The San Francisco call., 1897-08-15

past age. Once upon a time the ram
shackIe little dwelling on Van Ness ave-
nue. was a place Of some Importance.
General Vallejo was then power In the
land. Leavenworth sat in the Alcaldes
chair and the American flag was rather
new to the California of the time. Inc
house was saloon, hospital, meeting
house and other things, but it was all us
years home for the woman who Will
ieaveit The two grow old together ana
became sort of part OF one another.
Tbs protector built it two stories hlgn.
but one day the wind tipped 1t over and
thereafter they cut the upper halt OF it
away.
Tenants of all sorts were lodged in It,
but its original patron has renamed with
it to the last. With its destruction or
possible conversion into stable Tor any
one who will defray the cost OF moving III,
will disappear the last vestige OF Spanish
reign in that region now known as the
Western Addition.
Mrs., Layillan vacates the premises IN
obedience to an order of Judge Seaweu
made last April settling long pending
dispute as to the ownership OF one OF the
blocks of the Laguna survey. Under that
decision the interest of Mrs. Lavillan was
declared to consist of one.eighth OF the
vafue of the land, but it so happened that
the woman had decided this tile 10 her
daug hter-in-law a S long ago as 1878 so the
action OF Judge Seawell was OF no peca-
mary benefit to her.
The daughter-ln-law has for many years
been stranger TO the old woman, so
there Is no prospect OF gam ior her IN any
vicissltudes OF the place now. 1t has
passed into the hands of the proprletors
of a patent medicine factory adjoining.
and is to be utilized in enlarglng this IN
stitution.
Mrs. Lavillan is proud OF the dlstlnc-
tfon OF being the premier native daugn-
ter OF the CITY. She was born in 1881 at
the Presidio, when Vallejo's flag foated
from the citadel. Her father, Francisco
Soto, was soldier in The service OF Spain,
aud acquired q 100-vara lot from that
doughty pioneer. John Evans, in 1S48.
Subsequently Evans pre-empted 165
acres in that portion of the City now COM
prised between Sutter anu Lombard,
along the line of Van Ness avenue. Soto's
block was included in this pre- emption,
and an attempt on the part OF Evans to
recover possession OF it under the new
title resulted in a feud that has often
since set the neighborhood by the ears
Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Lavillan are still ad-
jacent residents, bat that is as tar as their
relations 60.
When Soto died in 1856 he left five chill
dren to claim his estate. which is now
known in court records as block 8 of the
Laguna survey. The heirs after time
disposed of their interests to Attorney L.
l. Bergin and George w. Haight. These
two finally got into squabble, which re-
suited In sensational lawsuit that
dragged along until 1893.
Haght had taken steps to have the
property administered upon. and one
Saunders got the job. There were
some accounts which it was claimed
that had never been settled by
the elder Soto, so in accordance with law
the Probate Court cancelled both the Ber-
gin and Haight transfers and ordered the
land sold at auction. James Gordon was
the purchaser, but when he shortly after
ward disposed of his purchase TO Haight,
Bergin charged lob" and there was
plenty of fun in the courts. In the end
Bergin managed TO have the Supreme
Court declare MIN the owner OF the inter-
est he acquired from the heirs previous to
the appointment OF the administrator.
All this time Mrs. Lavillan had the
family castle undisturbeo. The opposing
lawyers were still worrying over the
amount of their ownership in the land
and left her in peace as long as neither of
them could declare that the lot was i n
their portion of the estate. Two years
ago Bergin instituted an action in the
courts for partition. with the result that
Judge Seawell ordered an auction sale.
What interest the old woman had in the
property had long ago gone 10 her daugh-
law, but she had forgotten until
yesterday, she declares, that she was home
less. Even now she cannot understand
that she has nothing of right in the house.
The twenty-four years of undisturbed
occupancy las developed in her the idea
of squatter rights. Her son, who lives
with her, has a similar opinion, and was
at first prepared to resist efforts to remove
him. But between Deputy Sheriffs, the
Board of Health and the lawyers he has
iound that he is a trespasser.
OF late years Mrs. Lavillan has made a
living uoing odd jobs for the neigh bors.
AS long as she was allowed to live in her
old home she has been satisfied with
scanty comforts.