Nick Feck.

This is Nick Feck. 

Nick was born in Ohio around 1834. He moved to San Francisco and settled in 'the eastern part of the city' where he worked as a wheelwright. He got into trouble in 1863 when he was found, late at night, in a locked department store and was charged with attempted burglary. It turned out that nothing had been touched, he had simply got drunk and fallen asleep in the shop before closing time. He wasn't convicted.

He settled down, married a young Irish girl named Kate, wrought his wheels on Seventeenth Street, between Dolores and Church, and was recorded there in the 1870 census. It looks as if this photo might have been taken around marriage time?

Alas, the story doesn't have a happy ending. Nick died in the City Hospital of kidney disease ('albuminium') the following year (4 June 1871) ...

I wonder why his portrait is floating around on ebay ...

T

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