Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-01-14
Old Spanish Monterey.


/ GLMPsEs or \ SLEEPY CALIFoRYIA TOWN.
Correspondence of New York Tribune
Turning ones back on the huv and
passing to the main street Of the town, il
is seen that nine tenths of the houses are
adobe pronounced with three syllablns >,
with two low stories and . long sloping
roof. The walls are thick and massive as
those of fortress the Windows hav,
/ deep lodges, heavy sashes. and small
| panes the doors are battened and stud
ded with huge nails the rnfters project
| from four to eight feet over the front, and
1 form Il natural covering for the spa.inu.
veranda which surrounds the hoas" the
chambers on the second ;iuor opcn upon
| tins veranda, access 10 ~hic, is giined
only by outside stairs. Chimneys also
are exterior appenIages rs in The south
ern country. The r"of Is covered with
| dull led enrthen tiles, each Il semi-cylin-
der, folded one upon the other, and look
ing at little distance exactly like rows
of rusty iron pipe.
Partitions are built ui ;I,obe, a foot
thick. Inside, the house is delightfully."-
cnol in SUMMER, and disagrccahiy damp
III winter. The few huus.., of wealthy
Spanish families have floors "t hard wood,
beautifully waxri and polished Tn,.
novels of Indians auj half breeds h,ivt.
natures floor Of wrllparked earth. Cabin
and mansion are whitewashed alike. only
the latter has its rough adobe wallis hid
den from sight by coat Of plastcrn.
Around most of the house, are gardens.
irclosed by adobe walls, whose height is
increased by several iavers Of sod. THESE.
H.. L. = 81
dried adobe. lis wnrl surface Is filed
with the stubhly poiats of wheat and
grass stalks. for the adobe Is the brick
with which the captive CLiidr3l uf Israel
wrestled After seeing these moJcru
specimens, You gct Il clearer ide, IT the
devllish ingenuity OF task-nlaa;yr, who
compelled them to make bricks without
straw a phrase which j. meaning less ny
til You have seen well w0rn adohe.
i few fruit trees laneuish i'll thcs,' gar
dens. The mechanically cvpt,s tie ia
voriie shade tree of the town II lpuri5hcs IN
the shadow uf rum, It; yi,ii green cor
trsting strongly with be IulnrL Fiat -.
other vegetation. Everywhere tit lose
and hollyhock blossom side l.v d /, # sin
gIilnr an,ithesis of the taw,rv aAI tht
elegant in mature :;u.,,-S bloom winter
and summer, nn.i live TIA rIpr olI age
In one secluded Garden a. Il lusty rose
tree. with II stem as ;hi,':. ~ L :u..h'S l5...
AMI with hau'ars W!:l.., c,yer large
green house
The hollyhIck give Z. pleas trt lash OF
color to the long. gray adobe walls. and
perhaps expresses the aesthetic lnugings
of the dwellers in the mean little houses
on the hill. They could grow roses with
the same trouble, but their taste in orna-
ment seems to have only reached the
hollyhoch stnge of evolution. Traces OF
the whaling industry, for which the town
was once noted, are seen ON every hand
The walks in front OF many houses. the
approach to the ugly little Catholic
Church, the borders ,of tluwcr-hyIs all
are formed of the round central bone in
the vcrlebra of the whale You may also
come upon youngsters III the street play
ing horse. and the wagon used is unc Of
the rib bones of whale, blcnchcd t. tn"
whitrness of IVORY bv long exposure.
The sun beats down pitilcsslv on the
wide, dusty street. 1t was nl,adl-
mized sometime in the last century. and
1t IL simply IL bed of dust which every
horse stlrs into clouds and dIstrihut,
upon the passcrs-hy. There are no ,,idr-
walks, save III few blnchs on the main
street Elsewhere raithcn walks. scare
ly less dusty than the street. serve for the
few foot pnssengers. and are separated
from the road hy deep gullirs, which in
the brief RAINY season are turned into
brawlIng torrents. Streets meet at all
angles. and mcandcr over the sil.' hill
seemingly Mt random. They are sacred
Ia cows, dogs. pigs and geese.
The common street s,enr IN Monterey
is IL half bred uTchin, mounted bareback
on = broncho. dashinS along in hot pur
suit uf II stray bull calf. Il is the near
est approach To- life and animation thai
the place permits The strcrtsaud stores
wear IL look OF perennial Sunday quiet
AMI duluess Business istrrnsactrd IN -
lrlsurely way that calls for no cNcritoun and
no noisr The man occupation uf the
residents seems to he la drunk whisky HuI
TO loaf anj invite the soul. The mfus
ion of American blood mo the settle
mcnt docs not appear to have any cilec!
1t has been absorbed and NcXIcanized
y man could resist fur any length ui tmc
the seductive lnzinesa ot In. place. \
few days dcmorali2es one. II half wear
would end IN complete relaxation uf the
moral fibre.