Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-03

La PaZ Is not so prosperous as IN former
days, many of her younger and more ambi-
tious spirits having left for newer fields.
Many have long been out of employment
since the abandonment of some of the
mines and other industries of the past.
The American Consul james Viosca,
though Of Spanish parentage and for many
years resident of this coast, is native
American, having been born in Louisiana.
He lisa remarkably fine LOOKING gentle
man, somewhat past middle age, his
strongly marked face full of force and
character, dark eyes, piercing but kindly,
and hair just tinged with gray.
Escorted by this distingue Consul and
the Captain, your correspondent proceeded
to the casa Of the former through the dusty
streets of the "City of Peace" which, in
the fading twilight, looked more than ever
like the city of dream. Imagine high
wall oyer-topped by palms and oyergrown
with towering verdure; a gate in this wall
unlocked by the Consul with key from
his pocket-which, when opened, heralded
an entrance by tinkling bells; odors of trop-
ical fruits and flowers, intensified by fall
ing dews; beauty and fragrance every
where; a grayeled pathway hedged BY
4OoNpy lNsiOlnS ~ NAuS-NTCdtnSU VHTa0
da that half surrounds the inner Cosrt, in
closing fountain aud garden, the veranda,
long, wide and deep as town hall, ram
bling away down the other wing of the
great casa, past dining-rooms and kitchen
that portion Of 1t nearest the main en-
trance is really an immense out-of- doors
drawing furnished with luxurious
couches, rockers and reclining-chairs Ia
bles scattered about, book-shelyes here
and there, statues and bric-a-brac, flowers
in bowls, in baskets and yases-the whole
softly Illuminated by tall lamps and can
daiebra with rose-colered shades, produc-
ing
AN EFFECT OF INDEscRIBABLE BEAUTY,
Combined with the fragrance and the
sweet night air.
The Sonora Niosca-a tall and stately
lady with face as striking as her hus-
bands, expressing intense5t capacity for
love or hate, rage or grief, softened by
true goodness of heart and a happy life
came to welcome US with charming cordi-
atty, expressed in Castilano, for the lady
speaks no English. Her children, who
were educated in the best schools of the
United States, have all fitted from the
home-nest-the daughters to their hus-
bands homes, and the sons to business in
the great world, all but the youngest, a
lovely girl Of twenty years, who was edu-
Gated in San Francisco and speaks English
Us well as Spanish and French.
There is a wonderful charm about the
aristocratic Mexican, male or female,
which no phlegmatic Saxon ever possessed
or can acquire. Possibly it comes from
their numerical rarity, because Of which
they have ruled the inferior masses from
generation to generation by the power of
superior knowledge, refinement, and
wealth. Besides, there is something of
the rich vintage and warm sun of the
tropics in their veins, and their gentle
courtesy and dignifed grace are an IN
conscious heritage OF this ultra "best
society" of the Rio CALIFORNIA; the Senor-
ita Viosca is an exceedingly fair" repre-
sentatiye-the perfected flower of her
race.
Dinner was not long over in the Yiosca
mansion, but supper for the foreign guests
was soon announced, and we went down
the fowery veranda to a dining-room
opening from it. Upon the daintily-ap-
pointed table there was turkey with male
tariates steaming hot, delicious salad and
other dishes Enthusiastically Mexican,
served with old Spanish claret aud supple
mented with coffee and cigarettes.
Then We rambled about the gardens,
which, though located in the heart of an
old city, are very extensive There were
lemon and grange trees evolving the per-
petual NH aClc of buds, blossoms and fruit
age, green and perfected, on the same
branch. There were all the fruits of the
tropic and temperate zones, roses galore
and flowers uunumbered in variety and
quantity; there were fountains and bowers
and statuary, and in the midst of all this
greenness was little house by itself, con-
tanning only luxuriously furnished par
lor and an inner
MUSEUM OF CURI0s,
Whereto the master of the house, In irnf-
tation of the Aztec Kings, could retire for
solitary meditation when oppressed by the
cares of the world. Turtle-doyes cooed in
the trees, and there were birds and pets of
many species, including droll monkey
chained to tree.
Afterwards we made a tour OF the
house, which is one of the most delightful
have ever seen in any eountry-with a
wide hall running through the middle
from veranda to veranda, and large, airy
rooms, exquisitely furnished, upon either
side. Whether the eye rests indoors or
out, there is something to delight the most
cultured taste and satisfy the senses. Upon
the walls are peculiar paintings, some Of
them of the early Spanish school-hav-
ing been taken from some ruined Mission
churches. There are booksin all languages,
flowers everywhere, and a grand piano upon
which the senorita is an accomplished
player.
ball was to be given that night in the
house of married daughter of the Vioscas,
and though in travelling attire, your scribe
could not resist the pressing invitation to
at least look in upon it-another
enchanted casa, whose entrance was
blocked by crowd Of commoners who had
collected, as usual, to take innocent de-
light in observing the doings of the great
folk OF this little world There was
lovely, graceful hostess, beautifully dres-
sed senoras and senoritas, and gallant
cabelleros, and, as matter of course,
there was the finest music, for these Span
lsh-Americans, in common with all Latin
races, are exceedingly good judges of that
art.
1t was Ia daasa Ae-icano, the most slow,
graceful and dreamy dance that can be
imagined, just suited to warm climates,
afiording ample scope for love-making and
conversation. Ices, cakes and champagne
circulated freely in the pauses, and toward
midnight a singular game was played with
shells, in which al participated. The
beautiful inner courtyard had been
toored for the occasion, the boards COW
cred with canvas. In most of these aristo-
cratic houses, in which frequent balls are
given, a movable flooring is kept fitted
around the trees and shrubs and fountains,
which the servants (and there are always
a great many can put down or take away
at an hours notice. Chairs were ranged
around the sides of this patia, orange and
rose buds bloomed overhead, fountain
murmured amid an embankment of lilies