New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-27

to know what was passing elsewhere When nob
occupied in overlooking their stock the ranges
they lounged and idled at home, dreaming, smoN-
ing cigarettes and making love. Their festivals
were many and were zealously celebrated, ana their
marriages especially were occasions OF elaborate
merry-malSing. There was little resort to law, Ior
there were then no lawyers among them Inc
Alcaldes were ignorant, and when called on 10 acv
judicially uttered astonishing decisions, several
amusing instances being given by Mr.. Bancroft.
Fantastic as these judgments were, however, they
could not have excelled in absurdity large pro-
portion of those which, after the American occupa-
tion and during the prevalence of the gold-ieVer'
were rendered by many Of the justices OF the peace
who served in the mining camps. Doubtless MI
Bancroft has fund of such "reminiscences ready
for use in future volumes of his California annals
That the old Alcaldes sometimes delivered JUG
ments instinct with homely wisdom IS clearly
shown by the following anecdote:
wife once summoned her husband before ah
Alcalde for having serenaded another woman
Brig forth the culprit," said the Judge, anu
let him play to us he played before the woman he
wished to captlvate.
When this was done the Judge asKed'
Is that the tune you played :!
:" 81, Senior" ..
Is that the best you can play it
Then / fine you two dollars for disturbing the
public peace"
Solomon could have come no nearer to the stand
ard of natural justice.
When the golden age of California pastoral life
began to fade, and the conquering Anglo-SaXons
arrived with their stern practically and their aD-
sorbing quest of riches, some of the time-honored
old California customs got those who continued 10
practise them into serious trouble. Formerly IL
had been the habit for any one who wanted meao
to kill beef wherever he found it. and no ques-
tons were asked, and no fault imputed But
when Mexicans took American stock in this Tree
and-easy way the owners called it catte-steallns'
and there is reason to believe that many an lhho-
cent-mnded native Californian was hanged with a
short shrift for doing what his people had been ac
customed to do for generations. ALI such CASES
however, were terribly avenged by the native JAIL
fornia bandits, such as Joaquin Murleta. vas
quez, Chavez and their contemporaries ana MI
Bancroft has CHASTITY chapter on the crimes oil
these desperadoes. Joaquin was undoubtedly III
some sort a hero of romance He was driven to
lawless career by cruel wrongs inflicted on HIM ana
his by Americans His wife was outraged and his
brother lynched by drunken miners before he en-
tered upon his sanguinary career. and revenge
even more than greed stimulated him. Vasque%'
on the other hand was mere fierce beast OF prey
rank and file of all the bands of California robbers
were ordinary cut-throats Murieta gave the au-
thorities very hard work. For three years he set
them all at defiance, and by the rapidly OF his
movements and the weight and suddenness oil ms
blows carried CONSERVATION over large areas Ills
time came as it always comes to such men, ana
when the feeling of the people was thoroughly
aroused the other banditu were hunted down and
disposed Of quickly
Mr. Bancroft has an interesting chapter on the
beginnings of San Francisco. Few who know that
city now will, perhaps, be able to realize that
where the junction of Clay and Dupont sts is
to-day panther once sprang over the fence OF
a pioneers yard and made off with an Indian
boy; or that boats crew belonging to ship
in the bay landing for water where Folsom
wharf now stands, were driven away by the
appearance Of "a huge grizzly on the bank MI.
Bancroft holds that the building of the city on
its present site mistake and that Iii, original
plan of General Vallejo establish it at Benlcla,
was the wisest proposition. But 1t is manifestly
futile to discuss such question now San Fran
cisco must remain where the pioneers planted
it, and it must put up with the fogs and winds
of the sandy peninsula. valuable photograph
ical chapter closes the volume on California Pas
toral, which comprises, besides the topics men
toned. q mass of original and interesting In
formation on manners and customs, dress, religion
law, commerce, sanitary matters, and whatever
else may serve to complete and witty this pains
taking picture of the little-lnown California
period Immediately preceding the American oc-
cupatlOn.