Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-09-28
Letter From Southern California.
TRIP TO THs SAN JACINTO MOUNTAINS.

NJ. IL
SAN JAcINIo MOUNTAINS, Cal. Sept. 1871
To the Editor Of the Free Press AMI Times.
Our way is up, up, up, over hills covered
with boulders of the most fantastic shapes,
and piled and heaped about in the strongest
manner. When near the summit Of the
range, we came upon a clear, cool spring,
bubbling out from under the rocks, refresh
ing to behold, both to man and beast,
after toiling up the hills under the fierce
midday sun. Bpt We could not drink OF
the waters, they were so strongly impres-
mated With sulphur and as there was no tree
to cast into the waters to sweeten it, as in
Marah, we were obliged to 20 on with the
question unanswered, what shall we
drink, :" At last We make a grand rush
down. und enter broad valley carpcted with
green grass, which affords pasturage for
large herds of cattle; and the tending OF
them, employment to quite settlement OF
Indians We camped not far from village
of considerable size, and had but well set
tied ourselves, when tawny old fellow
came out and ordered US to "yamOosc the
rancho By signs we made him under
stand th,t we should "vamoOse" in the
morning, when be grew quite amiable and
told on his fingers that We had fifteen miles
further before Thomas's, and pointed direct
" up and then down to give us an idea OF
the character of the road. His language
seemed to be a mixture Of Spanish and
Indian. a iaryon no one could make any
thing Of His hut was surrounded by a lit
tle match of corr and beans, which he irri-
gated 1.-THE corn and beans,-the hut had
apparently never been Triydted) from
puddle near which We were encamped. lie
would sit half hour at q time, bare-headed
and bare-footed, perfectly m0tionless, watch
ing the muddy little stream he managed to
coax out of primitive water gate. lie
was evidently in prosperous circumstances,
and intended building soon, from the pile OF
bricks he was carefully drying in the sun.
We passed through the village proper in the
early morning. The houses are adobe, COW
cred with thatch, and had rs much of an air
of comfort as many white mans dwelling
in this country, where mans house Is no
index to his wealth The villagers were
already risen, but apparently in no hurry to
commence the labors of the day. being
sauatted in long rows on the ground on the
sunny side Of the houses. giving some Ia
dication of the number of persons an Indian
house will accommodate. Upon staging
near each house was a wicker basket, s"me-
thing like an inverted straw bee hive, weight
ed down with a stone These, We were told,
contained acorns placed there to dry before
pounding for food, in the stone mortars with
which every family is supplied. These are
simply heavy stone followed smoothly in
the centre, with another, smooth and round,
for crusher these mortars they also use Tor
pounding corn. A building somewhat more
pretentious than the rest, with rude cross
PAINTED on the walls. told that these sons OF
the soil were under the fostering care of the
mother church. And farther on we passed
what VIC called the village school house.
This was still more primitive, being simply
q huge boulder with straight side, upon
which were the letters Of the English alpha
bet a. far as NJ, and some rude drawings in
charcoal Of man, dog, ETC., with their
names in English printed underneath. The
seats in front OF this We inferred were good
evidence of its being an institution of learn
ing, though some thought it the daily paper,
and that all came there to read the news.
Now comes the tug of war. A mile and
half of mountain climbing, tortuous and
steep. The wagons arc all lightened as
much as possible, everything examined to
soc that there is no danger from break
age, and IN We &C. resign my position as
driver, and walk as do nearly all OF the party
The cool, rarsfed air is particularly exhil-
arating to some, while Others find it
dificuit to get up the steep pitches with
out stopping often for breath. | stop
at every turn in the road to enjoy the
scenery. Mountains piled upon mountains,
some covered to the top with growth OF
pine; but most, perfectly bald. The wagons
are winding along below, and, save the
voices of the drivers. absolute silence reisns
At last We arc at the top, and after long
halt to rest the tired horses, We take the
downward grade indicated by our friend
40" at last nights encampment The
descent is steep but short, and We soon are
again in large valley dotted with groves of
pine and oak. well watered and affording
good grazing for an immense stock of cattle
and horses. This is Thomas ranch. The
number Of his cattle is variously estimated
Tho lowest given was 5000 he could not
give the exact number himself. This man
is a New Yorker by birth, but has married
a Mexican wife, and feeds his focks upon
government land. He not only controls his
own valley but the one We passed through
in the morning; and, with the Indians for
allies, eGectually keeps away any white set
tiers who may heye longing eye for his
green pastures. We found the family man
sion Of my lord to be low. one story build
ing of two rooms, where he lives with his
family of ten children, and gang OF retain
ers-Indians, half-breeds, and whites. We
were still about seven miles from the point
aimed at, aud after short halt pushed on
The face of the country was now decidedly
changed We were fairly among the noun
tains, and IN a region Of timber, mostly pine,
tall and straight, with some oak and cotton
wood, no underground, except hnncnes oil
manzanits (tho berries of which the bora
are so partial toy, with its mshogany-eolOred
wood and glossy leaves. the mesquite and
some varieties Of dwarf oak, and wherever
the sunlight falls through the trees a carpet
of grass, now somewhat dry and brown but
afording good food for stock. "A good
plain road our directions ran, but We
found anything but that,-over rocks and
stumps, now brought up all OF sudden by
q fallen tree, or Q water course whose steep
banks seemed an impossible barrier, and
again finding scarcely track over the dry
grass. After being certain we had lost
our way and were upon the point OF
turning back, we discovered an opening and
the log cabin of our friend, and his man
..E n.,t ,vulf Hyat no
tween US and them that it was impossible for
the wagons to cross, whereupOn great
shout was raised that brought FRIDAY over
to our side, to guide the teams. while some
crossed the ravine on foot and hastenet di-
rectly to the cabin in search of food. We
came to the conclusion that il they lived like
Robinson Crusoe, they bcdraea like John the
Baptst,-upon locusts and honey. and our
friend had gone for the locusts, rs can OF
honey was everything in the shape OF food
We could find. The teams soon came, a fire was
kin died, and il twinkling potatoes, bacon
AMI coffee over it. Our friend, who had re-
turned rithout locusts, explained the mystic
ries Of the bake kettle, and loaf of warm
brcai crowded a way to use the honey,
which was Hospitality get before us,On a cloth |
spreau unuer pine tree, anu noOu a.. "S4S |
seated Ia Turk to meal fit for hungry |
king. There was one slight drawback to
our iestivities,-our friend keeps pigs, and
not having neighbor within three miles,
nor garden, lets them run at large. So it
became necessary drring the preparatory ex-
srcises to station guard at various points
to prevent the eatables from being confs-
,ated. They were ready to tip over the
not bake kettle, or help themselves from the
,pread table, and two willy fellows did, un-
Ter the very nose Of the guard take each two
,rackers from the center of the iatlf and re-
ire in triumph.
After supper We began to look about US
We are in a grassy canon with noble old
,ines scattered about seven thousand feet
.boye the sea level, and nearly at the base of
he highest peak of the range, which rises
.bruptly three thousand feet above US. This
,eak we have noticed from many point, on
ur Journey from its rosy tint, owing to the
peculiar color Of the rocks at the summit,
/ is OF a volcanic nature, and disturbs the