The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-30
JUSTICE FIELDS GREAT OAK.
Said To Be the Largest in California and
to Cover Several Acres.

(From the San Francisco Chronicle
Long before California became a part
of American territory there existed in
stands there after half century Of &C.
cupation, q wonderful specimen of the
live oak indigenous TO this State. 1t was
IL marvel to the Mexican of those days,
and was pointed out as one of the curios
ties of the land to the few visitors to the
coast.
Among those to whom the natural
wonder had boon shown in the days of
Mex loan domination was young passed
midshipman of the United States navy
whose ship had anchored in Monterey
Bay. His name was Timothy Beals
Field, and he is now long since dead.
The midshipman belonged to a family
whore mem bers have been distinguished
in science and business, in the pulpit
and in literature, at the bar and on the
bench Of the Supreme Court. He was
SO amazed at the sight of the marvellous
tree that he sketched it and wrote an &C
count of it to his father, a clergyman re-
siding among the Berkshire hills of Mas
sachusetts. This incident was long for
gotten. 1t was only last year, on the oc-
casion of His visit to California, that the
recollection came to the mind of Justice
up. The tree was found. 1t proved to be
even more extraordinary than as de-
scribed by the young midshipamn to his
father.
After exploring its labyrinths, the par
ty returned to San Francisco. Soon after
Justice Field went East on his official
duties, ana while there Mrs. Field W rote
an acco unit of their visit to ths tree
which reads:
Rounding the lagoon we saw ahead
Of US large sand hill with crown Of
green, and as we passed the hamlet of
Seaside we learned that we were ap-
preaching our Mecca. A climb in the
sand and up few rickety steps brought
us under the sheltering branches of the
largest tree so far known to Californians
not in height (though its height Is
great), but in its capacity to shelter. I
FeAdTkeu thdu 1uOuSut 500 porSUuS
could stand comfortably beside me, but
a learned man in our party said rather
5000. Since the midshipm an wrote of it
the tree must have expanded vastly, for
1t now covers more acres than one. Its
trunk is not to be seen; the fine light
sand has drifted In to the depth of thirty
or forty feet, and covered and protected
this relic. Its branches remind one of
the LAGOON; 1t seemed almost as if they
not only could shelter, but would en-
brace us, too. Each branch is the size of
an ordinary tree, and there are numb ers
of them spreading out latitudinously,
with other branches on these, shooting
upward to the sun, the foliage being all
on top an very dense.
"The tr go is of the variety known az
the California live oak, quercus wren
its leaves are small, fresh and crisp, and
of vitality unimpaired by years, and
they do not fall with the seasons.
"It Is said that no one has ever yet seen
leaf of the live oakunfold or fall.
"The outside form of the tree Is beauti-
full, being entirely circular, and as you
sit under it's shelter and admire you can
not but speculate as to its age; its gnarled
and crooked branches proclaim greatl
antiquity, its lovely green, perpetual
youth.
SIT may be added that ever since the
rediscoyery of the tree it is popularity
known as 'Jnstice Fields oak."'