Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-08-16
lCorrespondence of ola Cronica.ol

Correspondence of "I.a Cronlca."l
EDITOR LA CRoNICA:-As per prom
Use, l herewith forward you another of
my spicy letters, as some newspapers
who take the trouble to copy them are
pleased to term them; but allow me
first to correct an error. My last let
ter was not dated July 25th as the Los
Angeles HERALD and Santa Barbara
PRES published, and as the original in
La CrOnicu can testify.
On the 18th of last month quite q
calamity befell this city; Madame l..
Raffour, wife Of the proprietor of the
Occidental hotel, died about 10 A. NJ,
from the effects of childbirth. The
flags in town were all at half-mast
during the day, and hardly anything
else was talked of but the sudden de-
cease of lady so well loved and es-
teemed among all who knew her, hav-
ing lived many years in Santa Bar
bara and been the author of many
kind and charitable acts in her life
time. Your correspondent knew her
long before she was married and
speaks from experiences; he condoles
with her husband in the great loss he
has sustained, and echoes the senti-
ment of all Santa Barbarians when he
says, "May God keep him and his or
phan children in His keeping, and
may her soul rest in peace"
The funeral was announced to take
place next day at 3 p. NJ. At the APP
pointed hour the casket containing
the body was placed in the hearse,
and the funeral cortege started. One
solitary mourner followed the hearse.
1t was Mr.. Raffour. His silent but
terrible grief was visible to all. Next
followed deceased's brother, Mr.. Emil
PomieT, y tE;cse sorrow knew no bounds,
and in order of procession the knights
of Pythias, with forty-eight carriages
following. Services were held in the
Catholic Church, after which we ac-
companied the remains to the ceme-
terry for interment.
On the 14th, as ] was sauntering
along De la Guerra street, on my way
to Mr.. Packard's vineyard, 1 met an
old friend, Mr.. William Breck. l
thought it was very good opportu
nifty for another pioneer investigation,
and here is the result:
Mr.. Breck was born in Boston,
Mass, on the 18th Of March, 1900. He
is a medium-sized man, with beard as
white as snow, and looks as though
he had been considerably knocked
about in the world. In 1880 he found
himself in Oregon; but it must have
been too cold for him there,
for the same year he wandered
down to Yerba Buena; but as
no gold had been discovered in
those primitive days, and being tired
of roaming about he thought of going
home. He soon shipped on board of a
tune turned against him and he was
Though cast away, but nothing daunt-
and instead of going home, turned Ka-
naka for while, and in 1887 returned
to California and settled in Santa Bar
bara, where he married and has re-
manned ever since. He is the happy
father of about n dozen children, and
the old woman, Mrs. Breck, thinks the
number will yet increase.
Three of his sons, Edward, William
and Joseph, are in the newly discov-
cred quicksilver mines, thirty miles
from here, where they have claims.
/ recently made q trip to those regions
in their company, and in my next will
give you an account of my adventures
there, what l saw and what [ did; and
being well acquainted with the district
will give you some reliable data, not
like the Chronicles "LandGrabbers
at Work." which springs from disap-
pointed spectators who were baff1ed
in their endeavors to gobble up the
Los Prietos y Najalayegua grant.
Au revoir, COLORADO.