The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-11-09
IDAHO WORLD.
l HUSBANDS VENGEANCE.
A STORY OF EARLY LIFE IN SAN FRANCISCO, FOUNDED
on FACT.
By OWEN GRAY.

ldIlu VI IOuIduSC, aAAOLAto AiAe0hJ otAD.JSSto
from actual life for interesting nara
tives of an interesting and exciting
character. The wild fever of excite
ment which followed fast upon the dis
covery of gold, extending throughout
the United States and Europe, hurried
to our shores men of every creed and
cline, all fired by the one grand ambi-
ton of making fortune in brief
space of time. Here could be seen the
neutrality-suspicious. of all nations;
and, owing to the rapid settlement of
the State, the laws were lax and free
reign given to human passions. Nat
urally enough, society and social ties
in the older States were rudely torn
asunder by this sudden rush to the land
of gold Families were separated;
husbands took hasty leave of wives
and little ones; lovers tore themselves
from each others arms; even young
women, the boldest and most venture
some of their sex, turned their backs
upon their home and friends, and set
out for the new Ell Dorado of the Pa
cifc. All, or nearly all, had promised
dear ones left behind that they would
remain faithful when far away, and re-
turn in year or two at the farthest.
Arriving here, however, old and young,
male and female, got caught up in the
whirlpool of excitement; became de-
sirous over Fortunes smiles or frowns;
forgot their vows of love and fidelity,
and madly plunged into the excesses
and follies of California life at that
early period. Of course, under such
circumstances, it would be remarkably
strange if scenes, incidents and events
did not occur upon which to point a
moral and adorn a tale"
In the present instance, we shall en-
croach but slightly on the field of Ro-
nance; only enough to cast thin dis
guise over the principal actors; and
make the naked facts more readable
by little dressing. The beginning of
our story carries us back twenty
years in the history of San Francisco.
In those days it was not the. proud and
beautiful Getty by the Sea" which we
now find it, in the year of our Lord
1871. That was before the era of tel
egraphs, street cars and railroads.
Then a few streets were sufficient for
all the business transacted, and the
neighborhood of the "Union" Hotel
political head quarters, the FL Dora
do gambling house and the Jenny Lind
Theatre (now occupied as the City Hall
and Hall of Records) was the point Of
greatest interest in the city.
Not far from this famous locality, at
the time our tale opens, lived Edward
Nelson, a gentleman of fine address
and cultivated manners, whose real
name is connected with more than one
San Francisco enterprise, and would be
remembered to-day by host of old
friends still among us, although he fell
amid the roar of battle years ago, and
sleeps the last sleep far away from
California. A large, portly man, hand
some, educated and refined, with ge-
NAL face and inviting manners, Nelson
was naturally q favorite among the
fair sex. Unfortunately, as too often
happens, there was but little moral
tone or sentiment in his composition.
Without being positively vicious, he
was high liver and sensualist. His
idea of woman was akin to that enter
tanned by the Oriental nations, where
she is regarded simply as creature to
minister to the grosser passions of man.
Brave, honorable and generous in all
things else, he was represented to us
as destitute of moral and conscientious
feeling in any matter where a woman
was involved. At the time we first
met him, he was living in intimate re-
lations with one of the prettiest little
women in our young city. She was
by no means wanton, in the ordinary
acceptation of the term. Brought here
quite young, by her father, from home
where wealth and luxury abounded,
she was soon left alone and unprotect-
ed, owing to his dissipated habits.
Without friends, money or experience
to guide her footsteps, it is scarcely
surprising that she fell an easy prey
to the destinations of such handsome
and accomplished man as Edward Mel
son. For six months they lived togeth-