Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-02

great breeding farms of the coast, and
vet It will be an argument in favor OF
the superior advantages, in climatic
influences, California possesses. The
native horses owe their origin to the
same parent stock from which
sprung the Mexican mustang. There
are q few points of resem Slance. The
head, legs and feet are something OF
the same stamp, and there the like
ness ends. The Mexican, small,
flat-sided, with SO little muscle
that it was wonderful that they
were capable Of carrying the weight
Of a man of average size. In 1879 !
visited Los Angeles. and though 1t
was acknowledged that since the
American occupation OF the coun-
try the ma i've horses had de-
Perforated, there were several fine
looking animals 10 be seen.
Muscular and of fair size, carry
ing heavy man with a saddle, which
would weigh as much as those OF
English pattern, as jauntily as though
racing weights were on their backs.
More care had been taken in keeping
up the breed in the section now called
Southern California than north of San
Francisco. San Diego, Los Angeles,
Santa Barbara, Monterey and up as
| far as San Jose the best
were found, and there are well
authenticated accounts Of re-
markable performances. Walter Col
ton, who was chaplain on the Con.
gress, was appointed by Commodore
Stockton, Alcalde of Monterey, then
the capital of California, and entered
upon the duties 6 his Office July 80,
1S46. In 1850 he published his work
Three Years in California" very
entertaining, the greater portion be-
ling copied from his daily journal.
There is one part which has SO strong
a bearing on the capabilities of the
native horses that copy it, as it
is not likely that many of the Spirit
readers have seen it, and not many OF
those who have a proper appreciation
of the quality of those wiry steeds.
He writes:
"The ride OF Col. Fremont from the
Cuidad de Los Angeles to Monterey,
in Alta CALIFORNIA; distance of 42O
lmiles-and back, exhibits in strong
light the iron nerve of the rider and
the capacities of the California horse.
The party ON this occasion consisted
of the Colonel, his friend, Don Jesus
Pico, and bis servant, Jacob Dodson.
Each had three horses, nine in all, to
take their turns under the saddle and
relieve each other every twenty miles,
while the six loose horses galloped
ahead, requiring constant vigilance
and action to keep them in the
path. The relays were brought
under the saddle by the lasso
thrown by Don Jesus or Jacob,
who, though born and raised in
Washington, in his long expeditions
with Fremont had become expert as
a Mexican with the lasso, sure as a
mountaineer with a rifle, equal to
either on horse or foot, and always a
lad of courage and fidelity. The
party left Los Angeles on the morn
ing of the 22d at daybreak, though the
call which took the colonel to Mon
lterey had reached him only the even
ing before. Their path lay through
the wild mountains of San Fernando
where the steep ridge and precipitous
glen follow each other like the deep
hollows and crested waves of ocean
under the driving force of the storm.
1t was relief when rough ravine
} opened its winding on the line of their
path. They reached at length the
maritime de6le OF Ell Rincon, or Punto
Gordo, where mountain bluff should
ers its way boldly to the sea, leaving
for fifteen miles only narrow line Of
} broken coast, lashed at high tide and
} in the gale by the foaming surf. The
sun was on the waves of the Pacific
when they issued from the Rincon,
!; and twilight still fingered when they
reached the hospitable rancho OF
Don Thomas Robbins, l25 miles
from Los Angeles. The only
limb Of the company which
seemed to complain Of fatigue was
the right arm of Jacob, necessarily
exercised in lashing the loose horses
to the track and lassoing the relays.
None of the horses were shod-an
!, iron contrivance unknown here, ex.
} cept among a few Americans. The
} gait through the day had been hard
: gallop, relieved at short intervals by
light trot. Here the party rested
for the night, while the horses gath
cred their food from the young grass
which spread its verdure on
the field. Another morning had
thrown its splendors on the
forest when the party waved
their adieu to their hospitable host
and were under way. Their path lay
over the spurs of the Santa Rarbara
Mountains, and close to that steep
J ridge where the California battalion
under Fremont encountered, Decem-
ber 25, 1S46, binding storm, which
still throws its sleet and hail through
the dreams of those hardy men. This
path continued over the hukes and
around the bluffs of this coast noun
tain, relieved at intervals by the less
rugged slopes and more level lines of
the Cascades. The hand-gallop and
light trot of their spirited animals
brought them at set of sun
to the rancho of their friend Capt.
Dana. where they supped, and then
proceeding on to San Luis Obispo,
reached the house of Don Jesus, the
colonel's companion, at 9 O'Clock in
the evening, 1876 miles from the place
where they broke camp in the morn
ing" The party was detained at San
Luis Obispo until II A. M. and by 8 P.
NJ. seventy miles were accomplished.
That night the horses were stampeded
by bears. Fresh horses had been OBJ
tanned at San Luis. Mr.. Colton's
words will again be copied: "The
horses, by good fortune, were re-
covered, a fire kindled, and by break
of day the party had finished their
breakfast and we're again in the
saddle. Their party, issuing from the
gloomy forests of the Soledad, skirted
the coast range, and crossed the plain
of the Salinas to Monterey, where they
arrived three hours to set of sun, and
80 miles from their last camping tree.
The principal citizens of Monterey as