The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-02-13
A PIONEER ROMANCE.

/ aaH-- ---.a
"A PIONEER ROMANCE. -H
And It's strange .DeveloPment In
Modern Days-A Deserted Wife,
an Indian Elopement, q Runa-
way Son. a Marriage. Id r.
San Francisco Chronicle. 3e3,a.
Did some gifted novelist desire the
foundation for story sufficiently won
derful to make the world wonder al
its depth of plot and peculiarity OF
detail, he need only adopt the circum-
stances that have occurred in a certain
instance among US as recently as a
week ago, though beginning in the
early days of California, when the
gold excitement was making lunatics
of many. Recently there came from
. fourishing town of Sonoma County,
on an extended visit to friends in this
city, man and wife. Theatres were
visited, q full round of amusement and
sight-seeing was INDUCED, and all
went merry as the marriage bell which
rang for the couple in question as
much, as thirty and three years ago,
away off in Racine, Wis. A few nights
since, while returning from the Cali
fornia Theatre, the couple walked
along Kesrney street toward Market,
near which, by the light Of gas-lamp,
they saw lying on the sidewalk before
them lady's chatelaine and watch,
which evidently had become detache d
from the waist of some passer by,
Scarcely was there time to stoep and
pick up the find when. returned COM
paratively young couples rather hand
some man, who was remarkably light
in feature to the woman who walked
beside him, dark enough in complex
ion to lead to the belief that she was of
Spanish extraction. A short explana-
ton between the two couples ensaed
and the article of female ornament
was returned to the younger lady who
had lost it.
The young couple had scarcely be-
gun to move away, when the elderly
lady appeared as if seized with spasm
and with = shrek very unlike that of
the traditional novel sort, screamed,
Charley Charley + and almost faint
ed. The SQUAD of name so familiar
to him brought the young man and his
companion back, and then followed
even a stranger incident. That young
man looked at the agitated lady. A
shade of recollection seemed to cross
his mind, and though struggling to
subdue his emotion, no did not sue
coed, and quickly calculated, Mother
At the same time the older man had
been regarding the younger lady in
tently, and in a moment moro ex-
claimed, 'Good God, it is she!' The
scene had attracted quite a number of
passers, and to prevent further notice
by them the young man spoke firmly
and directed the actors in the little
comedy to go with him, which they
did. Soon they were seated IN a com.
Portable little parlor within q radius
of mile from the place Of the acci-
dental meeting, and amidst many sobs
from the old lady, much wondering
surprise on the part of the young lady
and called-for amount of agitation
and mingled anger on the part of the
young and old gentleman, respect
lively, the story was made clear.
To relate it lucidly requires ret
respect of over thirty years, when, in
Rssine, DIR. s. Sefferd will do, as
being as near the real name as possible
to speak without making a complete
revelation-a man aged about % years
married one of three daughters of q
farmer in the vicinity. DR.. Seford
had. for 2 young man, Q lucrative prac-
tice, wanted only for luxuries, and for
q time the young couple travelled the
road of matrimony comfortably. But
gradually grew between
them. Life was not as smooth as was
even though son had been
born to them, and another (events
proved il daughter) was expected. 1t
wasn't the greatest wonder in the
world, then, for Racine to learn, one
day in '49, when California's wealth of
mineral was turning mems heads,
breaking apart homes and families,
and turning the nation almost upside
down, that DIR. Seferd had disap-
peared. 1t was conjectured, and right
lu thot ho ho1 otorfo1 for Col;foru;o
The little home in Racine was broken
up. the deserted family removal to
lhe old farmhouse, and when, some
time later, the daughter was born, no
word of the father was there to cheer
the mo others heart, nor was he heard
Of again for years. He, in the mean
time, had reached California, and be-
cause OF peculiar ways Of wearing his
whiskers and hair, became known as
an Australian. After wandering for
a short time about the State he entered
finally, with prospecting party, near
the latter end of 1850, the mining sec
ton known as Deadman's Bar in
Butte County. The Bar was lively
place in those days, not half civilized,
with rough, cosmopolitan popula.
ton, of which some tribes of Digger
Indians formed part, and many were
the characteristic robberies, murders
and miscellaneous sensations chroni-
cled. And Doc Sefford was to add TO
the list, for before the year had drawn
to close he eloped with the pretty
wife of q member of the Digger tribe,
and her daughter, then about two