The herald., 1896-04-19
EARLY DAYS IN
THE SOUTHWEST

population, living usually in picturesque
half tumble-down houses. The old.
time houses and many of the
and were generally about 4x12x18 inches
in size. The same material was used for
mortar and afterward plastered over the
outside of the building; then the walls
were washed with lime of yellow, green,
blue or pink shade. These interesting old
buildings are fast being torn down to give
room for more modern structures. The
adobe house is considered by many to be
the coolest of houses in the summer and
the warInest in the winter.
All the old towns were settled by the
Spanish, and were consequently given
Spanish names, usually the name OF some
saint, their word for male saint being San
and for female Santa. Among such towns
are San Diego (St James). Santa barbara,
San Buenaventura Good Fentura), COM
monty called Ventura, San Pedro (St.
Peter), san Mateo (St. Matthew. San
Pablo (St. Paul.. San Rafael, San Gabriel,
Santa Ana, San Luis Obispo (St. Luis the
Bishop, Santa Monica, San Bernardino
ana 80 on. The names of many of the
towns have odd signifcations and peculiar
pronunciations. The Spanish is
nearly always pronounced as 9, and J as
h, 9 as a and as r. Tia Juana (pronounc-
ed as tier warner), small town near the
Los Gatos means .the Cats"
and La Jolla pronounced La-ho-yeh)
"the caves'; the original name of Los An
geles was the "Pueblo de Nuestra Sonora
la Reina de Los Angeles" which means
"The Town Of Our Lady the Queen of the
Escondido "hidden." Goleta is "schooner"
ami Hueneme is pronounced y-na.mer.
There are a hundred or more towns with
| Just such peculiar names and odd mean
ings. Some other Spanish names COM
monty heard here are: Sierra, which means
mountain chain; Madre, mother; Nevada,
snowy; Colorado, red; Cajon, box; Rio
| growing in the wet lands; coyote (pro-
nounced ki-o.te), a species of the wolf;
temblor, earthquake; mesa pronounced
Tnacer), an upland or plateau; arroyo seco,
dry river; butte, hill or low mountain
with cliff.like sides: canyon, ravine or
| gulch; campo, plain; cienaga, marsh or
swamp; pinola, parched corn ground fine;
pinoche, q candy made Of English walnuts,
chopped and cooked with brown sugar; (;
rancho, q farm: rio, river; fandango,
| dance; corral, stockyard or pen; serape,
blanket; lariat, rawhide rope; hacienda,
estate; and many more too numerous to
mention.
The Spaniards who settled Southern Cal
ifornia were contented, happy, ,hospitable
| people before the discovery of gold, when
the country was flooded with the rough ele-
ment and the greedy seeker after wealth.
from all parts of the country. But few of
the old Spanish families now remain; the
Mexicans seen on the streets of many OF
the towns here, and often erroneously
called Spanish, are an entirely different
class from the pure -blooded Spaniards of
the earlier days. These Spanish people
were universally hospitable, which was for
tunate. to say the least, for the traveller, as
there were no hotels in California until
1916.
A stranger might ride from one end Of
the country to the other without cost to
himself--to have charged him for anything
necessary for his comfort would have been
considered very mean. The horse fur
nished him at the last ranch where he
stopped was left at the next ranch that he
visited, fresh one being supplied there
for him to continue his journey. when it
pleased him to do so. Some time later, in
reclaiming his stock, the owner would re-
ceive the horse thus loaned back again.
The mission fathers were also glad to en-.
tertain strangers, and everything was pro-
vided for their comfort.
The people lived out OF doors the greater
part of the time, and they all travelled about
on horseback except the old and the s sick .,!s
wheels of which were of one solid pieca OF
timber, hewed from an oak tree, and foot
or more thick, without tires. They were
creased with soap, quantity OF which was
carried along for that purpose. They were
drawn by oxen, the yoke being fastened to
their horns with rawhide, and in spite of
the SOAP their approach was known a long
way off by the great squeaking that they
kept up. frame made of round sticks
and covered over usually formed the top
and hide or two answered for the floor.
Governor Micheltorena, when he came to
California, brought with him from Mexico
an ambulance with shafts, but as there was
not broken horse in all California to dreg
1t, and no such thing as a harness to be
found, he had two mounted vaqueros fas!en
their lariats to the shafts and to their sad
dies, and in this manner he was hauled
| about.
The young people were very fond of
gayety and would ride from ranch to ranch
attending parties, festivals and entertain
ments OF various kinds. At the time of the
Carnes tolendas or carnival season, eggs
emptied of their natural contents and
filled with perfumed water or cologne were
used to salute friends, the eggs heing
broken over them. Parties were held at
which everyone was loaded with these eggs
which they threw at each other, creating
| great fun and amusement. The mission
fathers also enjoyed and entered into this
sport, becoming very uproarious over it at
times. Great balls were given. to which
every respectable perso IN for miles around
was invited. The ballroom was usually
outside of the house, as the houses were too
small to accommodate the crowd which at
tended them. A large space was rooted
over with boughs, the sides of which were
inclosed with cloth and decorated with
flowers and ribbons. the fourth side being
left open and q strong fence built across
it, back of which the horsemen congregat-
ed, with many tussle for the best posi-
tions. Around the three enclosed sides
seats were built for the accommodation of
the ladies and in corner out OF the way
the orchestra. consisting of violinists, gut
tar players and several singers, were sta
toned. A great variety of figures were
danced and the balls lasted until daylight.
After lSl0 these balls were more select
and class distinction was clearly defined.
10 attend the fandango invitations were
not necessary; any one might go who
chose to do 40, but the higher classes did
not appear at these dances. Every enc
wan Rorgeously and expensively attired,
and any one who did not follow this Gus
tom was made sport of. Gamblers, poems,
Indians and the riif-raT generally attended
these dances. The women threw cascarons
(egg shells filled with finely cut paper of
ali the colors of the rainbow at the men,
and they were in courtesy bound to return
the fire. Al one of these fandangoes "A
man, having exhausted his supply Of cae-
ccarons on fair senorta. turled and
borrowed one from his nearest neighbor
aud threw it; but as its natural contents
had not been removed, and as it was also
in state of decay, it did not produce the
effect sought after. and tho man turned
upon the one from whom he had borrowed
il and shot him dead, which pu. q stop to
the dance for while. No liutlorc xvoro |