The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-03-08
Romance of the Plains.

The following somewhat remarkable
narrative is related by We tern lady
now on visit to this city from Maliposd
She is herself a character She has crossed
the plaii.s twice-tirst in lS49, dulii
which Ler husband perished-and is the
first American lady who returned to the
East by the Isthmus of Panama. She is
genuine heroine-a fine specimen OF
stouthearted Wes ern womanLo d-and
her adventures in the wilds OF the unpeo
pied W est have been numerous and eXcit-
Ing. II the good folks OF Marip, sa have
missed a lady from their weight, ,rh. O },
they are hereby apprised that she is com
torably located at the boarding house of
Mr.. Nesbit, on the corner of Mont gornery
and Sutter streets, ard Il not re urn to
the mountains until Holmes, of th.. ia
zette, ceases to harrow the hearts OF Mari
posa mothers by calling their little babies
"brats'
Well while the train Of which this lady
was a member was encamped at a point on
the Humbolt, where the Lassen trail inter.
sects the Carson track of travel, she visited
the tent of a family consisting OF an eide r
~ couple and one chld-a daughter OF
fourteen or fifteen years The old lady
was sitting on a pile Of blankets, under
the canvas encouraging most determined
attack Of the " sunhs, while the mascu-
iIHe head of affairs had planted himself on
MS wooden tongue, and was sucking his
pipe Is leisurely as though he expected to
remain there forever A single gllnee
developed the fact that there was a diff
Guilty III that little train of one wagon and
three persons, and that it had attained a
point OF quiet desperation beyond the
reach OF peaceful ad justment. Three d.ys
hot tor. hos i.1 ,..I ri.
forks OF the road, as they could not agree
upon the route by which to enter Caliior-
ma, there they had remained The hus.
band expressed preference to the Carson
road the wife for the La.sen and neither
would give up. The wife woul remain
there ali winter; the husband SAID he
should be pleased 10 sojourn through the
Summer fol oving.
ON the morning of the fourth dav, the
wife broke a su.len silence of thirty-six
hours by propo-ing division of the pro
perty, which CONSISTED OF two yoke Of
cattle, one wagon, camp furniture, small
quantity of provisions, and Sl2 in silver
The proposal was accepted. and forthwith
the "plunder' was divided leaving the
wagon to the old man, and the daughter
to the mother The .attereXch n-el with
a neighboring train the cattle belonging
10 her, Tor a pony and saddle, Filing the
daughter and her PORTO Of the div .ded
spoil upon the animal, She rcsoiutely start.
ID across the desert by the Las~en trail.
while the old man silently yCked ms
cattle aud took the other route.
Singular as tni, ,nay seem, i. i never
thee.a true 1t Is among tie many or,iir-
renc.s OF life stranger than fict On. Of
course both parties reached California in
safety. We say "of course, for H. l.
scarcely possible that any obstacle death
included, could have seriously interierrd
with the progress of stubborauess 80 sub
lime. Arriving at Sacramento with her
daughter, the Old lady readily found EN-
ployment-tor women Were less plenty
than Loy-and subsequently, opened a
bOa.din. house, and in :, ftw years a;ua,s
ed j handsome fortune. T"o years ago
she went to San francisco. and the dau.l
/ ter, whose education had not been neg
lected, was married to one OF the most
substantial citizens.
And what became of the old man? The
| wife had not seen nor heai of him since
they parted on the Humboldt Tnev had
. lived happily together as man and wife
for years, and she sometimes rcprOscLei
/ herself for the wiliulncss that separated
/ them after so long pIlgra:nage together
! through this rough lie. But he was not
dead We cannot trace hI- course IN Cali.
f0ruia however All that We know of him
! Is that fortune had not >m led upon him
and that for years he had toiled without
hope Finally, feeling scarcely able to
/ longer WELD the pick and shovel, he
visited San Francisco, IN the hope OF ob
tanning employment better adapted 10 his
! wasted strength.
! For three months he remained idle
! after remaining here and then for want OF
/ employment invested his scanty means in
! peanuts and oranges. This was about six
! months ago. A few weeks since in pass
/ lag the open door of a cottage in the
southern part of the city, he observed a
{ lady >tandin5 in the hall aud stopped to
offer his merchandise. As he stepped
;::,cc.n. ;;::,ccn the threshold, the lady approached,
and the old man raised his eyes and drop
ped his basket And no wonder, either
I for she was his wfe-hS a. Old woman
She recognized him, and throwing up
| her arms in amazement, exclaimed -
Great God John, is tnat YOU?
All that is left of me- replied the old
man.
With extended arms they approached.
/ Suddenly the old lady< COT nteuance
/ changed and she stepped back.
"Johu, SAID she, with look that
might have been constIu ued into earnest
ness, how did you fnd the Carson
/ road ??
Miserable Suky-miserable," replied
the old man, full OF sand and alkaii!'
| Then was right, John?' she eontin-
ued enquirins
You were, Suky," he replied.
That's enough said she, throwing
her arms around the old mans neck,
that's enough, John" and the old
! couple, so strangely sundered, were again
united Both are now living with their
daughter on Second street.-S.s Francisco
| .NarOr.
A Terrible state of Things in western
Virginia.
! From the Wheeling Integencer.
Gov. Pierpont has received letters from
| Hardy, Ilamshire, X Pocahontas counties,
which give most fearful accounts of the
| condition of things in these and adjoin-
| ing counties. Notwithstanding the efforts
of the Federal army in Hampshire and
! Hardy counties, the rebels are robbing and
carrying Oft Union men to such an extent
that the country is almost depopulated-
| The letters say that if the thrievng rebels
a:e not soon caught or killed, it will be
impossible to organize a court or assess ana
collect taxes, for they are robtlnG the
/ ,nup+rv nf oil tho tayohla prOperty