New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-04
CALIFORNIAN HOLIDAYS.
SANTA BARBARA.

| IRON STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuEE.1
SANTA BARBARA, Feb. 49, 1888.
III was IN the harhor of Santa rbara, as readers
| OF 1.-Two Years Before the Mast" will remember
that the brig Pilgrim, having in her crew young
Harvard lad destined to become famous in Ameri-
can literature came TO anchor in January, 1885,
after voyage Of one hundred and fifty days from
| Boston. The vessel was commanded by CAPTAIN
Thompson, whose ncDhsw-a man of a very different
sort from Dana's quarterback tyrant-is the land
| lord of the Arlington Hotel IN Santa Barbara at
present. In those DAYS the town was n dreamy
Mexican sci Element whose one story adobe houses
stood In p compact grOup on the treeess plain mile
from the sea- and about the same distance from tho
old Franciscan Mission. The white Mission church
with it's plastered facade, its two Croesque Owert,
and the long arcade of the convent stretching out
from is side was u conspicuous landmark visible
far out at sea. There no wharf, and boats made
a landing with difficulty through the heavy surf.
So late rs 1859 when Richard III. Dana revisited
the of his sailor experience, Santa Barbara
still lay rs eep and little changed and this part
OF The coast the term "Caliiorna feyerD had not
yet become misnomer for laziness. Even to-day
tn re is o considerable remnant of tho old swarthy
population, loving sunshine and hating work, who
play The guitar while the walls are crUmbling about
their ears, and care nothing for the growth Of trade
the ris, in real estate thus in the very middle
If the modern town we find the monuments Of the
age OF dcnoss-7u age not 50 remote but that q
single fife connects n with our own, and yet so
like to-day that it seems like boar antiquity. Tho
whItowashcd mud walls the quaint Thick columns
Of the oyeihaugrg roof tho sem-cyli1drcal red
tiles. make picturesque figure, though most of the
houses orc in RUNS md nearly al have fallen into
such shabby company that their smarter ncghbors
seem ashamed of them.
Thrrr IS one Il, 3orfol mansion which wears such
en- ~ OF romantic and grntccl decay that l never
caI pass ii without pushing aside the tapping shut
tcrs ~ COX through . broken window. II was
fine house in n bmr built around am inclasel
court with q broad c'r-h platform in trout, faced
With stone ami approached by circular stone stems,
an interior coouuld., p carved doorway, and low
broad windows. lho walls we're whtcwq,heS and
the external castings aud shutters were painted
light pea--r.cu, ich ,ti' retains ITS hrilliaucy
profu-i0n Of crude color adorned the walls of the
rooms. The outhm'incl nc the rear are occupied at
present hy % uumb'roI work horses, who seem TO
uee the house itself place of occasional recrea-
lion. Alter ID ceased 10 bo a private residence, it
became for while the court Of justice, and IT. was
in this era Of s history that 10 was the theatre Of
bloody and exciting drama. There was period of
anarchy in santa BIrbara Of or the close OF the
Mexican war, when the town fell into the hands
OF n gang OF thieyc, and cu,-,hroat8, disbanGcd
NeW-lork volunteers. Australian outlaws, and
stray rufiaus from various parts Of the world, who
compelled the authorities to resign, aud ruled here
q sort of Pirates Paradise After while man
OF character aud nerve was induced to accept the
Office Of judge aud a brave fellow made sheriff.
Coming out Of court one day with wit In his
hand the sheriff found tho leader OF the rufIln
gang on has hor," at door.
Are you going to serve tina, wit to-day p
Yes. / am
wen, no, you Amt, because I'm going to XIII you
now"
The man fired as hn spoke, bnt his horse swerycd
aud the bullet nssed IT'S aim. just grazing the head
of JUDGE Tcuad. lthc present Mayor of Santa Bar
larl who was leaving the court room. The sheriff
shot thc assassin dead Oh the spot At that instant
2 Mexican bravo who had been hired for the occasion
spraug forward and m1dc a lungc ut the sheuhwlth
q aarhctc. But he had miscaculated has distance,
aud though hs mfli, ted au ugly wound, he fell by
second sho, from the officer and rolled down the
steps mortay wounded. Then the reign Of law
was rc-establshcd and tho civil service was re-
formed. This was IN 1852.
have got Ear away from my text-the associa-
lions OF " Two Years Before the Mast" That adj
mraoe book is ia 81 adv demand here. and rs one
OF ITO few work, o. standard literature always on
sale in the lo.a. book torres. some i IT'S descriptions
apply exactly % the Santa Barbara OF to-day Wis
Itors no longer have the excitement OF getting Wet
IN landing Tor q long picrnow bridges the surf but
the famous white beach vhc-c the sailors on liberty
used to race thot horses is uuspolcd by the en- J
croAchment Of Improvement and rcsouuds daily /
with the numbering hoofs OF the mad mustang a |
fc., slcds have been built for the OF bathers !
and under the shelter OF ono Of them you will fad
40 all hours OF every day a grZ1ly old Spaniard |
WHO has been waiting lhcrc-nobody knows how !
long twenty or thirty years they sly--for ship /
which is coming from Chill 20 carry him away into /
the biuc-and-goid distance. Do you remember the !
striking description IN 1.-Two Years Before the |
Mast" Of the festival in Santa Barbara, at the we'd
ding Of the daughter of Don Antonio Norego, the |
grandce Of the place and the head oil the first family
in California; when tie ship fred salute and |
spread all her flags at tho moment tho nuptal pro-
ccssion issued from the Mission Church, and the |
sailors went mp to dance NJ tho grand fandaugo, |
which lasted for three days and nights. in tent be-
fore the Norleg0 mausiOn9 Well, Don AntonO'5 |
house shorn OF a good deal OF glory but neat and |
well cared for still marks the scene of that feast,
and is still the home of the Don's descendants 1t
Is sombre adobe structure, facing hree sides of a |
bare court open on the fourth side to the street.
Like all hoI of It's class, it is only one story high.
broad piazza covered by an extension of the
roof rms it's entire length, broad low doors and |
windows opening upon it, with wooden benches
ranged against the wall Opposite, where may have
been spread the tent in which the sailors danced
and the Spanish girls broke ogg-shels filed with
cologne water over the heads of their cavaliers, is
now a hdeous little modern brick engine house and
town-hal combined, the engine-house having the
principal share of the accommodation. When l
passed. the other day, there were two characteris-
tcally Spanish figures at the door of tho old man
sou,-a gentleman in attitude that expressed at
once magnificent dignity and infinite leisure, and
lady in black with black shawl drawn over her
head. Above the roof from pole in the next
street oated the triangular dragon-ilag of China,
and tremendous fusillade of tre-crackers shook