said no should be pleased TO
lcngthcn tho sojourn through the summer
following.
On the morning Of the fourth day, tho
wiR broke sullen silence of thirty-six
hours by proposing division of the pro-
perty, which. consisted Of two yoke OF
cattle, one wagon, camp furniture, small
quantity Of provisions, and twelve dollars
in silver. The proposal was accepted,
and forthwith the "plunder" was divided,
leaving tho wagon to the old man and
tho daughter to the mother. The latter
exchanged with o neighboring train the
cattle belonging to her for pony and
pack saddle, and piling the daughter and
her portion Of the divided spoil upon the
animal, she resolutcly started across the
desert by the Lessen trail, while the old
man silently yoked the cattle and took
the other route. Singular as this may
seem, it ia nevertheless true. It is among
tho many occurrences of life stranger
than fiction.
OF course both parties reached Cali.
fornia in safety. We say "of course" for
it is scarcely possible that any obstacle,
death included could have seriously in
terfered with the progress Of stubborn
ness so sublime Arriving at Sacramento
with tho daughter, the old lady readily
found employment--for women were less
plenty then than now--and subsequently
opened boarding house, and in few
years amasscd a handsome fortune. Two
years age she went to San Francisco, and
the daughter, whose. education had not
been neglected, was married 70 one of our
most substantial citizons.
And what became oS tho old man ?
The wife had not seen or heard of him
since they parted on the Humboldt. They
had lived happily together as man and
wife for years, and she sometimes re-
preached herself for tho wilfulness that
separated them after so long pilgrimage
together thi ough this rough life. But he