Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-16
EARLY GAL FORNIA.
CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE FROM
1879 TO 1S4S.
Some Incidents Related in Ban
crOft's Pastoral California-His-
tory of the Pacific Slope.

graces. The men would become enthu-
siastic and applaud her, and as mark of
particular appreciation would place their
hats on her head, one on top of the other :;
and when her head could hear no more.
she would take the hats in her hands,
dancing all the time; still more hats and
even coin were thrown at her feet, and
when she returned to her seat these were
gathered up by the tecolero and brought
to her. All the hats in her possession had
to be redeemed by the owners with coin
each one paying what he pleased, from two
reales to IS.
BULL AND BEAR FIGHTS.
A bull and bear fight after the Sabbath
services in church was indeed happy oc-
casion. 1t was a soul-refreshing sight to
see the growing beasts of blood tied with
long reata by one of its hind feet, so as
to leave it free to use its claws and teeth,
to one of the bulls feet, leaving it other
wise free for attack or defense The fight
usually took place inside of a strong
wooden fence, behind which and at short
distance was erected high platform for
women and children, most of the men be-
ing on horseback outside the ring, with
reatas ready, and loaded guns, in case the
bear should leap the barrier, or other acct
dent occur. The diversion was kept up
for hours, or until one or other of the ami
mails succumbed, and it often happened
that both were killed.
1--WE used to make bears and bulls fight"
remarked Bias Pena, for which purpose
we tied the bull and bear together, the
bull having one of his fore legs strapped,
and the bear one of his hind legs. Some
times the bull came off victorious, and at
other times the bear, the result depending
somewhat upon the ages of the beasts.
The bears were caught on Mount Diablo."
A ROMANCE.
Conception Maria Arguello, daughter of
Jose Dario Arguello, who had been Gov
ernor of California in 1Sl4-l5, and sister
of Luis Arguello, who was appointed Gov
ernor in 1922, was beautiful girl of good
education and refined manners. She was
residing in the fort of San Francisco in
1907, at the time Of the arrival in Cali
fornia of the Russian frigate Juno, having
on board as passenger Count Rezanof
Grand Chamberlain of the Russian En-
peror, who fell in love with the Young
Californian, and with her consent re.
quested her parents to allow him to marry
her. To this proposal they agreed, deem
ing it highly advantageous to be related
by marriage to the young diplomatic
Count Rezanof took his departure from
California, intending to go to Russia, and
there make the necessary arrangement for
his intended marriage, but unfortunately,
while crossing a desert, he fell from his
horse and was killed. On receipt of the
terrible news, the fair Conception, arrayed
as beata that is to say, one who wears
religious habit, and is engaged in works of
charity, left San Francisco and went to Santa
Barbara, where she spent her time in the
small church of the Franciscan friars. and
at night retired to the room allotted to
her in the house of Captain De la Guerra.
During the many years she thus lived
the young men of Santa Barbara tried
their utmost to induce her to take part
in their festivities, and some went SO far as
to insist that she should marry, but all to
no purpose. Had she not narrowly missed
being a countess? So she continued her
works of charity and humiliation, going
into the miserable dwellings of the
neophytes, where she spent hour after
hour attending to the wants of some diving
Indian, or teaching young children the
Christian doctrine. Finally, when the
good sisters of Saint Dominic, in 1850.
opened in the town of Benicia the acad-
envy of Saint Catherine, she repaired to
their convent, and resided there until
1860, when she died, at the advanced age
of seventysix years.
coNCUBINAGE.
Living in concubinage by the common
people was considered, during the spanish
domination, a heinous offense, and was
severely punished. The man would be
condemned to hard labor in irons, and
exile for number of years. The woman
had her hair clipped short, and was forced
to stand with a puppet- babe at her breast
at Che church door every Sunday at the
hour of mass, during a month or so, that
she might serve as warning.
A sERENADE.
A wife once summoned her husband be-
fore an alcalde at Monterey for having
serenaded another woman.
Bring forth the culprit," said the
Judge, "and let him play to us as he
played before the woman he wished to
captivate."
When this was done, the Judge said:
" Is that the tune you played ~
Isl, Senor"
:" Is that the best you can play it ?"
Isl, Senor."
The | fine you two dollars for disturb
ing the public peace"
CATTLE FREE TO ALL.
Formerly" says Salvador Vallejo.
"our cattle roamed by thousands, vet not
one was stolen, for the unwritten law of
the land granted to the weary traveller the
privilege of killing cattle whenever he
wanted beef. Since the transfer of Cali
fornia many native Californians have been
hanged for stealing cattle; and | firmly
believe that some of the victims did not
know that under the new government it
was crime to kill steer of which he
had not bill of SALE
A GENERAL wAsH-UP.
The women, at intervals, had general
wash-up, on which occasions, their own
clothes being done, they would ask their
neighbors for theirs, and demand no re-
compense for their work. "My clothes
were thus often washed without CHARGE
SAYS Hijar. When their washing was CON
cluded, after six or more days, they re-
turned nome and feasted. A calf was
killed, and songs and joy followed While
the women remained at the creek, under
the arbor, sleeping in the open air, the
males of the family regarded this camp as
home.
THE COMING BABY.
When a man found his wife enceinte, he
invited the persons whom it was agreed to
make padrinos or god-parents, and they at
once began preparations, according to their
means, although it wanted five or more
months till the event. Fifteen or twenty
days after delivery, the new creature was
taken to the parish church to be baptized.
On going to the house to take the infant
to church, the padrinos marched through
Al .