The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-01
NILES.
Recollections of Thanksgiving Thirty
Years Ago.

Years Ago.
Editor Morning Gail: THANKSGIVING,
ali me! All the good things of life must
come-must go-turkeys, cranberries, mnce
pies, pumpkin pies, and all the other dam
ties that must grace every table around
which gather thankful hearts each year,
and over all beautiful, glorious sky to
make glad the soul of man.
Among many Of the old-timers there exists
tie us close, almost closer, than knShip,
and around the tables, in one or another
friends, where, mayhap, the circle has been
broken-grandfather, mother or friend 5
may have gone, little folks have crept in
year by year, until, as the years have gone
by, their little ones have come and the circle
grows wider, with here aud there a loving
grandmother to gather the grandchildren
about her knee and tell Of Thanksgiving
thirty years ago. A few old Califor-
mans may perhaps remember, as
they trudged along the wagon road
from Oak to the Mission, how, after
leaving Vallejo Mills. they saw upon tie
right of the road. not quite halfway to
Mission Pass, an old adobe, about quarter
of mile back of the read; there were
perhaps twenty of these houses scattered
through the valley, built usually by the
ChilenOS or the Spaniards; few Of the
earlier white settlers in the '30's also built
their houses of the adobe, the sycamores
which were, and still are abundant, being
used for the timber which WAS necessary in
their construction. usually fastened toge Their
by rawhide thongs, and rooted, many times,
with rawhide, over which was placed the
inevitable tile. This old adobe by the road
side had been built about 1888. by MEM
Der OF the Mormon or Jusephite band,
which settled in this section about
that time, and was two-storied the
lower floor being used as his dwelling
&c ftper
In 1855 or 1856 regular church was built
IN Centerville and the old adobe was sold
two Eastern gentlemen bought it and with
their families lived there for seven or eight
years. until about 1868, when it became SO
cracked by the ''big earthquake" that it
was torn down. In this old house, with its
great window seats. its tiny window panes,
Its great wide porch, were gathered thirty
years ago happy group of old and young,
and turkey they had, sweet and luscious as
now, all the way from San Francisco, and
cranberries from New Jersey, and pumpkin
and mince pies, just as well seasoned as
now, and nectarine preserves and apples,
yes and peaches, for few of the old settlers
had been wise enough to see the need OF
fruits and vegetables, and there were stray
orchards, perhaps twenty-five acres in all
the valley, where now are more than twenty
five square miles Of orcharding, and Mission
grapes and figs. which of course had been
brought by the padres in 1776. A regulation
New England dinner must, however, be
eaten at whatever cost; even though the
gentlemen of the party might bring in each
week geese. crane, ducks of all kinds, quails
larks, venison or bear steaks even, only tur-
key must grace the Thanksgiving table
These old adobes, most of them, are gone,
but a scant half-dozen, perhaps, still stand,
their old somber walls holding secrets
which whistle and shiver through their
broken window panes or slumber and die
away in the slow march Of years.
Mrs. Daniel Saborn gave a dainty lunch
last Saturday to her friends. Only very
lew were present, but n jolly afternoon was
spent. Apropos of the old-fashioned en-
tertainment which will occur in week or
SO, the hostess showed her guests tiny ar
rangement OF lace and tulle called bonnet
made over twenty-five years ago, and several
old dresses, causing manga smileand look of
astonishmcnt at the beautiful needlework
and strange styles Of long ago.
The Cotillon Club gave its initial party last
Friday evening in tile Town Hall, which had
been laylshly decorated for the occasion.
The white walls were dotted here and there
with immense palm leaves, over the win
dows were masses of ivy and Christmas
berries, the stage was filed with waving
bamboo and framed in ivy and berries, in
which were little tables loaded with coffee