Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-01-23

one time, an owner ot both petticoat
and face who seemed TO have made 4
little deeper impression than the rest OF
her sex. Near the ranch on which
Parkhurst first settled lived a widow
with an only daughter. Somehow OF
other they did not prosper, and mission.
tune at last overlook them in the shape
Of sherifl's sale. Parkhurst bought
the place and gave it back 10 the widow
and though IT was said at the time that
the good deed was prompted by the
daughters good looks, the report is null.
lifted by the fact that soon after he Left
the neighborbood and settled near Wat.
sonville. Parkhurst's celibacy was not
enforced by poverty, as the neighbors
very well knew, for being Of saving
disposition he had amassed comforta.
BILE sum of some thousand dollars; that
is, a comfortable fortune inasmuch as
il was sufficient to insure him a COM
potency. In course Of time he rented
out his station and went into the cattle.
raising business on lands belonging to
+. A. Him OF Santa Cruz. Alter rails
ing quite a herd Of cattle, he sold out
of that business, and being a sufferer OF
sciatic rheumatism he sought a less
iaborious avocation, and went to rais-
ing chickens in the hills back OF Aptos.
In this last occupation he continued for
some years, but finally yielded to mis-
rheumatic troubles, sold his ranch to a
Portuguese, deposited the proceeds, or
a part Of them. in the bank of Watson
vile, and retired from active life TO live
on the interest of his money. Near
the Seven.mile house, out of Watson.
vile, is little cabin, and there during
the latter years Of his life, Parkhurst
has resided He was well known TO the
townspeople and those on the surround
ing farms as quiet
LITTLE ELDERLY GENTLEMAN
OF ahe ut sixty years ofage, badly afllict-
ed with rheumatism, not given to talk
ing much, but apparently contented to
live nnnotced and alone. This rheu-
matism was tho natural result of the
extreme exposure and hard work to
which he had been subjected all his
lifetime. The winters SHOWS in the
woods, the years passed with his face
turned unflinchingly to the wind and
rain, and his general carelessness as to
results, played havoc with what must
originally have been constitution of
iron. His rheumatism grew from bad
to worse, until it resulted in the wither-
ing of his members, and he grew al
most helpless. Then, IA if his ills were
not crushing enough, he became aihlct-
ed with II cancerous tongue and mouth.
This was his death-wound, so to speak,
and, feeling that this world was slipping
from his grasp, he very quietly hired a
man to attend to his needs, and, telling
u friend he WAS going to die, directed
him what to do with his belong
ngs, and waited patiently for relief
to his sullerings, which had now be-
come most acute. That relief came
on Sunday last, Dec. 20, when Charles
Durky Parkhurst, reputed native Of
| New Hampshire, voter of the state of
California, aged G7, departed this life.
With his last breath Charles Parkhurst,
the daring driver, the fearless fighter Of
highwaymen, the strong lumberman,
passed out of existence, and III his place
was found something gentler and more
tender. With the death of one who
was always more or less u mystery, was
born one TINT shadows the other into
utter insignilicance. The dead man was
being prepared for his last resting
place, when the astonishing discovery
was made by those fulfilling the sad
office that the clay beneath their hands
was that ofa woman With astonish-
ment ut II deception so maryelously
carried out comes the sad thought of all
she must have suffered 1t is useless to
waste time in conjectures rs to what
led the dead To take up the cross of "
mans hboring life; but whether from
NECESSITY OR PHANrAsY,
the certainty remains that i'll the latter
years there must have been many dark
hours when poor Charles Parkhurst
longed for little sympathy which is
accorded every woman. The story OF
tho discovery was mt first refused ere
dence, but medical science furnished
irreiragible proof of the real state of the
case when nm examination attested the
fact of the dead woman having once
been mother. The keen business
sagacity which had been II distinguish
ing feature throughout the whole of
Parkhurst's life IN California was I'M
wavering up to tho end. The money
matters OF the deceased were found
| clearly arranged. Certificates of deposit
on the jacksonville bank to consider
able amount were left behind in the
charge Of Otto Stoessen, and the will
which was only concise statement Of
tie way in which the money was to be
disposed of-chlehy in gifts to those in
attendance at the latter days was
shrewdly signed &C. d. Parkhurst,"
And rs @, ID. Parkhurst the enigma Of
stage driving history lies in the Odd. Eel
lows cemetery at Watsonvile, where
the body was deposited on the after
noon Of Dec. 80, 1879.
More tnwritten History.