Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-06-22

more apparent the surrounding decay
| Most of the old mission churches that re.
main standing have been converted into
| stables or are used for other ignoble pur.
| poses, but year by year Nature writes the
praises of the Fathers in legible charac-
tiers. All over the land are neglected
orchards and vineyards and olive-groves
still bearing fruit, around the deserted
missions, and the spiritual works of their
Jealous planters will continue to bear fruit
| through the years to come.
The present settlement, comprising
about sixty people, is settled up and down
the narrow valley distance of five or six
miles. At first sight one looks upon Santo
Tomas as place of picturesque poverty
but the people are not poor, only most
Of them are squalid from choice. Then
adobe cottages and cane huts, matched
with straw, are equally free TO pigs, goats
fowls and humans" There is food
enough for all without the necessity Of
hard labor. Fashion finds no devotees in
Arcadia, and life has neither "carking
care," nor vaulting ambition
Being obliged to remain over night in
this valley, we were strongly advised tc
! stop in the school-house, a large building
| some distance removed from any other. in
/ whose upper story some cots are kept for
| hire-travelers being expected to bring
their own blankets and food But
| the place looked so spooky in the fading
twilight, and the broken inside stairway
| (the only means by which to reach the
upper floor so dangerously shaky, that
we determined to be wiser in our genera
ton and to forage around among the farm
ers for better Accommodations.
But whether our plan was wiser is an
open question. After several refusals or
| the ground of having no bed we were finally
taken IN AND DONE FOR
in the adobe mansion of lord of the val.
ley, whose numerous tlocks and herds at
test the well-to-do condition of the family
His name, too, was in itself a recommended
ton, belonging to one of the haughtiest
houses of old CASTLE.
| will not harrow you with a detailed
account of life beneath the roof of this
noble Don. Suffice 1t to say that we, being
guests, were treated to the best the casa
afforded. Supper-spread on a clOthless
table-cOnsisted of beans boiled in lard
stewed strips Of dried meat that looked
like shavings, thin cakes of crushed corn.
and coffee without milk or sugar Break
fast was the exact counterpart of supper
and the two repasts for three people
(mother, daughter aud escort), cost pre-
cisely $3.50 at the hands of these simple
Acadians.r
The escort bestowed himself in the
hay, with saddle for pillow, but we
women folk were given the best bedroom,
in fact the only one the house contained.
In 1t were two high posters, sheetleSs and
blanketlesS, with straw ticks laid upon
boards and calico coverings. But there
was glazed window and a plank floor
luxuries not INDUCED in at Santo Tomas
except among the wealthiest. However.
the glass might as well have been boards
and the floor clay, because of the accumu-
lation of dirt upon them, and we were soon
fain to leave the beds in undisputed pos
session of the swarming vermin.
Upon retiring to our apartment the
naughty Don handed US a short plank,
which he politely assured us would secure
our door if set up against it. Hearing an
incessant clack-clack of feminine tongues
that ran on into the wee sma' hours. like
Tennyson's brook, | determined toward
morning to see what was going on. Softly
removing the plank and looking into the
adjoining room-what do you think | saw?
Seven women, among whom was our host
ess, squatted flat upon the floor, each with
black rebOSa drawn tightly over her head,
putting away at a cigarette as for dear lite,
and chattering with the energy of a crazy
blackbird The good lady, having been
turned out of bed by los eatranqeyds 47neri-
caROS, had invited in her neighbors to be-
guile the hours and discuss the event. In
the morning call for water for purposes
of ablution
CREATED AN IMMENSE SENSATION,
For the family-if they wash at all-re-
pair to the watering trough in the yard.
At last tin baking-pan was brought, con-
tanning quart of water for two women ::
but neither love nor lucre could produce
towels or mirrors-articles they never
possessed. Before taking our departure,
the mistress of the mansion desired, with
housewifely pride, to show us her home.
Hers is the largest house-and presum-
ably the finest-in Santo Tomas. 1t is a
big, rambling structure of upholstered
adobe, with numerous ellis and additions,
unfinished and totally unfurnished, and
filthy beyond conception. In one of the
rooms part Of the rude partition had
been removed, leavin- he door intact in
its frame, but no wall beyond it, and our
hostess explained the deficit by saying that
the boards had been recently taken down
to make coffin for her father-in-law.
Before leaving the valley we made
search for the old Mission bells. which
now hang from a cross-beam in the open
held, their rusty tongues forever mute.
The images that once adorned the ruined
church are now kept in nearby farm
house; but such coarse and tawdry carlca-
lures are they that not even the memory
OF the long-dead friars who PRAYED before
them can induce one to regard them with
reverence. Near the ruins of the church
is an olive grove of great age and beauty.
while growing all around it are peaches
and pomegranites, apples and date-palrns,
pears, plums and apricots VINEYARDS adj
join the groves, clumps of wild bamboo
clusters around the adobes, and impenetra-
bic thickets of "prickly pear" cactus
follow all the hill curves to the mountains
base.
SPRINGS OF WARM SULPHUR WATER
Issue from the mesa on which the ruins
stand and mingle with the acequias, or
irrigating bitches.
As we paused near the school-house.
the teacher "a queer little old
man, with arms not larger than
those of a year-old baby, one of
native family who are all thus singularlv
deformed), came out and politely invited
US to enter. According to the universal
custom in Mexican schools the children
were all studying aloud, shouting their
lessons In sing-song chorus, producing
babel most confusing, while several
canaries in cane cages added their shrill
voices to the general hubbub. | noticed,
with surprise, that several loaded muskets
were ranged against the wall-but whether
kept for possible visitors in the shape of
snakes and coyotes, or used by the baby