The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-03-02

The Washington correspondent Of the San
Francisco Times, in writing up the notabilities
OF California who are now in the national cap
ital, gives the following bit Of romance about
one of the best known among them 3
Among the Californians here, James NJ.
Quinn well known to San Franciscans, is prob
ably the most celebrated because there is q
bit of the romance attached to his history. 1t
Is briefly this After on absence oftwenty years
in Mexico and California, he returned to
Charleston his native place, and there found
his father and mother deceased; but an old
and faithful negro woman, his 5, nurse sew. when n a
fore her death, with the custody or box, to
be delivered to her son James should he ever
return. Upon his arrival in Charleston, about
two years since, the old negresS learning OF
him. sought him odt and delivered the box
which she had so long and faithfully presery-
ed, and upon examination of The contents, it
was found to contain papers, documents and
correspondence establishing clearly his legal
right to large estate IN Ireand, and to the title
OF Earl IF Dunraven He Immediately placed
his papers in the hands of Messrs. Hughes,
Denver & Peck. law firm Of this city, and MIR.
Hughes and Mr.. Quinn will leave for Ireland
soon, to take possession OF the latter's estate.
Who among his old friends in San Francisco
can fully realize hat Jim Quinn, that used to
be, is now and was the Earl of Dunraven2
On this hint, the Times speaks Of Mr.. Quinn
as follows:
80 duBo 1oaA VI iOi JULIO nehAnCeu Al UuA
Washington correspondence brings to the
memory OF many an old Californian the lucky
honabre who, after long years OF tho vlcissi-
tudes Of life on the Pacific coast, has turned
up the heir 10 the Eardom OF Dunraven and
the master of splendid estate, the peer of
the landed gentry Of Ireland, t,nd an import
ant accession to tue brilliant circles OF Hlber-
nian nooilty. james Nj. Quinn is native OF
Charleston. s. c., and Ut Irish ancestry. Ho
came to California in early days. and was par
ticularly known at one time as proprietor Of
the "WiilOws," q favorite resort, afterwards
absorbed in the rush OF events. Failing in
that he went to Portland, Oregon, opened
public house, made another failure of it,
turned TO San Francisco and put out his SHIN
meralda.' Mr. Quinn was quite character
in his way. He generally attended the Sos
siOns OF the Legislature, was noted for his
scrupnlous nlcety in costume, and certain
reserved, distant manner, which, while it did
not tend to increase the number of his casual
friends, conveyed the idea that under his
waistcoat beat noble" heart. and that he
entertained high estimate and lively appre-
citation Of Mr.. Quinn personally, and that
sooner or iat er he would figure in some bright
or or lottier sphere. About three years ago.
becoming convinced that San Francisco was no
longer the adventurer's elysium that it had been
in the more primitive days cf FL Dorado, and
being troubled, wlthal, by q chronic impecu-
niosity-untortunately too frequent among
s'forty -niners"-Mr. Quinn went TO New York
found his way theuce to his Southern birth
place, and there learned ehe agreeable fact he
was an earl and rich man.
No doubt the new-made nobleman will sup.
port his honors with due dignity, and with
now and then pie lsant remln 8 cence of his
political experiences at Sacramento and glance
generally at the plebeian life on the shores OF
the Pacific.