The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-01-15
Stranger than Fiction.

Some twenty odd years ago, there dwelt
in California family of three persons,
father, mother and daughter. The latter
was a mere child. all were young. The
father was a physician. Unfortunately,
he injured his not very extensive practice
by intemperance. His habits became so
dissipated, that the poor wife, despairing
of his reformation and also of the posi-
bility of independent action on her own
part to secure support for himself and
child, proposed a separation. The man
agreed to it but he was not put out like
Rip Van Wrinkle. He was assured that
while he lived she would never cease to
help him, and that when be mended his
ways, their old relations should be restor.
ed. He departed to cure himself, if
possible, and become worthy of the wo.
man, who, sorely beset, undertook the
maintenance of the family. Encouraged
by his wife's prayers, letters and heroic
conduct, the doctor redeemed himself.
At least he thought so, and his poor wife
was more than willing to believe it. He
returned to her home and heart, warmly
welcomed back to both. Unluckily, he
had either miscalculated his will-power
or the demon of indulgence was simply
asleep, and by no means dead within
him. He went back to his cups, and
very soon the skeleton finger of poverty
was laid upon his domestic affairs. The
devoted wife, unwilling to undertake
another experimental separation, and
unable to remain where she was, determ-
ined to try what change of scene would
do for this miserable man, who, naturally
kind, talented and wholesome, appeared
to be insanely abandoned to the devil OF
strong drink. Just at this crisis, rumors
had reached California of the Comstock
Lode discovery, and thither many of the
mining population drifted. Across the
Sierrass to Virginia City this little and
most wretched family journeyed. The
doctor pulled himself together for while
and did some business, but his health
was gone and very soon he died. Widow
and orphan were left in the very depths
of poverty. The generous miners had
clubbed together to bury the doctor.
They made up purse for the mother
and child, from time to time, and thus
saved both from utter deprivation of food,
shelter and raiment. There was, at that
time, superintendent of one of the mines,
sturdy young Irishman, who, from the
lowest rounds of the ladder, had begun
to push his way to fortune. He was not
then more than comfortably we'll otf, and
little dreamed of the Monte Christie
casket in store for him. He used to car.
ry the weekly or monthly stipend to the
widow, and his visits to her became more
and more frequent. At last he married
her and her days of fear on the score of
poverty were over. She possessed a
well-to-do husband, who was the master
of his passions, and certain to make bis
way in the world. But, in the days of
distress, the unhappy woman had resort.
ed to the morphine habit, and could not,
of her own effort, release herself from it.
a. young physician at Virginia City, who
had recently graduated in France, in.
formed her that if she would visit Paris
and put herself implicitly under the care
Of his old master there, her cure could be
guaranteed. While the husband remain.
ed to uncover, with the present junior
Senator from Nevada, the richest silver
deposit the world has ever known, the
wife crossed the seas and submitted to
rigorous medical treatment. 1t was sue
cessful after many months of endurance.
Meanwhile the famous California and
Consolidated Virginia mines were pene:
trated by the husband, and the world
renowned big bonanza. of which he was
principal owner, made him at least forty
times a millionaire. The vile in Paris,
now perfectly cured and blooming, at
once rose into prominence and celebrity,
for how could the marvel-loving Parlsians
help adoring woman whose talents and
beauty were matched by such fabulous
wealth so romantically discovered. For
years, this lady, who is no other than
Mrs. John Mackay, has been Silver
Queen id the most splendid capital OF
Europe. She has lived in palaces.
Noblemen and men of genious have paid
court at her shrine. She outshone the
Empress, when the empire survived, and,
during the alleged Republic, she has re-
fused for her daughter the hand of roy
atty itself. Money, world without end,
HIS been at her disposal and she has
lavished her gold like one born in the
purple. It was wittily said that when
the French Government declined to al
low her to illuminate, at her own expense,
the Arc de Triomphe, she banteringly
offered to buy it at the Governments own
price Her sister married an Italian
count, said to be genuine article, who
WAS rich, distinguished, enterprising and
gentleman. He has for sometime been
building railways from Texas to Mexico.
Mrs. Mackay is devout member of the
Catholic Church, and her aims giving is
munifcent as her powers of conversion
are said to be as potent, in some direc.
tions, as those of Monsignor Capel in
Others. Though thoroughly good and
pious, she has woman's pardonable
vanity as to personal pulchritude, which
is all the more precious to her because it
is about to vanish. Hence her world
famous quarrel with the illustrious Meis-
sonier, whose portrait of her was pro.
nounced by her friends a perfect fright
while the old artist and his cabal insisted
that it was a triumph of realism. At
any rate, Mrs. Mackay paid $4,000 for
the canvas, and, to the horror Of many
Frenchmen who value the least work Of
the great master as spark of divinity,
she threw it into the fire, and commits.
stoned the equally eminent Bonnat to do
her lineaments justice for another great
sum of circulating medium.
And now, while her opulent husband,
along with Mr.. James G. Bennett, has
laid another ocean cable to compete with
rival Gould lines, the world is startled
by fresh sensation from the female
portion of this remarkable family. all
Paris, and therefore all the universe, is
in ferment over the approaching mar
riage of Miss NIackay and the Prince
Colonna. The drift is puptially to
Rome, "the City of the Soul" and to
Italian nobility. 1t is miraculous
bridging of the chasm that lies between
the mining gulch of the Nevada noun
tains and st. Peters Church, where
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