Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1898-11-23
A BULL's-HEAD BREAKFAST.
An OId-Time Barbecwe on the san
DOmingueHRRnchI In Southern Cali
acknowledgements Customs.

DOmtnRu en- H0nch IN HOuthern Cal-
acknowledgements 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 kings highway
from San Diego to Monterey meant
something. and the missions were in
their glory.
The DomingueZ ranch was originally
n grant from the king of Spain of 49,
900 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;
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 il to his son Manuel, and he in
turn divided the property among sew
eral heirs, so that the present ranch,
vast as ii is, represents only a 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 Dominique family, in honor of
custom long held by old Don Nazario
and Don Manuel, recently gave bar
becuc, 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 Cortez
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 stage road leading
from San Pedro to Arizona is now
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 a grove be-
meath olive, lemon and walnut trees.
with the fragrance of the ripening fig
filling the air. Five swarthy paisanos.
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 ucighbor
ing willows a long, slender pole, upon
which were thrust slices of meat weigh.
ing several pounds. Then the Goals |
we're uncovered, and each paisano held
his meat over the red-hot embers slow
ly 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. |
aud not far away was the piece de re.
sistance. the bulls head. which had |
been slowly cooking for two days. \ |
large hole had been dug, in which u |
roaring fire was started with hardwood. |
and when it burned TO Il fine bed of |
Goals it was covered over. and the bulls |
head, wrapped with damp paper and |
cloth, was placed over il, and covered |
with earth and sacks and allowed &c
cook. The result was dish so savory |
and delicious that il invoked enthusi.
astic cheers when placed before the
guests.
The table fairly groancd with good
things strange TO eastern eyes. There
was the mysterious tamalc, which the
average tourist believes to be some kind |
OF animal, served in crisp corn huSks,
and tortillas made by an old MeNican
woman in the very fashion Of half a
century ago. There was chill in every
thing, and strings of the deep red fruit
hanging on the neighboring trees, a
blaze of color, made an effective setting
20 the unusual scene. There was en-
chilada, from special receipt; olive
cocktail, frijolcs--rch, red and appetiz-
lug; red wine from the vineyard. not
80 yards away, and heaps of the grapes
themselves-white and red; figs. piled
in purple and light green heaps, and
walnuts, Taisins, 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 20 years ago was pastoral coun-
try is now cut by railroads, dotted by
townships, and includes Los Angeles,
city of 1901 900 inhabitants.
The barbecue is now gradually dying
out. and in a few years will be entirely
a thing of the paste. +. Holder, in n.
Doet