Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-06-04
CALIFORNIA CORRESPONDENCE
Los RCalEs. MAR Los ANGELES.
March c6, 1874

T~enty-eight years ago General Geo.
S,oneman. then = Lieutenant in the Uni
ted States army. camped with his COM
msnd. after days march. upon the spo,
which he is nov converting into one Of
she most beautiful estates in California
To use his own language. the site which
he has chosen IS his homestead was "his
Srst love--ihas is TO say. so far as re.
CARDS his choice for home. More fortu.
nate than most men. he has lived 10 rca-
lire bis dreams: aud his selection does in
Unite credit TO his taste. lie purchased
originally some Eve hundred acres. paw.
Ing then for IL an average price Of $50
Per acre. lie has DISPOSED Of about one
hundred acres in small tracts at 500 pei
acre. aud the same land cannot be bonght
to-day icr less than SIbO per acre. The
four hundred acre. remaining he has
named lbs Rohles." the generic Span
ish for [" The Oaks" a beautiful natural
park of which skirts the southern bonn
dairy of b.. lands. which form a portion
Of the old Gallardo grant formely known
ss ''Pa-qualitos." A long and agreea-
hle rsnble. accompanied rs vas BY the
General. over the entire estate led ,ne to
the conclusion that he was the fortunate
owner Of the most beautiful property I
had seen in the county; but subsequent
similar tours Of observation over other
estates IN this section has convinced me
ths, am in region where a maj. has no
business whatever 20 concern himself in
the !eas, about degrees Of comparison. since
he can 20 in no direction without finding
fresh miracles oflovsliness unfolding them.
selves in ever varying forms ut every
step he takes. alverted in y former
letter to "a bosky dell'' which lay to th.
north Of his residence, and spoke Of
"a burnie ~imrliu' doon the dell
Your comPcsi,or made it appear that
"a burriei bocmpled. - etc,
Ieaw M " 5urriel' on the place. (noi
escn . Lsrro) and heard nothing "bcom.
ple." so there must have been q mistake.
bot a is an old saying that mistakes viii
occur. Isurpcsc nv ehirocrarhy vas q,
fault. This ssme bosky dell is one Of the
lc~clie.t uoeks imaginable. Ii i. is no.
Ike ,hs. green nook" spoken Of in
"Fessus."
'Shasea by Lareh and HOrnbeam, Ash and
Yew,"
il il nevertheless % mantied with the yer.
aure Of the indigenous trees Of this sec.
tion as 10 make il "a most 6t place for
mu.ing men" asd ~ il Gill be. when the
carriage drives and walks. which will in
due time follow its picturesque and irregu.
Jar course, - charming . retreat rs can be
imazincd. Numbcrless perennial springs
keep the stream which winds through its
6asky shade Of even Gov and temperature
throughout the year; 60 | have previously
in,iua ua,ed IL is General Stoneman's inten-
sicn 10 stock it thoroughly with trout, The
rrs~svcir into which is debouehes. deep.
dask locking ,arp where iu duo time the
Black Eass Of the Eastern lakes will End
themselves domes,icated. The prcseu,
supply Of water obtained from the spring.
snd ,srcsms alluded &c. sncsn,s to abcu,
eco. coo gallons daily aud can be increased
slmcss iade6nissly. Compared with some
o,her estate. in this neighbcraood in some
particulars. at least. "los Robles" is bu,
In the infancy st its productive capacities.
Nevertheless. it is not idle. There are
% she place lOo. 200 vines in Fall bear
log. cne hundred full bearing grange trees
aud nearly one hundred walnut trees.
TIE vineyard is being rapidly enlarged
By planting choice foreign varieties. His
yosng crarge. lemon aud and lime or.
chara. erbraces about 200 trees, to
which new additions are be;ng made each
year. Upon the place are also to be
fesud sgs. pomegrani,es. olives. six Va.
rir,ies Of apples. Eve Of pears. three oi
prschcs. four Of plums. cherries. necta-
Sines. almcads. spriecss. citron aud sev.
srsl varieties Of berries. The General
l. also experimenting si,h bananas. qua.
vss and tanarinds. His vegetable gar.
dco. moreover. without which no home
ought TO be considered complete. shows .
eoodiy asser,mens Of those homely bu,
sseealsat adjsness Of the table Of thrift.
q hsssr wife.
The vintage Of '.Los Rsbles" amour.
tea lsss year 10 about 10000 gallous o
~ine ssd prspossisaa,e amount o. bran.
dr.. Geseral S,oacman having 10 eou,'
Hsoce ab isifio in the construction Of I
vine press ssa dissillery. selected = ioca
siou in which be. Co use his own express