Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-06-04
CALIFORNIA CORRESPONDENCE
Los RoBLEs. NEAR Les AxesiEs.
March &c, 1874

Twenty years ago General Geo.
Sioncman. then Lieutenant in the Uni
ted States army. campcd with his COM
nand. after days march. upon the spot
which be is now converting into ono Of
The most beautiful estates in California
To use his own language. the site which
be has chosen as his homestead vas "his
first love"-,ha, is TO say. so far rs re-
CARDS his choice for home More fortu-
nase than mos, mon. he has lived to rca-
Eae bis dreams: and his selection does in
finite credit to his taste. He purchased
originally some FIVE hundred acres. pay
ing then for it an average price Of $50
per acre. He has disr oscd of about ono
hundred acres in surall tracts at 500 per
acre. ard the yamc land canuo, be bong ht
to-day Tor less tian $50 per acre The
four bundled acres remaining he has
named Los Rohlcs." the generic Span
ish for d" The Oaks" a beautiful natural
park of which skirts the southern boun-
Diary Of his lands. which form n portion
sf the old Gallardo grant tormely known
ss "Pasgualiios." A long aud agrcea.
ble rau.blc. accompanied as was by the
Genera. over the entire estate led me to
the conclusion that he was the fortunate
owner Of the most beautiful property |
bad sccR in the county; but subsequent
similar tours Of observation over other
estates in this section has convinced tne
that | am in region where man has no
business whatever 10 concern himself in
L.. tnums - y e -,
he can 60 in no direction without finding
fresh miracles e:lov, liness unfolding them.
eclvcs in ever varying forms at every
step he takes. aavcr,ed in former
letter TO "a tosky dell" which lay TO the
north Of his residence. and spoke Of
a. burnie wimpin' doom the dell"
Your comrOsi,or made it appear that
"a buuiel boompled," ETC., II
1.aw 10" burriel" on the place. (not
even 5mro) and heard nothing .'bcom-
ple." so there must have been mistake,
bu, il is an old saying that mistakes will
occur. suppose my chirorraPhy was at
fault. This cane tosty dell is one OF the
ioveliest hooks Imaginable. Ii it is no.
Ike that green nook" spoken Of in
"Ecs,us."
''Shaded BY Lareh and liornbeam, Ash and
Yew,''
ID 10 nevertheless so mantled with the vcr-
dure Of the indigenous trees of this Sec
ton rs to make it "a most ft place for
musiug men" aud as it will be, when the
carriage drives and walks. which will in
due time follow lie picturesque and irregu-
lar course, as charming a rstrcat as can be
imagined. Numberless perennial springs
keep The stream which winds through its
dusky shsic Of even flow and temperature
throughout the year; as l have previously
intimated il is General Stoneman's inten-
ton TO stock it thoroughly with trout. The
reservoir into which il debouche.. deep.
dark looking tarn where in duo time the
Black Eass of the Eastern lakes will find
themselves do,nesticated. The present
supply Of water obtained from the springs
aud streams alluded to. amounts to abou,
500. 600 gallons daily and can be increased
almost indefinitely Compared with some
other estates in this neighborhood in some
particulars, at least, ..Los Robes is but
In the infancy OF its productive capacities
Nevertheless. il Is not idle. There are
on the place 100, 900 vines in full bear
ire, one hundred full bearing orange trees
aud nearly one hundred walnut trees.
The vineyard is being rapidly enlarged
By planting choice foreign varieties. His
soung orange, lcu,cn aud aud lime or
ehard. embraces about 200 trees, Ia
which new additions are being made each
pear. Upon the place are also to be
found 6gs, pomegranites. olives. six va
ricsies Of apples, Eve Of pears. three Of
peaches, four Of plums, cherries, nec,a.
fines, almonds. apricots. ci,ron and sew
ssal varieties Of berries. The General
b also experimenting with bananas. qua
sss and tamarinds. His vegetable gar
den. moreover, without which no home
euehs to be considered complete, shows a
eoodly assortment OF those homely bat
succulens adjanc,s Of the table Of q thrift.
o. hossewife. t
The vintage Of "Ios Robles" amour.
tsa last year to about 20.0O0 gallons ol
Wins aud q proportionatc amount Of BRAN
sdy. General Ssenemsn having 10 eom-
4enec a6 inifio in the construction of q
Wiue press aud dis,illery, sclcs,sd loca.
ton in which be. to use his own expres.
sion, .. determined to make steam power
.asd the power Of gravita.ion do all that