Daily camera., 1897-07-30
A RACE WITH DEATH.
The Strange Case in a San Fran
cisco Court.
How n Wealthy Californian Beat the
Grim Messenger by q Small
Margin and Won
His Suit.

When Thomas NJ Quackenbush
proved that he had not married a sec
ond time his life work was ended, and
his vitality was exhausted.
But for this unusual litigation that
came to harass him after he had passed
IS years of age, Mr.. Cuackenbush would
have been but little known in the com
munity He wass quiet accumulator
of money from rents and interest. \
man usually gains attention more from
money lie spends than from none, he
boards, aad as spending was little to
Quackenbush's taste, he was almost a
recluse in his roomy house at Oil Web
ster street.
He had the genius for finance. lie
used to tell with gusto of his first earn
ings in California. He arrived in San
Francisco in 1S49, and left the vessel
about nine o'clock in the evening with
out one cent to pay for food or bed.
But he had a package containing $50
copies of the New York Herald of the
date of his departure. He cried the
papers on the street, and before he
sought place to sleep he had sold every
paper for one dollar a copy. This $3.50
was the beginning of his capital.
He was a good carpenter and had
abundant enterprise and suggestive
ness. Mechanical skill was readily sal
able in San Francisco in 1S49, and
Quackenbush soon was taking con-
tracts for building houses, for pumping
water from cellars, for excavations and
for filling. All his contracts were
profitable. and in two or three years he
was in such financial condition that he
returned to Schenectady, n. Y, for his
wife and baby daughter. While he was
there his wife was killed by a fall from
horse. The widower brought his child
to San Francisco and resumed his busi-
ness, occasionally making investments
in lots, but never making purchase that
brought loss to him. As money grew
he loaned it on the best security. Twen-
ty years ago he bought the property at
the northeast corner of McAllister
and Polk streets. Among other enter
prises by which he gained money in
early days was providing benches for
the circuses that came hither, and for
many years he continued to be pur-
veyor of seats for tent shows.
His possessions reached some $780,
600. Practically all of his property was
conveyed to his daughter several
months ago This transfer was not the
result of the litigation with Mrs. Abb
bott, so his attorney, E. j. Pringle, says.
For long time it was Mr.. Quacken-
bush's purpose to transfer his posses
sions to his daughter while he yet lived,
and the deeds that were filed in Novem-
Der last were drawn even so long ago as
January, 1896. This daughter, Mrs.
Swortfguer, and her two children are
the only surviving relatives on this
coast.
1t was in September or October last
that Mr.. Quackenbush, rs years of age,
and breaking down in health, learned
that Mrs Nancy A. Abbott, woman
who had conducted boarding house at
which he had lived was declaring her
self his wife, He determined to prevent
any of his property reaching her, and
Immediately he brought suit to adjudge
that she was not his wife. She re-
torted with a suit for maintenance. The
attorneys for Quackenbush fastened
the suit to trial, that judgment mfght
be obtained before he should die. Here
was the strangest race ever run with
death.
In each of the two suits Judgment was
given in his favor. That last paper
was filed one Saturday. The next morn
inc about one o'clock death came.
Quackenbush had won by day.-San
Francisco Chronicle.