Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-12-13
AN ISLAND MYSTERY.
A story OF aayety. wiekedness
and Death.
ss,eaiou Mall.

- - .-@O-~NJ - -
BY reclaiming tule lands. Thii
rich printer chose for his field o.
operations an island embracing
several thousand acres, situated
at the lower end Of Union Island
and bounded by Connection
slough. Old and Middle Rivers
Ills about 20 miles from this
city as the birds Hy. and perhaps
90 BY way Of the winding river
After partially completing his re
claiming operations this rich
printer built upon hisland-which
to this day bears the name Of Ba'
con Island--a handsome two
story house, and being a wicked
although . married man, install.
"a ss the mistress Of his insulated
mansion . pretty little woman
who labordd under the disadvan
><ege cshot being his wife. Among
she rich printers conveniences
Nas little steamer called the
Restless, on which his female
friend went upon excursions up
and down the river when she was
20 minded, and which took him
to and from the secluded island
ON the occasions Of his erratic
visits.
Across the river from the house
OF this sinful rich printer was 9
colony Of young men from Ken
tucky, who led as gay life as
circumstances permitted. They
drank . good deal and played
poker almost constantly. Be-
tween times they made some pre-
tense Of recIaiming the land.
The San Francisco printers pretty
mistress wss lonely, for her pro
tector usually visited her bul
once week It most. aud then
upon no certain day, for this im.
moral man was a pillar Of an
Oakland church and had . jealoul
wife. There were long intervals
when the printer could not escape
the vigilance Of his spouse. OF
make any pretext for leaving the
city for q day and night. 1t was
natural that the lonely mistress
on Bacon Island should make the
acquaintance Of the gay young
Kentuckians on the opposite
shors, and that having made the;i
scquaintsnce high jinks at hel
Ane house and their cabins
should follow. The wealthy and
fond printer dropped in upon his
ssqusstsred leman one night
when . revsl was In progress. A
grand row resulted. He was &C
,seitated about the discovery Il
mad made Of the in6delity Of his
mistress, and SO little cautious tc
concsal his feelings, that the
whole matter came to the knowl
edge Of his wife. 4 divorce suit
followed, which ended In . div:
sion Of the printers property that
bereit him Of half his fortune
He became . seurer - we'll as I
wiser man, and has eschewed mis-
tressss even unto this day, though
no has remained single.
After making . discovery Of ths
iondness OF his hidden pet for tht
young Kentuokians. the riel
printer broke up his island estab
hshmsnt. He withheld supplies
and TIE sinful girl was starved
out. Since then the handsom,
house on Bacon Island has s'ost
deserted, and the banked -ou
water has gradually found it
way back to the reclaimed land
Dampness and decay have reign
ed in the deserted mansion thes
many yesrs. The fine house ha
been slowly falling to pieces.
4 year ago Gernan gentle
man. whose name nobody On th
river knows, had an ark lowed u
from below to the lonely BacoI
Island, seeming bent upon ses
son Of hunting and fishing. HI
only companion was white an
| black setter dog. He had gun
l and rods and all the other con
I yeniences that man use
whom be chooses to amuse him BEL
| in this way. His ark was anchol
ed near the shore, a little abov
j the wharf juttiDg upon Old river
which the rich printer built year
| gone by.
The German was forgotten
! River life is busy, aud mboa'
men have their minds fully OF
supied with their own concerns
-Four months ago a steamer tie,
10 at Bacon Island to make som
aIiaht repairs to the wheel, whic
4 hed struck floating log. Curl
osity led some Of the men to Wis
me little ark. A white and blac
4 dog on the shore barked at ther
s and then fed into the tules. Th
usn found dust lying thick upo
everything in the ark. There wa
4 ! moudly piece Of bacon hangin
+ from 9 nail. half q sack Of sprou
4 ine potatoes, and dishes th,
s. licked o. II they had not bee
Il used for weeks we're upon the lii
8 Tie table. The dog, concealed
q ire tuIss, continued TO bark as Il
nen examined the ark. Wht
d the steamer pushed away fro
shore the dog howled dismally.
a Two months lakar the steam,
tied up at Bacon Island. ar
again men visited the ark, E
srything was found as bsfor
only that the dust on everythin
was deeper. The dog hsd ini
" tulss as before and barks'