The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-10-22
NO. 24.
BRYANT'S LICK.

rOmantic-aud often more So-ti,au anv
that can be found in works of fiction, i
again shown by the following re,narka
bic disclosure concerning the previou.
history Of the man chosen by the Demo
cratS of san Francisco for chief irasfs
trate
Mayor elect Of San Francisco, ]. W.
Bryant, is a fine specimen of American
manhood. Not always did he find the
path before him as smooth as it is now.
Twenty years ago he was n poor lad in
Massachusetts, doing odd chores about
houses and stores, with no opportunities
| for education, save what he could pick
up during spare hours of the evening"
| 1t was at Barnstable where he found
more permanent employment. as the
hired help of Mr.. Eden Bacon, one of
the wealthiest men of the town, a PROM
inent member of the councils of his
church, and influential in town affairs.
Bryant served with Mr.. Bacon for a
number of years. He superintendent the
stables, acted as cOachman, and did 'du-
ty as porter in the store. Everybody
used TO say that Bryant was the likeliest
young fellow in town" But one day a
sudden change came upon Bryant's rela-
tions with his employer. The old gentle
man had three daughters, and one of
them, claimed to have been the hand
soonest of the three, had looked too deep
into the bright eyes of the handsome
young man. And his own heart beat
more rapidly whenever he met Miss FL
len The young people soon began to
understand the nature of their feeling
toward each other, and from understand
ing the step was an easy one to confess
ing it-unknown, Of course, to the old
folks. They thought their secret well
kept, but mothers eye is sharp, espe-
cially when she has a marriageable
daughter, with ''Iikely" young man
about the house. The ''sweet converse"
Letween Bryant and the young miss was
soon detected by the watchful Mrs. Ba-
con, who at once pressed her daughter
into the confessional. The dismay of the
parents was great; that "a ''hired man."
with nothing but his bare hands to rely
on for living, should lift his eyes to the
daughter of one of the first men of Barn
stable was an outrage not to be tolerat
eh, and Bryant was dismissed and or
dered to leave town, and Miss Bacon was
told that she must never see that ''fel-
low" again, but-the hoyden. she did
see him, nevertheless, accompanied him
TO the house of the nearest minister, and
there Bryant and his late employers
daughter were speedily married. The
old folks refused to see the young cou-
pie, and when Bryant wrote letter to
say that lie wanted nothing from his
wife's father, as he was bound for Cali
fornia to seek his fortune, and young
Mrs. Bryant wrote to her mother merely
to be allowed to bid her good bye, both
letters were burnt by tie irate parents,
and verbal message sent back that the
two might go to the hottesi place known
to sacred history, hut should never ven
ture to- BarnStabie again. Years passed
and old Eben Bacon relented not, but
the mothers love for her daughter grew
warm again, and when ut last "a letter
came from San Francisco. in which Mrs.
Bryant informed her mother thai she
was happy, that her husband was advau-
cling in fortune, and that she, too, had
been twice IA mother, the old lady wept
many tears Of fjoy-secretly, though, since
cid Eben would listen to 10 mention Of
his daughters name. The crisis of 1878
arrived. and Mr. Bacon was near bank
ruptcy. Mrs Bacon remembered her
son -in-law Oh the Pacific, and took heart
to apply TO him for advice In return
the telegraph placed an amount to Ba-
cons credit ia New York, sufficient to
carry him over the abyss. Now, even the
old man was ready to forgive, and last
year Ur. Bryant and his family paid
their first visit to the home in Barnsta-
bic. Dir Bacon has since died. but old
Mrs Bacon Is now the proudest woman
OF any ia that Massachusetts town, since
Size can say, as She dDe~ every hour Of
the day almost, that Ier .'sOu is Mayor
Of San Francisco.