The mountain Democrat., 1865-06-17


the Age OF 1OB.
One Of the celebrities Of Spanish CAT.
fornia is the immense and beautiful grape
vine now growing at the Monteeito, two
or three miles below Santa Barbara, on
the road to San Bunenaventura. The
planter Of this vine was Dona Marcellina
Fcliz &c Dominguez, wife Of the old SOL
dier, Jose Marie Domiuguez, who came up
to Alta California with one Of the earliest
expeditions from Sonora, before 1880, and
who were always esteemed an honest and
Industrious old couple among the most re-
spectacle Of the native families and for.
eigners in the country prior to 1884. The
old woman related that she was born at
Cosala, q town in Sinaloa, south Of Culia-
can, and ever since the foundations Of
Santa Barbara preside and Mission, 1882
--17S6, bad been an inhabitant Of that
vicinity. The great grape vine which is
SO often talked of in books and newspapers
for the last thirty years, she uniformly
stated was planted by her over, sixty-five
years ago, from slip which she cut from
the young vineyard at San Antonio Mis-
sion, in Monterey county, for horse whip;
and on arriving at the hot springs Of the
San Miguel, finding it fresh and spouting,
she determined 70 preserve it and plaDtit
so soon sShe could get permission from
the COmmandant at Santa Barbara, which
was done, as nearly as could be ascertain
ed from her failing memory, about the
year 1896. Her husband had got permis-
sion to make small garden near the warm
springs of Montecito, favorite place for
the washerwomen Of the new settlement
Of Santa Barbara, and here she planted it
on the edge of a knoll, expecting after SO
long journey to see it die. But to her
surprise it Immediately took root ard be-
gan to bud and leaf, and from careful at
tenticn, before she died it was made to
produce more than any known grape vine
in oil America, North or South. Between
1850 ard 1860, it had been trailed over
some eighty feet in circumference with o
trunk twelve inches in diameter, rising
clean fifteen feet high from the ground.-
Some years il has grown over 5000 bunch.
es of Iipe and sound grapes, or close on to
5000 pounds, and became the wonder of
every resident or sojourner in that part OF
California. And what is more, for the last
thirty years it has principally maintained
the old woman and her numerous family.
She always for long years mace her OVID
wine from her own grapes, maintaining
that her wine was good for soul and body,
and better than other wines, or all the cold
water or aguardiente that ever flowed
After planting the grape cutting, the land
was often troubled with drouth, which
caused her to conduct the neighboring
warm spring across the root of the vine
near her house, and it is supposed that the
mineral water has had something to do
with its well known luxuriance, fruitful.
ness and vigor. Though she planted q
small vineyard close by, none bore such
uniformly good fruit as the Para Grande,
as it is called by the natives. Prof Sill.
man, when he visited it last year, said be
had never heard Of such an immense grape
vine in any other country, which is say
ing a great DEAL as be hOs travelled much
in Southern Europe. Exaggerated stories
make it over 100 years old, but the truth
is it was not planted till several years af.
ter the foundation, in 1856, of Santa Bar.
bara MisSion-that is, as nearly as can be
ascertained, in 1896. Here the old couple
lived and raised numerous progeny of
IA children-T Sons and daughters-and
in 1865, before the mother died, had given
to California not less than 300 descend
ants, including grand, great-grand, and
great reat-grandchildren, many of whom
survive her. She left one son, Jose, SO
years old, who was not so rugged as his
mother for many years, and has grand
children.
On Wednesday, the 9th of May current,
the old lady, after three or four yenrs of
declining health, died at her own house,
where she had lived for over 65 years,
surrounded by her children and grand
children. Up to 1861 her memory was
very good, and she used to nmuse her
friends with accounts of the early timesi in
California, as she remembered Padre Ju-
Dipero and the earliest officers and mis-
siOnary priests. Her husband died about
1S45, and he was said to be nearly 100
years old when he expired. He married
his wife when she was only IA. They |
were always much respected by the old |
officers of the king and 'the nation or re-
publica," for their kindness and good cen
duct Tho family lived in one place pro-
badly longer than any other in the Oldest |
settled part of the State, and every one
passing by, with day to passeur, always
paid La Vieja de Ia Grande Para n visit.
and were kindly received. She was buried |
on the 1lth of May, at the old cemetery |
Of Santa Barbara Mission. The venerable
Father Gonzalez, whC attended her in her
last mon:cmts, and had known her since
1884, calculated that she could not be less
than 1O2 years old, as she not only had
children when the Mission was founded in
1885, and had son aged 88, born in San
to Barbara, but had been married many
years previous. Many assert. however,
that she was not less than 105 yeurs old.
A few days only before the old lady
died, Mr. Vischer Of San Francisco, who
was then in the neighborhood sketching
the old Missions Of the country, was taken
by friend to see her, and took an excel
lent sketch of Marcellina de FeilE, as she
used TO be called from her maiden name,
and her celebrated grape vine; so that
much Of good wholesome California anti
quity is saved for future generations The
gentleman referred to has filled his sketch
book with many valuable memorials Of the
South in his late tour, and deserves much
credit from all those interested in the bis.
tOrical Chronicles of the California past
that is, the past before the Golden Epoch.
He had the good luck to fall In with an
old Indian at San Fernando Mission of the r
juvenile age of ia, whom he transferred
to his sketch boOk.-[Bulletin.
CANDLEs.-The origin of candles is OBJ
scure. They -Wsrs ,frst used to light ca
thedrals and churches, and were made Of