The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-09-01

IL was our Intention when we reached
Frisco 20 take the first steamer for Wal
In Walla, and after seeing that country
to return TO Frisco in time 10 attent
the fairs Of the state, but like mos
roamcrs when they get TO California
they can't leave tin they have seen al
the sights, SO we bucklcd up our traps
and started again TO sec and learn wha
we could OF California, "ihc Land o
Fire" In this we wi give some idei
of the people, country, etc.
Little, if anything was known of thi
country by most of the people cast be
fore Fremont explored it, II is the gen
cral impression that Fremont and hi
men were the first Americans west o
the Sierras. March 1914 whan Ere
is, he found Gen. Sutler and others
Suiter at that time had great herds o
stock, haying.come here from Missouri
in 1899.
, When Fremont aud men arrived al
/ the fort they were on foot. Their sad.
, dies and pack animals had all given
ont. They made Suffers fort Il gov
ernmcnt post. Sutter fitted them out
with horses, but they could not get all
the supplies they wanted here. Sulter
told them that at Monterey they could
get all the supplies they needcd, when
one half days ride from there. They
rece wed orders from General Castro,
the NcXican Commander Of the terrific
rY II Immediately leave the country
without further notice or he would be
Obliged 10 drive them ont. The Amer
lcans who were then living in Montcr-
ey sent several warning messages to
Fremont, as they were sure the Mexi-
O""s "uuiu thhe mem prisoners. But
as You know, Fremont did not leave
till he had seen and learned all he
wanted TO Of this country.
California was first settled by Mcxi.
cans at Santa Cruz rs far back as 1863,
In Los Angeles county there are three
Roman Catholic missions which were
founded in 1171-7G-79. The founders
of these missions as well as OF all the
II III The state were Spanish, and lriars
of the order ID San Francisco who were
sent 10 This country by tie college OF
san Fernando in the city of Mexico.
lFhat vas accomplished by these three
missions is said TO be fair example of
what was done by all the others. In
less than sixty years from the founding
of the mission OF San Gabriel, the herds
OF cattle, bands of horses, and nocks of
sheep and goals %f ,UIshi tha ibrsc ..W Wissi9es
los, and that part Of San Bcrnardino
county lying south and west Of the
mountains. They planted orchards aud
vineyards, raised vegetables, titled
large tracts OF land, aud raised corn,
wheat, barley and beans. In each mis-
sion they had large square forts built
Of adobe mud or sun-dried brick. Inside
of this was their church. In 177G the
mission OF Dolores was founded BY two
monks of 81. Francis de Assizi In
1886 the village Ycrba Buena was built
by the Mexican Government. Ten
years later Montgomery took the place
i'll the name of ihe United States, and
the plan of San Francisco was laid. II
it had not been for the finding of gold,
ii might have been on paper yet. San
Francisco bay was discovered from The
land in 1860 by II party searching for
Monterey bay.
At first gold was found in AZ and
brought to Suffers fort several thous.
and dollars al II time. But the first
news Of gold found was at Colama, FL
Dorado county, January, l6la
The Spanish are "A class of people
that like 10 count their sheep and take
life easy. The rich class are very proud.
Their houses are made of adobe brick.
The men are fine looking and the wo-
men are beautiful. They are great low
ers OF music, dancing and cigarettes.
The Spaniard is raised in the saddle;
and never misses with the lariat. They |
are taught TO throw as soon as they can !
stand. They usually begin on chick |
ems and other fowls around the house, |
when older, larger game, and When
they can throw n lariat from q horse un-
der full speed and catch n hog around
the foot, they can receive their diplo-
ma. They can throw a 60 1t. lasso
made of awhide, as straight as an ar
row, like Il streak of lightning.
This country used TO be full of game,
but now there is very little TO be found.
Deer, antelope, bear, wild horses, and
California lions are yet TO be found in
the mountains and parts of the country
not Inhabited. Coyotes are to be found
all over the plains and mountains, the
great plague OF the herds, killing sheep
and bowling around the camps, doing
most OF their work in the night.
The life of herder is n haId one,
not on account of the amount of work,
but for the reason there is SO little 10
do. All he has TO do is TO let ont his
sheep in the morning and send his dog
with them. Then he gets his breakfast
of bacon, potatoes, beans, bread and
syrup. IL is all hc has The year round
with The exception of mutton. His
house is about six by ten feet, one that
can be moved TO new feeding grounds.
Docs his own washing, II he has any,
secs no one but the foreman who brings
him his "grub" once in three or four
weeks. After breakfast he follows his
flocks around all day. Cinnamon aud