The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-12-08
WHoLE No. 119.
A ROIANeE OF. F.cALIFoRNIA OF THE
OBSTINATE WOMAN. sf i


One of the pioneers in California
emigration who went across the plains
in '49 tells this story that began on the
journey and has just ended in San
Francisco: While the train, of which
the narrator, now in Nevada, was a
member, was encamped at a peint on
the Humboldt where the Lessen trail
intersects the Carson track of travel,
he visited the tent of family con-
sisting of an elderly couple and one
child, a daughter of fourteen or fif-
teen. The old lady was sitting on q
pile of blankets under the canvass, en-
couraging a most determined attack
of the "suiks," while the masculine
head of affairs had planted himself ON
the wooden tongue, and was sucking
his pipe as though he expected to re-
main there forever. a single glance
developed the dificnlty in that little
train of one wagon and threepersons,
and that it had attained a point of
quiet desperation beyond the reach of
peaceful adjustment, Three days be-
fore they had pitched their tent atethe
forks of the road, and as they could
not agree upon the route by which to
enter California, there they had re-
manned. The husband had expressed
preference for the Carson road, and
the wife for the Lessen, and neither
would yield. The wife declared she
would remain all winter; the husnand
said he would be pleased to prolong
the sojourn through the summer fol-
lowing. On the morning of the
fourth day the wife broke a slillen 81
lence of thirty-sir hours by propos-
ing a division of the property, which
consisted of two yoke of oxen,5 one
wagon, camp furniture, a small guam
tityr of provisions, and twelve dollars
in silver. The proposal was accepted,
and forthwith the "1.p1under" was di-
vided, leaving the wagon to the old
man, and the daughter to the mother.
The latter exchanged, with neigh
boring train, the cattle belonging to
her, for pony and pack-saddle, and
piling her daughter and her portion
of the divided spoils upon the animal,
she resolutely started across the de-
sert by the Lessen trail while the old
man silently yoked his cattle and took
the otherroute. edJ % - 5fhE i'll
of course both parties reached CAL
ifornia in safety. We say " of course" /"
tor it is scarcely possible that any OBJ
stacle, death included, could have in
terfered with stubbornness SO SUBJ
lime. Arriving in Sacramento with
her daughter, the old lady readily
found employInent-for women were
LESS plentiful than onow-and subse-
quently, opened a boarding house, and.
in a few years amassed handsome
fortune. Two years ago she went to
San Francisco, and the daughter,
whose education had not been neglect
ed was married to one of the. most
substantial citizens.s48 .kaGiYgBtE III
And what had become Of the old
man The wife had not seen or heard
of him since they parted on the Hum
boldt. They had lived happily to-
gether as man and wife for years, and
she sometimes reproached herself for
the Rilifulpess that separated them af-
ter SO long q. pilgrimage together
through this rough life. But he was
not dead. We can not trace his course
in California however. All that we
know of him is that fortune had not
smiled upon him, and that for years
he had toiled without hope. Finally,
feeling scarce able to longer WELD the
pick and shovel, he visited San Fran
cisco in the hope of obtaining en-
ployment better adapted to his vast
ing strength. a59 s297s 'i.'
For three months he remained idle
sfter arriving there, and then, for.
want of occupation, became the hum
BILE retailer of peanuts and oranges,
with his entire traffic upon his arm
This was six months ago. "A few
weeks since, in passing the open door
of cottage in the southern part of
the city, he observed lady in the
hall, and stopped to- offer his mer-
cbandise. AS he stepped upon the
threshold the. lady approached and the
man raised his. eyes and dropped the
basket; aud no wonder seither-for
she was his wife, his "old woman ~
She recognized him, and throwing up
her arms, in amazement, g Great God!
John, is that you Pc" ALL that is left
of me" replied the old man. With
extended arms they approached
Suddenly the old lady's countensnce
changed, and She stepped back
"John" saidFshe, with look which
might have been construed into earn
estness, how did you find the Car
son road ~ Miserable, Sukey, mis-
erable," replied the old man " full OF
sand and alkali." 'sThen 1 was right,
john" she continued, inquiringly.-5
"Youwere, Sukey.n "That's enough y
said she, throwing her arms around
the old mans neck; "that's enough,
johns" and the old couple, strangely
sundered, were again united. srel
The Supreme Court of Massachu-
setts has fifteen hundred divorce cases
on its docket. We are not told how
many more there would be, did not
one or both of the parties go to Indi-
ana or Chicago TO be relieved of their
connnbial infelicitics. Up to the late
war of sections there had hcyer been
a divorce granted in, South Carolina.
Since the war the blacks of that State