The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-02-02
CALIFORNIA &c.
CAMuLA Rancho, Jan. 2. 1874.


just at dark Tho little hotel had been
busy MS beehive all day, at least the
women in it. A new room had been pre-
pared and carpeted with tapestry carpet
for the ladies 1t gowed now with the
brilliant light of fire. place, and the dim.
mer one of a candle But the dance OK.
tended beyond the hotel into the new store
being fitted up by two German Jews from
Sonoma county. This was the hall, the
counters not yet in, though the shelves
were up, advertising the goods by the
goods themselves. AT about eight the
company began to arrive at the hotel and
little later the dancing began at the
ball. About sixty guests were present,
twenty four of them females. But two
sets could dance ut time, which helped
to keep the dancing lively. Among the
men, rather the most noticeable person
was the German, the active partner.
who was opening the store. lie treated
the girls to apples. danced round dances
with those who danced them, and in both
cases did it with conscious air One
little girl ia the company danced in and
out, like rivulet in a garden. She was
dressed with short print skirt. print basque
of darker shade, a red sash around her
waist, and two flowers, one of them red
dressed in plain blue. She had regular
features, and her hair fell in crispy waves
of gold
The chap who drove the stage in Ar-
IONA attended the dance, but Eat quietly
at one side. His eyes wero fixed and busy
for a time, then settled into a gleamy
look as if nothing of this was for him. His
history bad been a remarkable one. He
had run AWAY from home wheu ten
years old, and went as cabin boy on a
sail vessel from Baltimore to Liverpool.
Following The sea he had been to Liver
pool several times,to London, Hamburger,
Cronstadt, st Petersburgh. Antwerp, TO
Egypt, where he left the ship and visited
the "holy land, so called" Marseillos and
Leghorn, from which place he visited
Rome From Boston he sailed around
Cape Horn to Alaska, returned by tho
Sandwich Islands to San Francisco, and
striking inland, passed through this dis
trict into Arizona, and took service on the
mail stage, where pay is always expected
mostly and hardly any driver lasts more
than two years. He followed it for five,
was grazei by shot twice, lost one mail,
and was taken prisoner. The Apaches
burnt the letters. but adopted him into
the tribe, and he played Indian, until hav-
ing the confidence of his companions. be
found au opportunity to escape. Here
be was at twenty five pleased with the
country, and looking for job. But his
eye was level with his head, and DOUBT
less would find some new world to con.
quer. The landlord at he Santa Paula
hotel was from Illinois, and was very
intelligent and civil fellow.
started in the morning little after
nine an Indian youth saddled my horse
| overlook man in wagon, driving one
horse aud leading another. He was Il
blacksmith, camo with his father many
years ago to California from Missouri,
where be was born, hut his father had
cmigrated to Missouri from st j ohnsbury,
Vermont. Now he was IN his way to
San Bernardiuo, and thus far we have
jog ged on together. 1t was twenty miles
they told me to Camula's Ranch. The
ride has been through continuation, con
staDtly narrowing, OF the Santa Clara val.
ley We have forded the Santa Clara
river several times 1t is small stream
but clear. We have seen some willows,
and came by one little patch Of wheat OF
q thousand acres. Five hundred acres
or half OF it is up and fast dying, the
other fvc hundred no; yet sprouted. A
few days longer without rain will entirely
destroy the first. with loss Of from
1900 to 1000 dollars in labor and seed
The last will not sprout without rain, aud
then must run its chances like the other
One OF the bosses Of the concern confirm.
ed to ne the statement that they had had
but one good crop in four years. Toward
the end @! the valley are several houses
about equa to the average Ripton house,
comfortable enough
Santa Anna snuffed tbs promise OF this
ranch, coming TO 40 adobe house about
which was gathering OF Mexicans, their
horses being tied near by. Passing them
we turned to the right, crossed an ariif
cial run Of water, and stopped ut the first
sheds of the rancho. a boy took the
bride of my horse, but in removing the
saddle lost his hold aud frightened the
animal, which was stopped BY the Mexi
can horsemen, aud brought back to the
lad. IRON the sheds | walked to the
house 1t was low, built of adobe and
pastered. There was yard in front,
garden back OF it. The house is built
With piazzas on three sides of a square
Children were on the plurality plan, wo'
men in good numbers, all Mexicons in
language understanding the word for din.
ner but missing the word for room. The
dining room IS at tho left hand side of
the hall which passes through one wing 70
the garden Tho extension table seats
sixteen. For me there we're four kinds Of
meat, very good bread, and bottle Of
wiue.
The garden was explored alter dinner.
1t was irrigated, and hence it was green.
There we're oranges, hanging from the
trees, and lemons bending the limbs they
loaded. The garden was not large. but
was full Of tropical vegetation. From
the garden | went into an orchard OF al.
moHd, apple, peach md English walnut
trees Beyond this is the vineyard of
eighty acres, about 10000 vines the
vine in rows are very thrifty all carried
on with irrigation, without which all
would he failure. walked into the
wine house or cellar after leaving the or.
chard. 1t is low brick building, per-
haps hundred feet long filed with ranges
of barrels along tho floor The Castilian
who owns this property had arrived home
aud was here, but as he understood nei-
Their English nor Frenoh, my appeal for
a room might not have been comprehend