Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-07
AN OLD TIMER-SOME PECULIAR REMI.
NISCENCES.

has been handed down to us from the
Argonaut, and the pre-Argonaut, days,
is that of Colonel John D. Stevenson, of
the celebrated Stevenson regiment fame.
Last year lot of appreciative old Cali
fornians gave the colonel banquet, on
the occasion Of his attaining his ninety
first birthday. The old gentleman was
as elastic and clipper as boy of twenty,
and no man around the Widespread
board contributed more acceptably to
the feast of reason and flow of soul than
he. To reporter of one of the leading
San Francisco dailies, who asked him to
what he ascribed his longevity and good
health, he answered cheerily, ITO the
drinking of good whisky punch every
morning before breakfast" The colonel
is now ninety-two, and the Midsummer
San Francisco Wasp contains contribu-
ton from his pen on California in
1S47-4S."
Colonel Stevenson's article is reada-
BILE in itself, but it is especially interest
ing from some startling "reminiscences OF
his early experiences in Los Angeles.
He says of his regiment, "that of the
thousand men who came to California
in that regiment, the lock of the prison
door has never turned on one of them" F"
On his arrival in this state he report
ed to General Kearney, and he was or
dered first to Monterey and then to Los
Angeles. He was in the Angelic City
from June 9th until October "a, 1S4S.
His account of the primitive state of
things he found here then will excite
some astonishment. He says:
There was no society to speak of in
Los Angeles at that time; in fact, there
were no houses to live in. The people,
however, were hospitable in a degree
unknown to more modern civilization.
Everything that the ranches afforded
was at the disposal of the guest. The
elegant entertainments, including gay
cavalcades, luxurious banquets, divine
music. beautiful sef1oritas and richly
caparisoned equines of the California
type, existed only in the Imagination OF
romantic writer's.
family OF seventy persons, mostly
children and native retainers, would eat
and sleep in one long room. The Indian
servants, many of them handsomely
proportioned fellows with native grace
in every movement, wore no clothes at
all. The extreme of dressing was a clout
around the loins, but they were such in
veterate gamblers that they would haz-
ard that scanty covering, and therefore
it was not an unusual thing for the sue
cessful player to win all the clothing,
while the unlucky gamblers went
naked as the day they were born until a
change of luck took place.
This picture is certainly at variance
with the accounts which we receive from
many other and reliable sources of the
condition of things which existed IN
Southern California, of which Los An
geles was one of the most elegant Gen.
ters, at that time. There are quite a
number OF publications, notably notes of
officers of the British navy, Dana's
Three Years Before the Mast, and many
other works oftravel, which show that
there was even at that early day in
Southern California, and long before, a
considerable number Of people with pre-
tensions to an elegant hospitality.
But the venerable Stevenson gives the
reins to his jocund fancy, which he is
kind enough to consider "reminiscences
He relates the following incident:
l recollect dinner given in my honor
at Los Angeles, by an Englishman who
had married Spanish lady of one oi
the best families. The dinner was an
event approaching in dignity what
would be called in the society parlance
of today function" Great prepara-
tions were made for the feast. In order
that nothing should be done to offend
the guests sense of American propriety,
the Indian waiter-whose name l shall
call "Monte"-was persuaded to wear a
shirt with ample skirt while serving the
different courses of the banquet. Every.
thing passed along in perfect stream
OF delight until the waiter was obliged
to handle some exceedingly hot dishes
Then "Monte," perceiving that neces-
sity knows no law or modesty either
gathered up the ample folds of his ap
parel to relieve his hands. from the heat
Of the dishes. and so marched into the
banquet hall with as much dignity as 9
drum major on fete day. Then, as now
it was hard to get servants to fully com
prehend instructions. Remonstrance
was unavailing. 1t was "Monte's" bust
ness to serve the dinner, and he served
it in his own simple fashion.
That Los Angeles may at that time
have approached the simplicity of the
old patriarchal times we are ready tt
admit, but the imagination of the ven
erable caballero has undoubtedly rur
away with his discretion in the forego
ing. If Colonel Stevenson had devel
oped such vein of fancy earlier in lif'
he might have aspired to be th'
king of the dime novel fraternity. On,
would think that in the passage quoted
he had attained the acme of the improb
able. But, no! He has reached ia
greater heights OF romance. Hear him
The inhabitants of the country livet
any way that was convenient. Ii mea
was wanted a bullock was killed anc
strung up in the sun. The fiei
helped themselves to the meat anC
birds helped themselves to the flies. 1
the family wanted some of the bullock
the servant went out and cut off the de
sired quantity.
I remember that Captain Blank, 9
| regular army officer. came out from St