The Osceola times., 1880-01-31
A STRANGE Story.
Charley Parkhurss. the Noted stage Driver
Discovered tn be . Woman

Charley Psrkhursf. the Noted Stage Driver,
Discovered to be Q Woman
s&r Frsrcsco B.llss.n
Telelecrans from Wa;sonyllle report.
a strange ending 10 an advenilro1s HE,
and discovery which suryasses by lis
Sranzeness the xiliest efforts OF fiction
writers. The stage-drivers Of California
have. sy their inirepidiiy, sang frUid and
daredevil rceklessnesz, mingled With
cool calculation. becomes historical char
srers. Hank Monk and Ben Foss are
familiar perSonAyes 10 all whOeyer heard
Of or lived in the Golden state. 4 third
worthy is 10 be added in the person q;
Charley P&rkhurSs, who, At his death.
achieved a celebrity which. by Rs al
tendznt strangeness and romance plzoss
him first in the tho. To the miners Of
the pioneering days PArkhursi was
known as q sf2ge-drlyer o. renOEn,
whilst to Us Of later date he will hence
forward be remembered a. a pers1.Acs
who kers 4 secret all his life long unssls-
pezed and intact. and only gave it up 10
apower which either b1ries il forever
from sight or stripes away al mystery
and makes all plain.
Parkhurss drove stage between sioc.-
ton and Marip0sa, and she; '->ngzrfoo;,
the noted highwsymzn. while on this
line. He zfterwzrd drove on the great
stage route from Oakland TO san jose,
and later. and for long time, he was
s.the boss O. the road between san Juan
and Santa Cruz, when Fan Frafsisoo " a
reached bv San Juan Bot PArkhursi
was Of toiil an energetic and thrifty na-
ture, and when rapid Improvements in
the means Of locOInotiJn relecaied coach
e. further cut towards the frontiers, and
made the driving Of them les profitable
il was not sufiiaent Tor him that he was
acknowledges az one OF the three or
four crack whips Of the coast He res0-
lutely abandoned driving and went 70
farming. For fifteen years he prosecuted
this calling. varying il in the winter
times by working IA the woods, where
he was known a. oneof the most skill
full and powerful Of choppers and lumber
men.
In the course Of time be rented out
hi, station and went into the cattle rsi--
ing business on lands belonging 10 7. \
Him. Of Santa Cruz After raising quite
a herd of cattle he sold oui Of that bnsi-
ness, and being q suiercr from scianc
rh eumztisrn. be sought a les- lsbOrio1s
ayocation. and went 20 raising chickens
in the hills back Of Apios. In tins last
occupation he continued for some year.,
but finally yilied 10 his rheumatic irOub-
les, sold hi. ranch 20 q Portuguese. de-
posted the proceeds, or part Of them,
in the Bank Of Wsisonyille, and retired
from active life 10 hive on the interest Of
his money. Near the Seyen-Mile HOuss
out of Watsonyiile, Is little eabin, and
there during the latter years Of his kfe
Parkhurst has resided.
last sunday Charley psrkhurst, the
famous ooaehinan, the fearless fghter,
the industrious farmer and expert wood
man, died Of cancer On his tongue. He
knew that death was approaching. bui he
did no, relax the reticeaee Of his later
YEAR other than 10 express few wishe-
As tooeT1xin ihings ~ be done al his
death. Then, when the hands Of the
kind friends who had minis,ered 10 the
dying wants came 10 say out the dead
BODY Of the adventurous argUnaut, =
discovery vas made that was literally
astounding. Charley Psrkhursi was 3
woman. perfectly formed, fully-ieycloJsed
wolAa- IT was no wonder that friends
and associate who had known him init.
maiely for q quarter Of q century re
fused TO accept the evidence Of even theii
physical senses Of the fact, and that il
was only afier the confirmation az slithe
physicians Of the village, who wer,
hastily summoned TO view the body, that
the fact could be realized. The discoY
eYies Of the successful ooncealment fol
protrzcted periods of the female -,
under the: disguise Of the masculine an
mot infrequsnt, but the case OF Charlie.
|; Psrkhurs' may fairly claim 10 rank a.
by all odds, the most astonishing Of al
OF them.