The San Francisco call., 1897-10-10

Just sixty years ago Juan Amoroso, one
OF those early mission aries TO California
who dared every thing in behalf of their
faith, per formed the right of baptism on
young Indian girl in the waters of what
was then known as the Chocoalomi River.
On the day of the ceremony the church
was celebrating the Feast of Santa Rosa
de Lima and the girl was named in honor
of that saint and it is from this incident
that the present city OF Santa Rosa, situa-
ted on the Chocoalomi. now the Santa
Rosa Creek, derives its musical name.
In 1889 building, now known as the
''Old Adobe" was erected by Mrs. CarriIo,
a sister-in-law of General Vallejo. To this
lady was granted large tract OF lana, IN
Guiding the site of the present city of
Santa Rosa. The adobe house still stands
on the Santa Rosa Greek, a mile and a nalf
above the town, and with the exception of
the rude dwellings constructed Dy the
Russians at or near Fort Ross was the
first building erected in the Sonoma
Valley.
Here is a graphic picture of the histor-
lcal establishment as it was IN 1850 when
in the possession of Ramon Carrllo, for
which, as for other interesting features in
this article, I He CALLS correspondent is
inde bted to R. A Thompson, one of Santa
Rosa's most prominent citizens: I'm front
OF the house was a courtyard OF considera-
bic extent. and part of this was sheltered
by a porch. Here, when the vaQueros
have nothing to do, they pass the day,
looking like retainers of a rude court. A
dozen wild, vlcious-looking horses, with
wooden saddles on their backs, stand ever
ready for work. While lounging about
the vaqueros smoke, play the guitar or
twist new riaGa of hide and horse hair.
When the sun gets lower thev go to sleep
in the shade and the little horses in the
sunshine apparently do the same. Pres
emily VaquerO, judging the time by the
sun, gets up and yawns, staggering lazily
toward his horse, gathers up his RATA and
twists it around the horn OF his saddle.
The others awakening, arise and do the
same, all yawning, with eyes half open,
looking as lazy crowd as ever was seen.
'Hupa! AudaF and away they go in a
cloud of dust, splashing through the river,
waving their lassos around their heads
with q wild shout and disappearing from
sight almost as soon as mounted"
Where were enacted such picturesque
scenes less than half century ago what
does one find to-day?
Santa Rosa is euphoniously termed
''city of roses" 1t is rather city OF busi-
ness, repiete with beautiful homes and
weIi-appointed schools and churches. The
roses are there beyond a doubt, but they
are only sideshow.
The town is situated fifty miles north of
San Francisco. and is reached by two lines
OF railroad. 1t is near the center of Santa
connected by railroads and good county
roads. 1t is and always has been an am
bilious town. Hardly had the survey of
it's first street, which followed the line of
Main and Mendocino streets, been COM
pleted than it challenged the old town OF
Sonoma for a contest for the county seat,
and to the astonishment of the State and
the utter bewilderment OF the staid old
capital, the headquarters of the United
States army and the theater OF the bear
flag inciGent, the am bilious little town
won the fight.
There was not in Santa Rosa, at the
time, even an apoio ogy of a roof to shelter
the representatives. OF the State, but the
victory really started the town. Oppo-
sition fairly overcome is an excellent
tonic, as was proved in this case. From
Santa Rosans has been Excelsior
Two Germans, Bertold Hoen and Feo-
dore Hahman, and native Californian,
Julio CarrilIo, a descendant of Ramon
Carrllo, alluded to above, were foremost
in the advance movement of the citizens.
The first named was particularly so, and
his memory will long be honored in the
valley, as the practical founder of the
capital OF Sonoma.
The progress from that time on has been
steady. The valuation of real and per-
sonal property in Santa Rosa to-day is
assessed at three million seven hundred
thousand dollars. 1t has twenty-three
miles of gradeo Streets the principal ones
comparing bly, in general appear
ance with those OF cities many times its
siz'. In less t an forty years the popu-
lation OF The city proper has increased
from four hundred to about eie ht
thousand. and the pervading air of
general prosperity warrants the prediction
OF continued growth.
The climate is as fair a sample of Cali
fornia's world-famed feature as she would
wish to offer TO the world. An average
EN- perature of seventy-two degrees, an
average rainfall of thirty inches ana ex.
fell, succession of warm, sunny days. is
surely as near Utopian conditions as M cd.
ern man can conceive
When the farmer of the Atlantic States
is piling on his back logs TO keep himself
from freezing and his hou,e habltabe the
Santa Rosa vineyardistis is hauling his ton,
of grapes to the press in the hot sun
When, is usually the case, the fall
rains come in October, the hills are green
by the first of November. The new sea-
sons growth follows on the heels of the
old, and one vintage often actually over
takes the next.
With such climatic conditions it is no
wonder that Santa Rosa seems to its visi.
tors to be wreathed in perpetual smiles.
Even Fourth street, the main artery OF
the city and wholly devoted TO retail
stores, has festive air that reminds one
of very similar scenes in the Riviera; and