The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-02-11
ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.

paper the Warsaw No., Times. 1t will
be seen that the view we took of the
matter at the time of the unhappy &C.
{ currence was probably the correct one,
and that neither Laird or the woman
was seriously blameable:
I More than fifteen years ago a young
man, lad Of less than fifteen summers,
entered printing Office in the Western
States with laudable desire to earn his
own livelihood. His relatives were abun-
dainty able and willing to support and
assist him, but he was a defendant Of an
old Scoth, family, and the spirit engen-
dered by mixing the Gaelic blood with
that of the Western pioneer, hegat him
sturdy independence which, even at
that early age, forbid the indulgence of
any disposition to eat the bread of idle
ness. Silent and reserved his thoughtful
with the smooth cheek-his classic fca-
lures rejecting the wisdom of the man
upon the face Of the beardless boy
His close attention to business, and auicl,
perceptions, enabled him to master, at
the outset, the lntricacies Of the trade
and when his apprenticeship closed he
was at the head of his profession.
Then the spirit of unrest came oe
him. Away over the Pacific slopes the
finger Of destiny pointed, and at the age
Of Is years he stood On the shore Of
of the beautiful Bay of San Francisco,
his slender means being devoted almost
entirely to the aid Of old acquaintances
had left them nearlJ or quite penniless
In a strange land Fortune favored
the generous boy; his labor commanded
almost fabulous prices and he was soon
on the road to wealth. Unsuccessful
speculations left him penniless, and he
again turned his attention towards his
trade. His nimble fingers soon carved
out another fortune, and enterprise
pointing the way, he sent the first Power
Press over the Sire Nevada, claimed
the reward of his efforts, and won it.
lie was made Territorial Printer; issued
the Virginia City Daily Union, the net
income of which, each month was for
tune in itself. The tabled purse Of For
tunes was poor in comparison to the rivers
Of wealth which poured into the Golfers
of the adventurous lad, then just step
His luck changed. Nevada became a
State; the Territorial! obligations were
repudiated; but as slight compensation
for their loss, he and his partners were
elected State Printers, and thereby saved
from actual ruin. Time brought local
changes; Virginia City was no longer
the place of business it had been, and a
change of location was resolved upon
The war had broken out, and offered SER
vices of the boy had been rejected on
account Of his crippled condition; but
he poured his wealth into the Sanitary
Commission, and though up to the firing
on Sumpter he had been an actiYe demo-
crat. he had no terms to make with trail
tors to the country's flag, but defed
them at every turn. His zeal at times
was misguided. and though far from
quarrelsome he took up the dissensions
of others and was engaged in several az
fairs of a personal character, his good
luck favoring him in each case. He was
challenged to mortal cobalt by an opposl-
ton fire-eating editor, chose the street
between his Office and boarding house as
the place; any day between the hours of
O'Clock A. NJ, and T. NJ. as the time,
and neglected his business to facilitate the
convenience of the bully by walking over
the prescribed ground oftener than was
necessary. He was not molested.
After varied adventures he loaded up
another power press, intending to be
mountains, but sold the outfit, in transit,
for fabulous sum and decided tc return
to the home of his boyhood.
But his services in the new country
were to valuable too lose, and he was
offered the U. S. Collectorship of the
Territory OF Montana, his commission
being contingent only upon his endorse
ment of the policy Of Andy johnson
which was-'not Forthcoming. a despera-
had dehed the authority of the laws,
the officials refused or neglected to arrest
him. the subject of this sketch volun-
teered to take him, and he did so, but
do had his left hand shot to pieces by the
desperate, who was afterwards hung by
the citizens. and his revolver was presen
ted as momento to his daring captor
who was afterwards appointed Deputy I.
S. Marshal of Wyoming, and made
Sheriff of Larmine His adventures
with desperadoes, while serving as such,
would doubtless prove interesting, but
our space is limited BY Railroad acct
dent near Cheyenne he was severely
injured, and returned to his old home, SO
soon as he was able to travel, in order to
secure the best surgical skill.
Out story is drawing to close. but the
thrilling part is yet to be told.
The character OF spirit so brave.
generous and manly, would be incom-
plete if it did not have in it an clement
OF esteemtor the gentler sex.
This element was not lacking In the
composition of the man whose life had
been cheauered with so many incidents
Of frontier life. He was well adapted to
please the fancy of even the most fastid
ious of the daughters of Eve. Over six
feet in heiuht with dark curlS clustering
round white brow which no exposure
could bronze finely cut features, and
form that Appollo might envy, he had
only Site limp to mar the perfection of
manly beauty.
a sehoolmate of his youthful days had
IN moment Of desperation, Welded to
the wishes of others and contracted n
hateful marriage with a man she desnised
Repentance came to late, and when the
gay, lighted frontiersman returned from
the far West, his sylppathies were touch
ed by tale of sorrow, disappointed hopes,
and unsatisfed longings of his former
schoolmate. As the pitcous story of neg
lect, unfounded jealousy, penuriousness,
and the. slow crushing out of the finer
feelings of woman's heart was told
what wonder that the susceptible heart
Of the generous-minded Western man
was touched? The woman was living
apart from her husband, and was only
waiting to get possession of her child to
file bill for divorce, on the ground of
heartless cruelty, and to secure the aid
OF SO powerful an ally, in carrying out |
her plan, was ready to pledge her hand |
and heart, when the law should dissolve |
the obstace which stood in the way of
their hopes. These are the circumstan-