New-York tribune., 1872-05-11

schools and they have everywhere the reputation OF De-
ing very quick to learn In several schools when nave
visited American and Mexican children attend together
but for the most part while the American children az
auire Spanish the others retain only their own tongue
In many cases 10 IL necessary carry on the school IN
Spanish; the teacher very commonly, in these southern
counties understands both languages; and Is not un
usual for the children to talk at play IN Spanisn
during the recess aud returning 70 the scnooFFoom %
sing tog ether, and with surprising readiness Ny
Cuntrv its Of Thee" or other American song TIC
return 20 our supper Ny host W his cigar before he left
the table and, indeed he did not walt until haa Hor
with my own supper; and we smoked while the tapN
cleared away. The principal vaeqnero' so~
oranian, as they here call the natives OF the hexi
can Province Of sonora-they call person from
Texas Texanan-came later for bF supper
and meanwhile we talked about tine school
ing OF the boys, who very ingenious AUG
kindly. though evidently much ndHiged youngsters
"Yes," their father said they shall be- taught; tiey
learn we'll have enough for them they shaD D0 Woh
with their hands as did, they shall labor with their
heads. When they larger shall send them 20 q
school; and when they are young l mean to pui
them into a Jew store. where they will quickly Learn
how to trade. 1 mean TO make men Of them" be
said with pride. You win laugh at his way
of making OF them but after all he had fol
it. Twenty years ago the countrymen Of this maj
owned the whole OF California; the land the cattle, and
horses and sheep theirs To-day, the majority Of
them are poor fact, very few retain even part Of
their old possessions. They were not business mem
they liked to live of and they found II easy
borrow money, TO obtain anything else on credit
They know nothing of interest; even Senior w. to-day
probably bures his con or hides II away In some secure
place. As for the most OF his fellow landowners In the
old tme they squandered their money they borrowed
at two, three and five per cent a month; they were
ready to have their notes renewed when they ie que
and borrow top OF them; aud Is said OF them
that 1t was perfectly safe to lend them money for they
would pay, II to pay ruined them
CURIOUS PEOPLE.
OF course IL dd ruin them. One great landhoder in
Los Angeles County when his settling day came, was
confronted among multitude Of other accounts, VIII
bakers bill for ss,OO0 He paid al-but his children
are poor people to-day. On the other hand the country
| merchants with whom they chiefly deal, are Jo"s
They abound all over California and are justly respected
as a highly honorable. fair-deang, and pubiesprited
class and their thrift and prosperity strikes men like
| Senior NJ as something very admirable and enviable.
The style OF living poor and mean as 1t looks TO u.s.
which have above described is that usual among tue
old Spanish Californian population. Their food Is
chiefly beef carG seco" dried beef beans, toras,
which are wheaton cakes, shape Ike Scotch
| scones and coffee senor NJ. being care
| full man. had a cow milch-
COW. His house had wooden floor but In Santa Bar
bara the last Mexican LieutenantGovernOr lived IN an
| adobe house with mud floor, and he was a man OF
wealth and intelligence. Earthen floors were almost
universal in the old times and so yet, indeed Curl
os tales are told Of the improvidence OF the old Cali
fornans Ia their last days. When the Americans from
the East rushed into the country the discovery OF
gold cattle suddenly became valuable for their meat
before then only their hides were sold; and have my
self, in 1S47, in Monterey, seen fat steer
sold for 60, to the ships butcher who Later
sold the hide tor dollar thus receiving the whole ear
cass for only ST. The Yankee demand for beef made the
catteowners suddenly rich, and they made haste 10
| spend what they 50 easily got Saddles trimmed with
solid silver spurs Of gold, brides with silver chains
were among fancies OF the men, and lady ia Santa
| Barbara amused by describing the old adobe
| houses, with earthen floors covered with costly
rugs; four-post bedsteads with the cOstliest Lace
curtains, and these looped up with lace again !;
and the seora and seoritas dragging trains of massive
silk and satin over the mud floors. II must have been
| an odd mixture Of squalor and splendOr An adobo
house. matter what the wealth condition OF the
Californian who lives in it, is simply long range OF
rooms. 1t is story high, has piazza roof in 'front.'
an earthen floor, usual ceiling, tile roof and each
room, or all but in houses where there are
| grown and unmarried daughters, has door
| opening on the verandah. One room, at the
end Of the long row. has no outward door, and only a
narrow window In this room IL customary for re-
spectacle people in town like Los Angeles TO lock up
their unmarried but marrageabe daughters about sun
SET to them from the temptation Of young men
custom which, curiousy enough did not prevent we'd
dnss To return to the Laguna Outside OF the pangs
which inclosed the house. the Indian quarters the little
orchard and pasturefed roamed cattle and horses at
| their own sweet will. At night 20 80 horses
| were driven into a large corral, from which
| the yacqueros chose their beasts the next morning
! We smoked and talked until nearly Q, by which time
this excellent family gaped fearfuy that proposed
to retire, and Immediately shown into the store,
where mattress spread for each Of us the oor,
our own blankets and overcoas serving us for covers
Ventilation found the roof Afforded and 1t nearly
- before the Indians Deghbors ceased their chat
tering and singing They began again at A. and by 81
before dayhghtI arose and found these spirits
sitting around the fire. talking.
We breakasted little before !, and then went out on
the great common TO two vacqueros lasso wild
bull. They very neatly separated the animal from the
herd drove it at full tilt toward and when 1t threat
ened down. whizz went the ridtd, and though
looked with all my eyes, nothing except that the
| animal stopped in mid career, and tumbed over as
though IL shot Thereupon the vacquero coOy got
OF his horse first winding the end Of the rda about the
pommel of his saddle, and thereupon I the most
curious part of the whole business The horse,
pony stood with his fore legs planted firmly and very
knowing look in his Presently the bull began to
struggle he managed by sudden motion, TO raise him
self haferect but the horse quietly took step back
ward tightened the rope and down went the bull help
| less. This was repeated several times, till did not
know which most to admire, the horse the who
had so thoroughly taught IL. G. N.
|
| THE BROOKLYN PRoNUNCIAMENT0"
| To fbs Edif0r of The Tribune.