New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-09
CALIFORNIA STORIES.
THE LAST OF THE MUSTANGS-GRlZzLlES
AND FRONTIERSMEN.


The mountains Of San Luis Obspo offer some OF
the strangest frontier and types to be fouhu
on the Pacific Coast. The region was one OF ulo
last stronghods Of the native Calfornians. Helen
Hunt Jackson collected good den Of material le"
months before her death in the old town OF san LUIS
from the Spanish priests there, and would perhaps
have written another Californian novel she had had
one more year of life. She thought that the region
combined to a remarkable degree the peculiar charms
Of Northern and Southern California, and she often
spoke of its waste wealth Of literary material"
MY thoughts were turned to san Luis the other day
by the news from there that had found a band
OF wild horses in the mountains and had captured
about twenty in corral. There are four or hVc
bands of wild horses that take OF themselves in
the uufenccd mountains Of the Upper sieTas, but
none in the Coast Range, north Of san Luis. Ihey
are descended from Spanish "mustangs' and are as
wild and worthless for any kind Of work as it IS
possible to imagine In one case. in early times. q
,papsh land owner was persuaded to buy an American
plough and SOW some wheat. lie had four or five
mustangs tied to the plough beam, put boys on the
mustangs, and ran them across the fields, with sew
cral Indians hanging to the plough handles Every
now and then the mustangs flew out on the plouGhod
ground and kicked " for all they were WORTH After
a little while the Old Don heard to say: "Wlat
men these Americans are! How hard they work for
nothing" And 50 he went back to his brush harrow
one Of the characters Of san Luis died short
time ago. He was frontiersman, known over
thousands of square miles of mountain and valley as
Uncle Billy OF Joscphlne.7 lie was grizzed
giant certainly the coolest and strongest man In thc
region and ne kept saloon for the quicksilver miners
a postoifce and a store. He was a blacksmith a
school trustee and a few things besides, especially
wheel horse at camp meetings. one night two MeAl
can miners in his saloon tried to rob the 0!d man.
The door WAS Shut but he threw the foremost Mexican
through the panels into the road. and then, putting
his arms about the three others, showed them en- masse
through the spluters and fragments Of the broken
door. lone or two OF them MeXicans stuck their
knives into me- said Uncle Billy afterward, but
never showed was hurt and after they were throwed
was clear through his ARM but the other hand, he
crippled most Of the McXicans for life.
There were plenty Of grizzlies around the mountains
fifteen years ago, and 1 hear Of them, even now
Every one in the mountains has an immense respect
for the grizzly. An old frOnticrsman tells me thaJ
a few years ago he hunting stray cattle, and he
came on a new settlers cabin beside an oak IN d
mountain valley. lie stayed with the settler over
night sleeping in a blanket before the fire. During
the night they heard great noise outside. The
settler looked hastily out and reported that large
bear was nj Ito mcat-safc, which hung under the oak
tree The frOnticrsman was asked 10 shoot 1t, but
said Bee aould not r.,@ it, with only revolver and
o. shotgun. The VIE If the settler remarked that
they were both towards, and She would drive II or
vita broom. They locked the door, prevented heF
from 6oug out and shortly alter heard the meat ,aio
fdl. and roll into the .ulch. In the morning they
/ found that M old horse had become cntangcd ~
tuc rope, Of the meat safe, and finally torn IL down
in Do. struggle, aid dra--cd 1t down tc raNlne. The
ola irouticrauan and the new settler were Obliged in
Ant,ul, within week and stay there until they had
killed a grizzly apiece.