St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-05-31
A California Rancho.

=
| stopped over night at large Mexican
rancho. the l.agIIna. IagIIna means
+ lake: the hous, stands. in fact. ut one
end of IL large fresh water lake. with
| mountains towering up on all sides.
The sheet is about four miles long and
three wide: it has IL border of perhaps
. half Il mile of arabic land on the side
which passed over. We got to Scmol
Ms house an hour before sunset and
f received ut once Il grave permission tU
, mS,ddlr nln' horses and remain oven
night. in Indian came up to take away
. the horses. which were turned into Il
pasture lot to shift for themselves: re
rrivimg a little barley in the evening
and next morning. ~ for ourselves.
We locked around with some curiosity .
for this was the first time | had had an
opportunity To see how the old Cali
+ tnrniauS of wealth live. ScmOI VI. i
rrputrd 10 POSSESS 10000 acres of land.
: He told lic that he had sold last fall.
l~UU Young colts. at - per head. He
owns several thousand sheep: a. to
cattle he could not tell me till after the
rodeo how many there were. The 70
doe Is the annual gathering of cattle.
when the owners in Il large district
drive all the stock into one great plain.
and each with his vacqucros picks out
his own cows, withdlawS them into a
separate herd. brands the calves which
innoccntly follow their mothers and
then turns the whole mass adritt again.
or in some cases drives tLem home to
his own land. Scnor VI. is therefore IL
man of substance he is man above
middle hight. little corpulent II
Years of age, IL little griZIed and grave
= with all the gravity of the Spaniard.
He politely invited lis into the house ::
hut seeing my inclination I" remain
out of doors. when Il magnificent sun
set WAS making rosy the western noun
tain tops. he graNell and silently
brought out chairs for us. As tor him
self. he leaned up against the house.
and looked at my curiosity with mild
contempt. | offered him :; rather good
cigar. whrreupom he became ii little
communicative. He had worked hard.
he said. but he was now getting old and
took it easy.
Gould he find a grizzly bear for me
in the mountains >" well. yes. he
could but he was not fond ot grizzly
bears one had come down among Il
flock of his sheep. Il mile off. the might
before. but the herder had driven it OF :;
il w.S Il bad beast he used to hunt
them when he wis Nounger, but now
and he shrugged his shoulders. "leS.
he had Indians" seeing me look at
several who were >kylarking about the
place. catching each other with las>o>
they ale useful people not good
iol much" he added, but quiet : he
paid them Sl5 month, and they
bought what they needed at his store.
: lou must understand that. i'll California
parlance. Il man has" Indians. but he
lis in sheep, or cattle, or horses. |
remarked that the Laguna w;S II lovely
piece of water. lies. he said. lit
will do" with another shrug. He had
IL boat. but nobody took care of ii. and
il rottcd away. \ flock of wild ducks
took advantage of this circumstance to
sail about under our Hoses. at such Il
prudent distance from the shore as
made il mere murder for me to shoot
them. for should have had to swim
out To get what had shot. | looked
into his garden. where he had half an
acre of Young grape vines. two or three
dozen Young apple and orange trees.
and Il small orchard of Young English
waluut>. set ont much too clo>, togeth-
.cr. | undrrtook Ia admire this modcr-
ate collection in horticulture. where
upon ut last the grave Spamiard rclent-
cd Il little. "lr>. he said. with il mild
Shruy. lit is very we'll the garden is
grow ing: il is not much but | am CON
tcnt, we'll satisfied. What do
want more ," he asked with kind of Il
grave Scurn: Il am we'll : | have
enough; | owe muh0dN money if any
body comes to buy of me hc must bring
. me the money in his hand" Here Don
NJ coImtvmaucc looked Il little impla
cable. II am not afraid To die. he
. added. ''nuly don't want to lie sick.
MuN contcnlc. he repeated. i'll his gen
tie and careless voice several times. to
impress it upon my ears. which are
| mIdccu>tnmrd :" Spanish.
Presently. hrr being made upon
the hearth in the eitting-room. and
. night falling upon us i'll that noi>elc>,
WAY with which the dark comes on III
. this country. where no chipping or hum
ming insects are heard. We walked IN
: and sat down. And now Nou shall hraI
- how tins rontented man of great wcalt
: lived. The house WAS ot adobe, which
as NOu know. Is Il Slin-dricd brick. II
. was uhonw. and contained three rooms
: The front room WAS the store OF shop
where he dealt out Caliroe~. sugar. cot
/ fee. and other dry goods and groceries
1 besides grape brandy. to his Indian,
| and ANY others who chose to come. The
T. next room. which had no windows. con
. tanned two beds. in which his thrc,
% Young boys slept. Ii contained. also
. the material for the family sewing. and
/ Il closet The third room, which held
e. Senor Ms bed and Il fireplace. wa,
Y also our dining-rOOm and here, pres
= emily. coarse but clean cloth was
% spread and three women and littl,
t girl began to lay the table and serve
A the supper. At one side of the house /;
Il small room had been built on for /;
Il kitchen: opposite to that was Il capa-
t ciouS store room in which hung ''carnt
| seco,' .jerked beef, from the ratters
e bloody sheets of meats, which look un
d tit to eat. but make Il savory stew
Il while on the floor two OF three youn.
t. lambs were confined, which by and b,
II succeeded in getting out, and cam'
d bleating into the dining room, ii quite
II startling spectacle to us, but evidentl,
e indulged playthings. Beyond the hous
l. itself. about ID feet distant, was ella,
d oven for baking bread, covered owe
e with raw bulls hide, the hairy sid,
downward, intended to keep the to-
II dry in case of rain, and beyond this,
te few feet further off, making the boun
e Diary of what western people call thei
It yard" WAS il range of open shanties
which on riding up | had innocent
H. taken for cattle sheds. Here, close t