Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-02-26
THE BELLE OF MONTEREY.

THE Monterey of twenty-five years ago
was vastly different town from the Mon
terey of to-day. The silent streets, now
the almost exclusive property of geese,
cows, and nomadic hogs, then echoed to
the ringing hoofs of the gayly-attired ca5aL
Ler0'S horse; the uniform of the English
and American naval Differentiated with
the staid black mantilla of the pretty senOr-
eta: the guitar tinkled on mOOnlit nights
under the lattice of the dark-eyed belle
and the romance of Spanish life mingled
with the hustle and activity of prosper
Gus seaport town. Now, an untenanted
harbor, a mass of halfruined, unoccupied
buildings, and drowsy air of neglect
and indifference constitute the modern
Monterey Still, the roses and the tall
hollyhocks cling lovingly to the adobe
walls, and peep in through the low win
dows; but the blushing, olive-cheeked
girls that offered them to the lounging
wooers at the garden gates twenty-five
years ago have grown into dOwdy ma
irons, wrinkled by family cares, or else
sleep peacefully in the old graveyard,
whose margin is washed by the spring
tides, which, knowing no change, muir
muir yet as of old on the crescent
beach
With all its dreary sOmnolence, there
is charm about this old town, sitting
like some sad widow by the sea, mourn
ing the commerce which has deserted
her, and yet, in all her grief, EnoCh Ar
den like, hoping and waiting for a sail,
and seeing
1.-THE great stars that glebed themselves in
heaven,
The MISUNDERSTANDING ocean, and again
The scarlet shafts of sunrise-but no sail"
Slowly in the bay sunk the evening
sun on the gath of December, 1S48.
Across the waters streamed its last golden
and purple rays, glistening on the wet
sands, tenderly shimmering through the
branches of the oaks that stood in the
old Spanish graveyard, and disappearing
among the pines that sentineled the hill
tops in the background.
Maria Ignacia Gomez, as the dng6laLs
bell rung out from the Mission church,
crossed herself devoutly, for a moment
negleCting the rOse-vine that climbed to
the red-tiled roof of her low, long dwell
ing And as she stood in the garden,
with crossed hands and large brown eyes
uplifted, her black shawl dropping from
her graceful shoulders, and her red lips
moving in prayer, a painter could desire
no better model for a Madonna or an
Evangeline, for her face had all the
sweetness of the one, with the resigned
expression of patient waiting of the other.
A sour-looking, querulOus face appeared
at the deep window
Come here, Maria; tits supper time"
eyes, aaadre MIA" and Maria, securing
the cratic vine to a nail in the adobe
wall, entered the house.
Ten wears before the date of our story,
when Maria's sweet wOmanhoOd was at
its dawn, for many mile rode in the
youth of the southern country to catch a
glimpse of and exchange a word with the
belle of Monterey. A rosebud from her
fingers was rare gift, to be careful! ~ pre-
served and worn with pride, and kind
glance from her brown eyes sent the re-
cipient back to his rancho on the Salinas
q happy man. Never a cloud rested on
that calm, earnest face, nor passion found
moments harbor in her breast. But at
last her sorrow came, in this wise:
In June, 1888, the stout ship Delight
furled her canvas and dropped her anchor
in the Bay of Monterey She was owned
by the great Hudson's Bay Company, and
was bound north to drain the posts of the
company on the Frazer and Col
umbia rivers of the valuable furs which
LAY III bllCli SJOl llC SupCI-
cargo of the Delight, James GilmOur,
was son of the Vice President OF this
opulent corporation, and showing a posi-
tive disinclinatiOn for each and all Of the
learned professions, and expressing a
hearty contempt for the humdrum life of
Europe, had been sent by his father to the
Pacific shores, to drink his fill of the adj
ventures for which he thirsted. He was
youth Of a singular force of character,
very undemonstratIve, and possessing
some decided opinions of the diEettd11te
lite of the wealthy youth of Great Brit
ain which had won for him in his uni
versity days the title of THE Radical"
The unanimous verdict of the jury of old
wise-heads to whom Gilmour, Sc
Nor, had appealed for an opinion
of his sons character was, that James
was talented, but odd-an eccentric
young man, in fact-who, unless travel
tempered him down, would never be an
acquisition TO the merchant office within
whose dusty precincts his father had
amassed a bulky fortune SO James
found himself aboard the Delight, an
chored in the Bay of Monterey, and
though nOminally supercargo, really in
that tangled maze of a young man in pur
suit of vocation.
Captain Brown" said Gilmour, afiel
that worthy seaman had squared the yards
TO his satisfaction, got his fancy waist
cloths at the Sangway, and inspected the
f1tting-on of the good clothes" which ;
merchant vessel dons in port-''do yor
know any of the inhabitants of this odd
looking village on the hilIside?"
"'Villager Mr.. Gilmour l pray yor
don't call this a village. This is city
sir-the first city in California-and if
mi take not" continued the Captain
"yonder at the custom-house stands thu
dlcdIde, hospitable gentleman to whom
our company is indebted for many
fayOrs"
A few moments afterward, both speak
ers were heartily greeted by that official
who, as soon as the boats keel grated OF
the sand, welcomed them to Mon
terey.
Among the many young and pretty
Spanish girls whom Gilmour met il
Monterey was Maria Ignacia. a spirit o
rivalry induced him to throw himsel
into the lists with the Spanish gallant
who strove for the fair Maria's smiles
He was more than successful. The dit
ference of his manner, his rec1tals o
adventure in Europe, and descriptions o
the grand places of history were some
thing so novel to Maria, so totally differ
ent from the stereotyped compliments
her wooers, that she found charm II
his society which, in her innocence, sh
cared not to conceal. But the end cam
at last. The Delight was to proceed north