A Deserted Farmer and His Wayward Wife
A Klickitat County farmer appeals for information about his wife, who left their rural home for Portland, only to file for divorce citing cruelty.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The clerk of the state circuit court has received a communication from James E. Nelson, of Bickleton, Klickitat county, Wash., asking for information about his wife, Anna, who deserted him and came to Portland. They were married here last April, and went to Bickleton to live. It appears from the letter that Mrs. Nelson did not like country life and got homesick and decided to come to this city. She had a lengthy argument with her husband, after which she told him that she simply wanted to take a trip to Portland. After having been gone two weeks she wrote to him for money to pay her fare home, which he sent her. She did not return, but instead informed Nelson that she intended to sue for divorce. Mr. Nelson says he has given no cause for such action, and thinks she has been influenced by someone. Mrs. Nelson is rather pretty, about 25 years of age, and a native of Denmark. The records of the state circuit court show she has begun suit for divorce. The complaint alleges cruelty and inhuman treatment and declares that plaintiff was driven from home by her husband.
“Mrs. Nelson did not like country life and got homesick and decided to come to this city.”
This story highlights the gendered power dynamics of 1890s marriage, where rural isolation and the difficulty of legal proceedings made 'desertion' a common pivot point for family disputes. The tension between urban desire and rural life is a recurring theme in Pacific Northwest history.
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