New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-06
An UNPLEASANT sT0EY.
= We ealthY Californian MarrIes sSI


lFrom the San Francisco Tribune
1t would seem, from the frequent oc-
currence of remarkable incidents, that
there is certainly nothing of an improb-
able nature, Judging from the following
wonderfully strange and hardly credible
story which came to our ears few days
since.
In the spring of 1S49, when the gold
fever was at it's highest possible state of
excitement in California, there lived in
the State of Virginia, on the banks of the
York river, few miles below Yorktown, q
gentleman of culture, whose parents were
in moderate circumstances. 1t was
during the gold excitement he left the
comforts of home, his friends, relatives,
loving wife, whom he had led to the
altar but a year since, and an only child
a daughter of two months-and took up
his lonely journey to seek his fortune in
the wild, distant West, over and beyond
the Rocky Mountains, where the bright
and golden sun sinks down to rest amid
the blue waves of the grand Pacific.
After years Of toil, drudgery and re-
| verses of fortune in the mines, he came to
this city and engaged in business. He
being successful, soon smassel an I'M
| mense fortune. His beloved wife had died
during prevailing epidemic while on a
| visit to some relatives during the yellow
| fever season at New Orleans, as at the
same time did little girl of another fam
| ily, Of the same name and age as his little
| daughter. He visited the States. but
! could find no clue to his deceased wife's
sister; he thought, naturally, that she, too,
| had died. He returned to the Golden
State, and time and the whirling excite
ment of business soon healed his sorrows,
and effaced, apparently, all recollections
| of his old home on the banks of the placid
| York.
Shortly after the completion of the Pa
| cifc railroad there arrived at this city a
gentleman, his wife, and beautiful, well
educated and graceful young lady, just
blooming into maidenhood, apparently,
and really about eighteen summers. 1t
was by chance the young lady and
aged widower met-and to meet
was to love. They were duly mar
ried after short acquaintance; the cere-
mony being celebrated with great ecl0t
and creating no little flutter in the fashion
able and wealthy circles Of our city. The
fact that both parties bore the same Chris
tan name excited no comment or inquiry
| 1S IL Was ohC diihose uuitc uS tOGAhANh eS
that Of Smith Or Brown.
4 few weeks after the marriage, as the
husband and wife naturally inquired into
each others past history and antecedents,
and were gradually becoming better ac'
quainted with each other, the denouement
came-they were father and daughter
man and wife; the instructive love Of the
parent for the child, and the daughter fol
the father. had been superseded by the
strong emotional passion OF sexual love
Both innocent at heart. but ioully crimina
in the eyes of man and God.
His daughter was not dead. as he sup
posed, but, after the death of bis wife, wa:
kindly taken in charge by his sister-in
law, who had.married and moved to dis
tant State, and who also, with her hus
band accompanied his wife's daughter t.
this coast, to meet as strangers, lovers ant
subsequently parent and child, as they
were, cultivated, passioned love change,
into flial and paernal devotion.
Wonderfully strange, indeed, are the for
tui.ous circumstances which control ala,
guide the footsteps of erring and suscepti
BILE mortals.