The Shasta courier., 1865-04-29
SHASTA COURIER.
A Sad, Romantic History.

respondent of an exchange. | have heard OF
the death Of an old and much esteemed friend,
whose life was one of adventure and varying
fortune, and the circumstances of whose
death are SO painful that cannot forego Civ
ing y,u an outline of his history. lie was a
typo; man of large experience, much cul-
ture and genial impulses. lie married. quite
young, an estimable lady of New Orleans,
who was possessed of considerable property
in her own right. Soon after marriage he
removed to Mississippi. then just organized
as State, and was elected fl st State Printer
of the new commonwealth. At the expira-
tion of his term of Office he removed with his
family TO New Orleans. received the commits
sion of a Lieutenant in the United States
Navy and went to sea. and was not ashore
again until the breaking out of the Mexican
war when he resigned his commission in the
navy and accepted one in the army, without,
however, visiting his family. He served
through the war as an officer Of volunteers.
and after peace was declared, accepted a com
mission in the Mexican army and joined
expedition against the Yucatan lndians.-
The gold excitement breaking out in Callfor-
mia, he dropped the sword for the pick, arri-
we'd in California in the Fall of 40. Disdain
ing the crowded safety of city. he struck
cut Immediately for the mountains, where he
soon amassed fifty thousand dollars, by good
luck, industry and enterprise. Up TO this
time he had kept up clrrespandence with his
wife-who waited patiently, hopefully, lUv-
ingly TIN ough all those long years for his
coming
A friend of his-who had been with him
through the Mexican war and the Yucatan
expedition, and constantly in Califurnia-a
kindred spirit and q noble man, and who had
shared his successes in the mines, suggested
to him the propriety of returning to his fam
ily (for he had two sons now, nearly men,
whom he had not seen from infancy, telling
him that he had plenty OF this worlds goods
and an excellent home besides, old age was
coming on apace. Finally. in 1853 they
started for their old homes, but on reaching
San Francisco the Amazon river gold fever
was raging. and they were violently attacked
with it. They Immediately fitted out large
party and started for the new gold fields
old Typo being SO much excited that he for
got to write 10 his wife that he was going
Four years elapsed, and he returned to San
Francisco before the mast, broken in purse
and physical strength.
In the meantime, in his quiet home in New
Orleans, an act had been perpetrated by
fraud and forgery that cast a gloom over his
remaining years, as also over the future of
his most excellent familv. An unprincipled
merchant of that city, who occupied one of
the large storehouses belonging to the gold
hunters wife, hearing of the departure and
distant destination of the husband, relying
upon the improbability of his returning, forg-
ed the names of parties in California with
whom he too confiding lady was acquainted,
to letters addressed 10 himself giving a very
circumstantial account of the cause and man
ner of the death of her husband together
with his dying words, place of burial, etc
The wife, never suspecting the genuineness of
the letters or signatures. duly mourned the
death of her long-absent husband. As time
rolled on, showing t.o undue haste, the afore
said merchant wooed and won the wealthy
widow, and they were married.
When the adventurer returned to Califor.
MIA he obstinately refused to write to his wife
until he had made a raise" which he
did shortly after-meantime being all uncnn
scious what had happened at home. | was
mining with him on the MERGED river in 1853.
when one Summer evening, the butcher
frpm town" handed him letter. | shall
never forget that scene. The letter was
from his wife, in answer to his first on his
return from Peru. To see the tears-like rain
drops falling over the bronzed cheeks of
dozen old forty-niners, on witnessing the ag-
-onv of that broken hearted husband is |
something not often witnessed and never for
gotten. To see sush a man, generous and |
manly, heart bowed down bv weight of |
VICE. is a sight | would not look upon again |
lie did not chide his wife, however, and |
never loved her the less for the deception |
that had been practced upon her. The |
scoundrel who perpetrated the wrong hear. |
ing of the return Of the first husband nearly |
two years before his wife did, had ''chaneed |
base" to llavanna, where he still resides. -
Owing to the caution and business tact of the |
lady, he never attained the main object of |
his rascaity-that of getting possession of |
her property.
a. a. The matter was eventually explained be-
tween the husband and wife. The latter be
ing unable to bear the indignity and remain |
in her old home, disposed of her property in |
New Orleans, and with her two suns, repair. |
ed to Mississippi. where they settled down up |
on farm. The old man (always homesick
and talking of going) made another raise in
'5S. and was preparing TO leave the Pacific
when the Mono gold excitement broke out.
Thither he repaired, and soon run through
all he had when he walked to Genoa. where
be worked during the Winter of lS5S.'59
on the Enterprise. as compusitor. In the
Summer of 1859 he went TO the Arizona
mines and drifted about over that Terri.
tory. Colorado and Utah, until the Summer
of 1868, when. as | now for the first time
learn. 'he diel on the desert from starva.
tion exhaustion. Who can imagine the
fe .linss of that broken hearted woman (if
she be yet alive). when she shall again hear
tf the death Of her longabsent and wayward
husband? ? In all probability sbeis now doub.
" bereaved by the loss of one or both of her
sons in the war
Sad as this history is. there is no doubt
8 many others as sad and unwritten-homes
made desolate happn IS destroyed, hearts
broken and hopes blasted by the long absence
untmely death or gross negligence of hus. l
bands. fathers, brothers, sons and lovers
NALL for the love of gold
Nor ALcATRAz.-To-day the six mis&e-
ants recently captured in Colusi county for
rejoicing over the assassination of the Presi.
dent were es .orted to the San Francisco