Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-11-06
An Early.Day California Wedding.

An Early.Day California Wedding.
During the time l was in San Jose,
says Jesse Benton Fremont, IN Ha,per's
Magazine, l saw in perfection the good
riding of the country. From my ham,
mock, swung under the open gallery of
the house where we were fortunate
enough to have " room, heard and
saw the festivities of a California we'd
ding. These lasted three days. 1t was
wedding among the vaqueros, and at
tended, therefore by good riders. The
brides house was not much of build
Ing, but extensive temporary shelter
had been put up for dining-rooms, COW
cred over with green boughs---ar amada.
But the point of rivalry among the
guests was more in riding than in dane
ing, though after riding all day they
would dance all night; and all day and
all night that one air was repeated by
violins, guitars aid voices until the
drone Of it got into the air and made as
much part of it as does the whir of
locusts in the autumn months. The
first day the procession started for the
church where the marriage was to take
place-to 60 down and along the Ala
media, a beautiful double avenue of
willows three miles in length, planted
by the early fathers. The first day was
to 60 to the church for the marriage
ceremonies; the second to take out the
bride for a general pdsear through the
town: and the third series of contests
and rivalries in the feats of horseman-
ship. There were about 500 horses;
the riders were more. In many cases
they had with them woman mounted
on the horse; the woman sat on the
mans saddle, while behind her, with
his arms around her waist, and holding
the reins sat the man-just the reverse
Of our country habit. They advanced
in regular order, eight abreast, the mu-
sicians, also on horseback, playing their
violins and guitars as calmly as though
they had floor under them. The
bride sat alone On her horse, under an
arch of flowers and ribbons, which was
carried by groomsman on either side,
the ends Of the arch resting on their
saddles, and on either sides of them
her bridesmaids: the bridegroom, on an
exceptionally fine horse, surrounded
by his friends; and then the rest of the
company, most of the men riding
singly, but many riding as have de-
scribed, with girl on the saddle-a
bright glittering mass Of ribbons, flow
ers, bright beads, gold lace; the women
in satin dresses and slippers, the men
| in the dress of the time in California,
which is exactly like that which we see
in Spanish pictures-short velvet jackets
covered with braid and gold embroidery,
the velvet trousers open over full white
drawers, while q string of balls down
the seam jingled even more than do
the bangles Of ladies in church.
The starting point was almost facing
my place of observation. They would
form in great order and quiet, the
horses knowing the order Of the pro-
ceedings evidently as well as their
masters, and the signal for starting was
the exploding of fire-crackers by the
hundred boxes under the feet Of the
horses. What with the sparks and
noise, it looked as if the whole thing
had gone up like the end of a panto-
mine.
1t was point of honor to show which
horse behaved best under these Cir
cumstances. The horses were trained
in the way that had always been favor
tie with the Spanish people, to make
any number of dancing movements in
imitation Of progress, while in reality
they do not 60 forward at all. | think
they are trained to this by having
weights tied to their legs.
Each man did not simply ride his
horse, but was in the habit of living
with it and upon it, and was conse-
quently in perfect rapport. Each one
of these put in force every art known
to him to exhibit the spirit and the
beauties Of his horse. AS they passed
down the one street Of the town the
correct thing Was for people from the
side to advance and throw tire-crackers
in mass under the horses feet; the fir