Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-07-19
A "Three.Piy's" Funny Speech.

At Monterey, California, on the
"fourth" of July they had a grand
celebration. The feature of the oc-
cssion was the address of an old
Spaniard- Mexican American, who had
passed his SOth year. The old man
was introduced to perform the cere-
mony of raising the Spanish and
Mexican flags. The General had been
continuous resident of Monterey
under the several flags of Spain, Mex
leo and the United States, and was
Mexican Military Governor in 1886.
The Generals appearance on the plat
form was the signal for wild applause.
The old gentleman took off his hat
and bowling profusely, delivered an
address, frequently interrupted by
cheers. The Generals native tongue
is Spanish, and the marked accent
gave a rich flavor to the humor of his
address, and he kept the audience
continually convulsed with mirth:
81 was born," he said, Gin this town
on the morning of July Z, 1903.
have lived here ever since. l was
born here under the shade of the
Spanish flag. Then the Mexicans
came here and said they owned the
country, and l became a Mexican.
Then the Yankees came here and
became Yankee. I like the Van.
KEGS" Here the General paused and
kissed his hand chivalrously to young
lady In the audience. "That's neice
of mine," he explained to the aud
fence. "She is like star in the
heavens, she is. lean just remember
when Monterey threw off Spanish
rule and took up Mexico for guard
an. About twenty-five years after
ward the Yankee folks came around
and we heard they were playing Cain
down at Palo Alto and all that. Fin
ally Commodore Sloat sailed in here
one day and said that the United
States owned Monterey. Well, he
was right. But before be came
there was a good deal of talk
about declaring ourselves for the
United States. Some also wanted to
hoist the French flag. They came to
me about it, but l told them l would
be hanged hundred times before
would do it. But the Commodore did
it for us. l came here to represent
the three epochs-Spanish, Mexican
an American. | was born a Spaniard,
but l became a Mexican and Ameri-
can without taking an oath of allie
glance. The Yankees are very en-
terprising people and they have con-
Quoted business in a good rushing
way. They have been SO enterprising
that sometimes fear they will get a
hook and pull down the moon and sell
it for green cheese. People often
ask me when first landed in Monte
rey. tell them that landed on this
rocky coast on July 7, 1908, about 4
O'Clock In the morning. They then
look surprised. A great opera singer
once asked me, General, tell me
about some of the early singers who
held concerts in this country l told
her that the first concert l ever re-
member hearing was about 1918,
about 60 years ago. 1t was held
right over there on that hill. They
sang there all night and they were
about as loud pack of singing coy
otes that l ever heard. Blu: they have
all gone now. should like to hear
them again"
Concluding, General Vallejo seized
the pulley rope, and amid a chorus of
cheers and international salute from
the battery and from the Rush, raised
the Spanish flag futte,ing in the
breeze. The Mexican flag, with a
al p,ilar In Into ,uoc nawt ros.al