Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-11-21
Los Angeles in 1850.


Uncle Jake" Metzksr. Of 40, was in
the city yesterday. and while standing
in the Baker Block, with its fair and
beautiful proportions above and around
him, the telegraph In the next room
sending messages across the continent,
and under the seas around the world.
with the shrill whistle of the locomotive
in the air. giving notice to carry pas
sengers with the speed of the wind. told
how different circumstances we're in
1880, when he heard of the dangerous
sickness Of his SON at Sacramento. and
there waa no steamer to leave, except in
ten days. and no line Of stages in the
country. In short. there was no con.
veysnoe of public nature and haste
was essential. A team could not make
| the trip in less than two weeks Il at all
over the winter streams and roads.
In this strait he told Don Abel Stearns,
on the same ground he stood on yester-
day, what lis trouble was, and the need
| for the utmost haste. Don Abel told
him to have no unessiness about the
matter, and hastily wrote in the old
adobe mansion, letter addressed to all
the leading rancho owners along the
coast from Los Angeles to San Jose,
telling them to favor him by supplying
a horse to the bearer, and the best they
had, to 60 to the next rancho. With
this letter, Uncle Jake, mounted a horse
and few over the ground to the Encino
twenty miles away, leaped from the ami
NAL and showed his letter, when in .
moment fresh horse was given hin
and away he dashed over the mountain
trails till the next rancho was reached
when the same ceremony was carried
out, his foaming horse turned loose and
fresh one supplied, and so on twenty
four hours were passed and Jake was il
Santa Barbara county, 100 miles away
The next twenty four hours, and he was
| in San Luis Obispo, 200 miles from home
The third day he was in the county o.
| Monterey, 800 miles away, and the
| fourth Gay in San Jose. having changed
horses nineteen times and travelled 40(
/ miles among strangers, mountain raBge'
and winter streams and Indian trails
without the expenditure Of dollar, fol
food or horsefesh, and with twenty
horses having changed their homes. Al
San Jose he slept while friend hitched
up team, and then drove him to San
Francisco in time to take the boat next
day for Sacramento. Such is specimen
Of travel thirty-three years ago, when
stages were not in use, and county
| roads had not been made. The State
had only been admitted to the Union 0
few weeks, aud men travelled in the
saddle.
| Don Abel has gone to his rest. Where
his adobe mansion stood, the noble
Baker Block now stands, gracsd with
the residence of the accomplished wife
Of the departed Don Abel. Uncle JAKE
is no longer the wiry young man of 8:
years ago, but white haired ole
veteran, who prefers TO ride in palac,
oars and sleepers at 40 miles an hour
rather than to ride day and night owe
mountains, and ford rivers and noun
tain streams. without rest or comfort
Instead of the bold rider dashing abou
the country on errands of business, h
takes kindly to the telegraph And tele
phone and reads the HHRALD by electri,
light instead OF the tallow dip of 1850
He is just getting old enough to enjo.
himself and appreciate the great chang
that generation has wrought in Cali
forRiA. Long may he enjoy them.