New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-23
GENERAL S1osENAYs QUAIy1 house
From The San Franelseo call.

GENERAL SToyEKAps QUAINT house
From The San Fraaclseo CALL
You cannot see the house until you are right upon
1t. completely is il covered with towering vines
and surrounded by semi-trOpical trees aud plants.
It appears 70 have been built regardless Of the
points Of the compass. and might be said 70 face
almost any direction. Picture IL you can a
large plain, square box house. Of welther-staIned
redwood almost black with aye, two stories hgn
and roof almost fat but sl0plng in four directions
from the centre. The upper story Is reached by an
outside stairway at each end of the building like
most California ranch houses built az an early
day 4 broad. generous porch extends the entire
length Of the front Of the house, and upon this
porch the doors OF each OF TIE four front rooms
UPON the ground floor open. This quaint Old houss
would be painfully PLAN were 1t not almost COM
petely empowered in garniture or MOWERS. Al
though not pound of paint has been used or even
the simplest effort at artificial decoration mas Oeen
attempted on the old house. no habitatl0n u more
gorOnsy beautiful than this vine covered house as
Los Robes. Roses of snowy whteness lay IN
matted prOfuson upon the eastern root. mingiing
and blending with blood-red r0ses upon the very
comb apex of the building-roses Of delicate
pink and Of lemon hue, roses OF brilliant carmine
and the Dalest saffron tint. roses Of all shades
mingIing and entwned with prOfnsion of honey
sgckle. red white and orange. hellotropes OF b 10
and Jasmine of purest white. Here over the old
weather beaten porch drOOp vines and flowers
known only to the sem-trOpics hanging IN luxuri-
ant festoons. There is that most magnificent Of all
Southern creepers, the curious Passion Hover" so
generally reverenced by the Spanish Catholic peas
antry this. too, entwInrd with tue dark green
leaves OF the hardy English Ivy. benefdl stone
mans home is a home OF roses. This noral Ofna-
mentation Of the homestead Is the work OF Mrs
Stoneman and her children; the General deyOtes
her and more practical details OF rancn
lite. The interior of Los kObles ID as plainly I'M
ished as its outside. The walls are devoid or
plaster and wall paper The principal rooms are
neatly celed with smoothly polished redwood,
nicely vanished, and the walls are hung " "a
selection of modest pictures, including some very
fine paintings. But there is az air OF comfort and
refinement and about this place which renders IL
very beautiful Such Is Los kobles, the home Oh
the democratic nomlr ee for Governor.
The domestic life of General Stoneman Is similar
to that of almost any Southern California vine
grower. He gives personal supervision TO the
cultivation and management 0i MS VheyarIs ahd
orange groves. Rising regularly at specific hour,
winter or summer he breakfasts with his little
family and may be seen shortly afteTward out IN
tho VINEYARDS, attended by his naJOru0mo,
q rrctInz the VOrkmen, aud ar times taxing "a iuil
hand himself. by this close personal supervision
OF his plantation. General StOneman has succeeded
IN making the handsOmest and beet vineyard IN
Los Angeles County " hlle standing beside a
beautiful, noisy, babblIng brook, winch rushes
over It's bright pebOly bed IN front OF the house.
General StOnenian related a brief but interesting
rem nIscence o. his early days. Tie sad, as ne
pointed with hi- pruning shears toward piece OF
rising ground toward the SlerraS. ~ ght Gown
there at the foot OF that blll just WbrTe YOU see
tiat grove OF live oaks - where was encamued
vi,h q squadron of dragons abOnt thrty-three
wears ago. / quite Young man then, aud had
recently made a march acioss the continent 10
assist General kearney and Commodore stockton
10 make a conquest Of California. | was leu
panv had been ordered ont from Los Angeles 10 Fan
Gabriel Mission on a little business Connected with
some o. Colonel fremOnts volunteers. VINO were
camped at the Mission. lt was then nrst saw tnis
piece OF land ana fell IN lore with 10. 10 was Wild,
open. grayey land, and bOIe little resemblance to
what you now. Young AS ! was-th,s was
thrty-i hree We ars ago-I resolves b. make my home
here. Ii more than twenty years afterward
before / able TO carry out my deterpinatlon:
But did so at last, and here expect 10 1--we and
die"
It sa little more than ten years since General
SLOVENIAN aad his family took up tneir abode az Los
Robes. at that time It was a wilderness Of SCRUB
oaks, cactus and sage0Tush. lie ilaG ABOUT $1,000
capital aud with this he proceeded 10 carve him out
a home He OWNS about 600 acres of land. a little
more than halt OF It IN cultl' atom lie has about
300 acres Of Mission grapes which are unsurpassed
for vIgOr and beauty IN tue world. lie has large
orange md lemon orchard, some OF the trees nearly
twenty years old which were planted by the former
owner of the place. lis Orange groves are a. hand
some and as prolific as any IN the south notable
popularity IN the ranch life OF General >tOnenan Is
bis treatment Of his emp es. lie seems 20 nave
adopted real Old-fasDloned patriarchal system.
HIS ranch hands mostly natives. born upon the
place. and all what are commonly termed
CaliiornlIns.' Unlike most large rancher0s IN
that region. General >t0neuian does nOt and never
has. employed Cinnamon 10 Work his vineyard ana
fruiL orchards. Instead of this lie keeps up 10 leass
three little villages or groups OF cottages located
near springs of wafer IA different portions OF the
ranch In these cottages reside IA telrJi or iorty
men aul boys $ iih their families. he allows each
family plot Of ground 10 grow Their vegetables,
such ~ po.atocs. fri Oes, peppers, Ons, ETC. and
furn shes employment 20 the heads OF each family
the year round. These DeGple reverence the Cen
eTa. and never cali nm by any other name than
that of PGdrOne = in fact 10 10 doubtful " neither
more than half Of ihem know bis .ne although
they have lived ten years IA bis employment. lie Is
Just Lnl kind 20 all, and never finds aay difficulty
in obtaining help. even IN the busiest time Of the
vintage. His Hospitality - prOveri "a. through all
that region and his latch string is always out.
His eldest SON Cornelius age nineteen years Is a
bound apprentice in SCOTS machine shop IN san
Francisco. HIS other son, George. = bright. hand
boy Of fifteen CT sly teen. II acquiring an edd-
cation IN one OF or best schUOs WI e hio daughter
is an inmate Of one OF the educational institutions
n or near this city.