The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-06-12
JUSTICE FIELDS GREAT OAK.
Said to be tho Largest In California and
u to Cover Several Acres. q.

Said to be tho Largest In Californi. and
to Cover Several Acres. #
Long before California became a part
OF American territory there existed in
the vicinity Of Monterey, and there still
stands there after a half century Of oc-
Gsnpation, q wonderful specimen Of. the
live oak indigenous to this state. It
was a marvel to the Mexicans Of those
days, and was pointed out as oae of the
curlosities of the land to the few WIS.,
itors to the coast. f. -. :, 5s.. -
Among those to whom the = natural
wonder had been shown in the days Of
mexican domination was a young passed
midshipman Of the United States navy,
whose ship had anchored i'll Monterey
Bay; His name was Timothy sBeais
l nleid, and he is now long since dead.
The midshipman belonged to a family
whose members had been distinguished
IN science and business. in the pulnit
and III literature. at the bar and on The
bench of the Supreme court He was
SO amazed by the sight of the marvellous
tree that he sketched it and. wrote an
account of it to his father, u clergyman
residing among the Berkshire hills Of
Massachusetts. This incident was long
forgotten. 1t was only last year, on the
occasion of his visit to California, tl,at
the recollection came to the mind of
Justice Stephen J. Field. A party was
made up. The tree was found, 1t
proved to be even more extraordinary
than as described by the young mid
shipman to his father.
After exploring its labyrinths, the par
~ returned to San Francisco. Soon
adter Justice Field went East on his
9mcial duties, and while there Mrs.
Field wrote an account of their visit
to the tree, which reads: :
&c houndlng the lagoon we saw ahead
OF us large sand hill with a crown Of
green, and as we passed the hamlet Of
SEASIDE we learned that we were an
preaching our Mecca. A climb in the
sana ana upa few rickety steps brought
largest tree so far known to Califor-
nlans-not III height Though it's height
is great, but in its capacity to shelfen
l remarked that l thought 800 persons
could stand comfortably beside me, but
q learned man in our party said rather
5OOO. Since the midshipman wrote of It
the tree must have expanded vastly, for
It 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. It's branches remind one of
the LAGOON; it seemed almost as if
they not only could shelter but would
embrace us, too. Each branch is tho
SIZE VI an ordlnary tree, and there are
NUMBERS OF them spreading out lati.
tudinously, with other branches on these.
shooting upward to the sun, the foliage
being all on top and very dense.
The tree 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.
1T is said that no one has ever yet
seen leaf of the live oak unfold or
fall.
The outside form of the tree is beau
tiful, being entirely circular, and as
you sit under it's shelter and admire you
cannot but speculate as to it's age. It's
gnarled and crooked branches proclaim
great antiquity, its lovely green perpet.
ual youth.
1T may be added that ever since the
rrediscovery of the tree it is popularity
Francisco Chronicle (