Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-26
AN ECCENTRIC FAMILY,
The Romance and Comedy Vt Their
Loves and Marriages.

A San Francisco special to the New York
World says: A dramatic incident in the supe-
rior court at Redwood City, few miles from
here, revived an almost forgotten story of the
family of the authoress of "what Dreams May
Come" 1t was the formal adoption of a little
child called Pearl Moriarity by Faxon d. Ath-
erton and his wife. A woman with tears stream
ing down her face signed the document which
parted them forever. The story leading up to
the incident is full of romance.
The man who adopted the child is the son of
F. D. Anterior, who died in 1877, leaving
Paxon D., Frank and George, the husband Of
Gertrude Atherton, and one daughter, who is
now Mrs. Percival Selby. short time before
his death Atherton made a will in which he
divided his property equally among his wife
and children, but provided the mother should
become guardian of the boys and hold their
portions in trust, to be paid in such amounts
and at such times as she thought discreet. The
boys spent what money they could get from
their mother with prodigality.
Ten years ago Faxon tell in love with Kate
Moriarity, the daughter of a humble neigh
Dor. Kate's parents were very poor, but by an
aunt Kate was educated at Notre Dame con-
vent. When Faxon first met her she was beau
tiful and highly accomplished. The attachment
seemed mutual. Faxon's mother was violently
opposed to any such alliance, but this did not
separate them, and they fed from Menlo and
took up their residence in San Jose. The girl
insisted that she was legally married. In the
early part Of 1884 they quarreled and separated.
Faxon returned to his mothers home in Menlo.
Kate left her little girl with her aunt in San
Jose and came to San Francisco.
A short time after the separation Faxon be-
came engaged to Miss JEANNE Selby. As soon
as Kate Moriarity heard of the approaching
nuptiais she appeared upon the scene and de-
clared that it should not be-that she had
marriage contract signed by Faxon Anterior,
which bound him to her for life. This caused
temporary halt in the proceedings, but the
difficulty was overcome by payment to her of
$4,000, for which she agreed to relinquish all
claim to the title of wife and permitted the docu-
ment which she claimed was a marriage con-
tract to be destroyed.
The marriage Of Faxon Atherton and Miss
Selby took place April, 1884. Recently Kate
Moriarity welded WIN. Gates of, San Fran
cisco, and it is understood that in becoming
the bride of Gates. she consented to part with
her child, and that Gates told Atherton in
vigorous language he must take his child aud
provide for it. George Anterior, the second
son, died at sea while returning from Chill,
He married Miss Gertrude Franklin, of San
Jose. The daughter of Atherton, ST., married
Frederick Macondray, and the marriage took
place on the day that Percival Selby was born,
and in addition to becoming bride on that day
she stood go6-mother for the infant Percival.
Macondray died young leaving his widow
with two children-a son and daughter. Young
Percival and the daughter of Mrs. Macondray
we're raised together and it was thought en-
gagged to be married. But society was wrong
In its predictions for Percival married the
mother instead Of the daughter. They are now
living in q little home on the old estate oppo-
site the residence of Faxon Anterior.
Mrs. Geo. Atherton was the daughter of
Mrs. Uhlhorn, prepossessing widow with
whom Mr.. Anterior was much infatuated At
the last moment, however young Atherton
threw over the mother and married the daugh-
ter. Mrs. Consul General Rathbone, a sister of
Faxon d. Anterior, now in Paris, is not at all
eccentric and has been long openly opposed to
the extraordinary performances Of the re-
mainder OF the family