The herald., 1896-07-09
In the Little Life Drama Enacted
Close By
A DEATH VALLEY ROMANCE
Followed Only Recently by q Los An
geIes Wedding
The Story Requires Look Backward OF ABOUT
Twenty Years
The Yearning Maiden. the Fairy Prince Love
At First Sight. the Irate Father and Dar-
ing EIopement Combined Bring
Matters to a Climax
heath Valley is the last place in the


Death Valley is the last place IN the
world where on ewould look for a ro-
nance. and vet the desolate alkall pit
in Inyo county was lately the scene of
the most thrilling kind of love story.
Tbere was no romantic element lacking
in the little life drama The yearninS
maiden, the fairy prince, love at nrst
sight the irate father and daring elope-
ment all combined to bring matters 10
a climax in the marriage of Walter New
ton and Carrie Jeffery in Los Angeles
q few weeks ago.
To tell the story 1t will be necessary
to take a brief look backward about
twenty years to the time when John
Jeffery was a prosperous merchant IN
Louisville, Ky, He had accumulated
n fortune before he was 80 years old and
married the daughter of a prominent
statesman. The bride looked forward
to a life of happiness, as Jeffery was
kind, indulgent husband, and nothing
seemed wanting to make 1t So But In
less than two years and before little Car
rie was born, Jeffery had become almost
crazy on the subject of lost mines In
California He could speak OF nothing
else. and in spite of his wife's protests
that they had more than enough money
to keep them in luxury the rest of their
lives. he started off after selling out his
business and investing a large portion
of his fortune in government bonds.
Jeffery wrote one letter home after
reaching San Francisco. and then moth
1,;,~ fOr. fxxyn -
came to see his wife and child, but was
a changed man. The gold fever had its
grip on him, and he only remained few
days and started for the desert again.
During the next eight years. accord
ing to an entertaining writer in the san
Francisco Call. he made only three brief
visits to his family in Louisville, and
on the last said that he had built them
a home near his mine and that they
should live there with him. He was sure
he had found the location of long-los
mountain Of gold and would soon De the
richest man in the world.
Mrs Jeffery did not like the peculiar,
nervous glare in her husband eye when
he was telling of his mines, and descrlo-
ing how an old Indian wizard had guid-
ed him to the right spot. But she was
southern woman with exalted idas of a
arations for departure without asking
any questions. Where he went 1t was
her duty to follow, she felt but her Wild
est imaginings and dread misgivings
never conjured up one hundredth part
of the hardships and dangers she was
doomed to pass through. She had visit
ed some of the coal mines in Indiana, and
thought, perhaps, her new home would
be somewhat similar. The influences
would not be desirable and the oppor-
tunities for the education and and train
ing of 10-year-old Carrie would be lack
ing, but as she had been told to buy any
thing she wished and take as much as
she wanted she felt that she could over
come many difficulties.
The trip across the continent and
down through California was novel and
pleasant, and when Los Angeles was
reached the anxious mother was feeling
more hopeful. AS great many house
hold articles were needed, Jeffery had
decided to buy them at Los Angeles and
make the rest of the journey by wagon.
1t was a ten days trip over seeming
ly endless miles of binding desert
wastes, and when a stone house. stand
ing close to a cliff on the edge of Death
Valley, was reached, the mother Was
nearly wild with fear.
The location of the house had been
carefully selected 1t was not far from
Furnace creek and about half a mile
from the road along the eastern side of
the valley. 1t was SO concealed behind
cliffs that it could not be seen from any
direction until one was quite close to it.
A thousand feet south of the house, just
within the mouth of a small canyon
was spring of good water bubbiine
among the hot rocks The house itself
was comfortable enough, but the sur
roundings were desolate in the extreme
No spot of green to rest the eve, no mat
n which 6iranffnr,
the white glaring sand of Death valley
and the distant mountains quivering
through the heat.
Mrs. Jeffery and Carrie had suffered
agonies on the trip and were nearly pros
trated. The awful heat and dry, burn
ing desert winds had cracked their lips
and their faces. and hands were swollen
and blistered The mother had expected
some sort of settlement and few ser
wants at least In both she was disap-
pointed, and even the teamsters went
away as soon as they had unloaded the
piles of household goods
1t was an awful day when mother and
daughter found themselves alone in the
cheerless house, with the hot wind whis-
Ting around it. But it was only the be-
ginning of eight long years of hardships.
Jeffery's mines We're in a wild canyon
about f1ve miles from the house, and he
spent most of his time there. F'reouent
When at home he seldom spoke and he
daily became more morose
Nothing that could be obtained was
wanting in the little household. Jefferv
made arrangements with a man at Kee-
lerto come to the house once a month
and bring such things as We're needed
and take orders for more. They had all
the delicacies that could be transported
to the region and also all of the latest
DOCKS and magazines. Jeffery felt that
II his wife and child were not happy il
was their own fault.
Mrs. Jeffery certainly made the best of
things, for she educated Carrie and kept
her dressed in pretty and becoming
clothes. Her method Of keeping the
house was as nearly like her own home
as the circumstances would permit For
the first three years she made no COM
plant of her distasteful lot and never
even wrote to her friends of the awfully
desolate place in which she lived But
when she saw Carrie growing up and be-
ing deprived of so many advantages OF
civilization she felt rebellious and ven
tured mild protest to her husband.