Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-04-01
BElLOTA STOCK FARM.
BNTTELL,
Middlebury, Vt.

From the Breeder and Sportsman, san Fran
cisco
1t was only few weeks ago that
correspondent of this journal paid long
promised visit to the Bellota stock farm,
owned by that prince among men,
Charles f. Needham, one of the directors
of the San Joaquin Valley agricultural
society, and one of its most Jealous
workers. Ever since the building of a
kite-shaped track at Stockton was broach-
ed and until the last trotting event of
this year was over this gentleman has
been one of its most faithful supporters
and attendants, whether in the timers or
in the Judges stand.
But to our trip. 1t was a beautiful
moonlight night when we boarded the
stern-wheel steamer, j. d. Peters. The
bay was soon crossed, and then the easy
gliding vessel steamed into the tortuous
windings of the far-famed San Joaquin
river. The myriads of wild ducks and
geese that were disturbed while feeding
were the only sounds we heard except
the steady splashing of the wheel at the
stern or the ripping of the waters at the
bow. How the pilot kept the channel
and did not strike the sharp corners of
the dark-looking banks will always re-
main one of the uneXpainable mysteries.
Tired of gazing on the windings of the
river and the flickering of the noon
IL l.
to the main stream, and believing we
could safely rely on our pilots know
ledge of the course, we retired to our
stateroom and awoke at Z o'clock in the
"City of the Kite-Shaped Track" Mr..
Needham met us at the boat with team
of slashing black colts, and after IA drive
around the suburbs of the city we were
soon on the famous stage road to Mokel-
umne hill. In the days of old, the days
of gold, this beautiful, wide road was
thronged with teams and pedestrians
''golng to the mines" Five stage lines
were at one time engaged in carrying
passengers to the "digglngs." over this
thOroughfare. The only monument of
those lively times which stands is the old
twelve mile house on the right of the
road it is only deserted house now
opposite it, on the left, the old tumbing-
down barn is seen, where the teamsters
unhitched and stabbed their horses.
In two hours fIom the time we left
Stockton we were at the top of the
Ia Nj Dill
stock farm, which was bordered on the
side nearest us by row of liveOak trees
on the opposite side the Calaveras river
flowed and separated this stock farm
from the hills which could plainly be
seen from where we stopped to gaze on
the scene before us. There were the
stacks of alfalfa hay, the three barns,
the farm house, the orchard, the grain
fields and the alfalfa field that was show
ing the. emerald tops of the clover like
leaves which would in a few days cover
the surface completely. A turn on the
hillside brought us above number of
mounds of gravel beside the banks of a
little creek; on inquiry we learned that
this was all that was left to mark the
spot of an active mining camp where
thousands of dollars were taken from
the gravel plts by hardy gold hunters
The flood of recOlections of all the
scenes in mining life depicted so well by
Bret Harte and Mark Twain seemed to
crowd out all thoughts of our mission as
we looked upon these fast fading monu.
ments of prosperous era. Driving
across the road through gate, and on
through an orchard to the house, we
found that the hand of an artisan had
been working wonders In Transforming
this long-neglected farm into one that
would be a credit to the county.
The day YVES warm and pleasant, and
walk down:to the pasture was suggest,
ed and agreed to. Here Mr.. Needhan
has his collection of broodmares, colts
and fillies. While on the way, in answer
to an inquiry as to how he came to Cali
fornia, Mr.. Needhap said he left his old
home in Addison, Vermont, with quite a
lot of fine Morgan horses aud settled in
DeKalb, Illinois; after remaining there
some time he resolved TO come to Cali,
fornia, so he started with his family and
Morgan horses, descendants of the stock
which had been in his fathers possess
ion many years, the most prominent OF
which was the grapddam of Steve Whip