Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-11-10
A BULus-HEAD BREAKFAST.
An OId-Time Barbecue ON the saA
nOminguea Ranch I'm s0uthern Cali
fROrnfa--Picturesque Customs.

0mlnguezRanch I'm Southern Cali
i3ornia-Piefuresuue Customs.
Down near the ocean, not far from
San Pedro, lies the Dominguez ranch, .
typical Spanish-American home of the
old school; a ranch that was famous
for its open-handed hospitality In the
good old days when the king highway
from San Diego to Monterey meant
something. and the missions were in
their glory.
The Dominguez ranch was originally
grant from the king of Spain of 3d.
600 acres given to Nazario Dominguez
for services to the crown, the immedi-
ate donor being the viceroy of all the
CALIFORNIA;. Don Nazario was the great
grandfather of the present owners; q
man famous from the Mission San
Diego to Monterey for his hospitality,
his wine and stock. Since this time the
ranch has been subdivided. Don Naza-
rio left it to his son Manuel, and he in
turn divided the property among sew
eral heirs, so that the present ranch.
vast as it is, represents only fragment
of the great principality.
At the beginning of the civil war
Gen. Drum had his barracks on the
ranch, and battle was fought here in
1916 between the Americans and the
Mexicans.
The Dominguez family, in honor of a
custom long held by old Don Nazario
and Don Manuel, recently gave a bar
becue, or bull's-head breakfast Invita-
tions were sent to more than 400 people,
mostly descendants of the old families,
whose Spanish names were an interest.
ing reminder of the time when Cortea
was building ships in Mexico and send
ing expeditions to explore California
Del Vale, Rosario Dominguez, Aguirre,
Bandini, Francisco, Wolfskiel, are all
suggestive of the old regime.
What used to be a stage road leading
from San Pedro to Arizona is now a
railroad, by which the guests arrived,
making their way from the station up
to the old adobe house which stands
much as it did half a century ago,
though equipped with modern comforts
and surrounded by luxuriant semi
tropical garden.
The tables were set in grove be-
meath olive, lemon and walnut trees,
with the fragrance of the ripening fig
old retainers of the family, who had
never learned English, were busily at
work. Early in the day they had
slaughtered several beeves, which had
been fattening for the feast for months.
Each man had cut from the neighbor-
ing willows long, slender pole, upon
which were thrust slices of meat weigh
ing several pounds. Then the Goals
were uncovered, and each paisano held
his meat over the red-hot embers, slow
~ turning the long poles.
All the while the servants were load
ing the long tables with red and white
wine and all the delicacies of California,
and not far away was the piece de re-
sistance, the bulls head, which had
been slowly cooking for two days. A
large hole had been dug, in which
roaring fire was started with hardwood,
and when it burned to fine bed of
Goals it was covered over, and the bulls
head, wrapped with damp paper and
cloth, was placed over it, and covered
with earth and sacks and allowed to
cook. The result was dish so savory
and delicious that il invoked enthusi-
astic cheers when placed before the
guests.
The table fairly groaned with good
things strange to eastern eyes. There
was the mysterious tamale, which the
average tourist believes to be some kind
of animal, served in crisp corn husks,
and tortillas made by an old Mexican
woman in the very fashion of half
century ago. There was chill in every
thing, and strings of the deep red fruit
hanging on the neighboring trees,
blaze of color, made an effective setting
to the unusual scene. There was en-
chilada, from special receipt; olive
cocktail, frijoles-rich, red and appetiz-
ing; red wine from the vineyard, not
SO yards away, and heaps of the grapes
themselves-white and red; figs, piled
in purple and light green heaps, and
walnuts, raisins, almonds, olives,
oranges, lemons and lines do not begin
to exhaust the list of delicacies.
From among the trees came the notes
OF the Spanish band-the guitar, man.
dolin and either, and the click of the
castanets uniting in the dreamy melody
of Lu Paloma. Under the spell of this
environment one could hardly realize
the change that has come over the land
during the past ten or twenty years.
What 90 years ago was pastoral coun-
try is now cut by railroads, dotted by
townships, and includes Los Angeles, a
city of $50, 900 inhabitants.
The barbecue is now gradually dying
r n L
a thing of the paste. F. Holder, in N.