Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1888-01-12
San Francisco Letter.

mouse, Gaming from glance noShlng
but solid comfort, stands in the midst of an
orange grove ai the foot Of hill covered
with sage and short brush.
The place faces east and south, giving the
trees and vegetables the morning sun.
Against the hill on level with the house
roof is an immense reservoir of pure spring
water from which the town Of Sonoma is
supplied. Back against the hill severa! hun
drcd yards stands an old relic, of the past
"The runs of what WAS once a guard house
built Of adobe, and tenanted by a guard de.
tached from company under my command
said the General now coming up. "These
bricks made of a mixture of sand and clay,
are pressed into mouds after the manner of
making common brick Of today, but arc not
burned. They are laid in the sun and dried
1t is wonderful how they last but they do
as you can see. This building WAS erected
in lS49 and unfortunately in 1867 it was de-
stroyed hy rre, leaving nothing for our pro
lection but those sentry boxes against the
kill"
Contiguous to the Generals residence is 4
thick adobe wall or rampant loopholed, so az
to command the plaza and the house hut
now it is al fallen into decay, and nearly
overgrown with massive cactus and wild
vines. Standing Oh the roof Of An old hut
one can get a fine view Of the little town Of
Sonoma, with its odd old houses and its al
most deserted streets This quaint bit of
foreign landscape is planted in the famous
valley of Sonoma, or The valley of the Moon.
Ii is near forty miles from Frisco, and about
twelve miles back from the Bay.
What a contrast to-day when it is 80 qdiet
and peaceful with the stirring and dangerous
times Of Its first settlement. To-day we see
a half dozen Swiss or Italian laborcrs laZlly
summing themselves On the steps Of the Tech
inc House which twenty years ago YVES the
well known Eldorado shc most celebrated
gambling house in the golden West. To-day
they exchange "two bits" for five drinks
and play freeze out" with five cents a cor
ner, while then back in 40, y drink was a
"pnch Of dust and a jack pot was fortune
In the year 1885 Gen. Vallejo had by order
Of the Mexican government laid out The town
entirely on the principles usually adopted in
the building of cities in New Spain. a large
square or plaza was set apart with houses ar
ranged facing inward there being streets cX-
tending from each side OF the rectangle and
carried outward at each corner. The Gen
era assured us he WAS his own engineer and
surveyor, for none was attached to the force
he commanded. With the aid of a simple
poke, compass and line he divided the site
Of the present city Of Sonoma into lots, laid
streets, allotted tracts for parks, and { tab
lshcl permanently the Military command
Of the northern frontier Of California II
was here that in 1916 the famous Boar Flag
first iluttertd to the breeze; and here, too,
was hauled down and given place 10 the
Star Spang'cl B,nncr, of the Union, three
days after 1t had been un.urled at Monterey,
-four sketch is half az Interesting to the
friends OF The CLARION as the chat with the
old gentleman was to US We will be amply
paid for the writing.
SoNoMA, Dec 23rd 1Ss7.-W. l.. +.
cO,~II'DrD