The herald., 1898-03-17
GENERAL RosEcRANs' CAREER
His Life and His Home in Southern
California

His Life and His Home In Southern
California
Gen. Rosecrans was, at different tir1es
during his long life, merchant soldier,
a statesman, diplomat and farmer and
fruit raiser, says the Chicago Times
Herald His whole career was that Of a
gentle, noble man. His mind was given to
the serious side of things, and he was in-
tensely averse to speaking about the one
experience of his life that lifted him high
above his fellows and made men take a
deep interest In his personality, and that
was his work as soldier fighting for the
union. His name Is associated with many
of the fiercest battles of the civil war. He
was conspicuous at Rich Mountain, Carni-
fax Ferry, Corinth, Iuka, Stone River and
Chickamauga-
That he loved his country who could
doubt? He was proud Of being an Amerl-
can and proud of his fathers, who fought
and bled for the foundation Of the repuhr
lie. Gen. John Stark of the revolution had
the same blood that flowed in the veins or
"Old Rosey." Seven members Of his family
served honorably In the armies Of Wash
ington.
So much for the war. The generals Cali.
fornia experiences are perhaps more inter.
esting because Of their personal nature.
When peace came Gen. Rosecrans, sur
feited with the intense activities OF the
fighting life turned his mind to farming
Undecided where to settle, he first took
journey to. the coast. Regular army men
are noted for being in love with the coast.
There are more retired officers living In
California than in any other state. Ham
cock, Sheridan and Sherman were all in
love with California's glorious climate. Its
blue skies, it's perennial vegetation. the
infinite peace that settles upon the land.
the exuberance of Its soil and the mysterl-
GUS Pacific, with It's wonderful flora and
fauna. Gen. Grant was making prepaxa-
| tions to end his days In California when
| he fell I'll. All along the coast from Seattle
to San Diego. are to be found OLD soldiers
spending their declining years in sur
roundings the very opposite from those
that accompany the life Of the fighting
man.
| Gem Rosecrans came to California in
1867. At that time San Francisco had yet oil
the bizarre aspects of a city near the gold
mines. Southern California was wilder
ness of sand and sage brush, tangles Of
cacti, fields Of alfalfa and other vegetation
native to the soil. Gen. Rosecrans had
determined beforehand to buy land in Cal
| iforn!a, but when he made inquiries he was
amazed to find great unanimity Of opinion
to the effect that beyond the nrid-Lne Of the
state there was nothing worth having.
ARRIVAL AT LOS ANGELES
He was still looking around" when good
lack threw him in the way of Captain Ban
ming, one of the pioneers of Southern Cali
fornia. Captain Banning persuaded him
to take a trip on his boat to San Pedro. On
the four days voyage the general was
struck with the absence Of harbors all
| along the rugged coast. He was discour-
| aged Could commerce ever go there7
| When he arrived at San Pedro and went
into the interior he felt that the San Fran
| ciscans were right-that the country would
never be anything but a pasture. However
he visited Los Angeles, then a settlement
of few cheap houses. On his way he
stopped at an old adobe ''half-way house
and standing on the eminence he cast his
eye over a stretcn of country 1000 miles IL
| area, as it seemed to him.
Speaking of that sight, he said, littl,
time before his death:
saw at glance around me all this
glorious valley, with the mountains
|
back and on both sides Of me, and the
ocean in front, sounding then and eter-
nally. 1t was a brilliant day, speci-
men day of the 300 perfect ones we have
in this climate. thought had never
; seen such sky, nor such colors in the
atmosphere along near the ground and
over against the mountains. Here,
} said to myself, will buy land and build
| o. 4
oped, may be certain to have neigh
bors in the not too distant future.
DWINDLING OF HIS ESTATE
That view settled it. He would buy Ian,
there from the government and from tn
handful of unsuccessful pioneers who wer
, already convinced that the country coult
, never amount to anything. And he did
He acquired for a song an estate Of IA 90
acres. Most of that superb property tn
general lost in the mining holes Of Ne
vada. At present all that Is left of It 4
a ranch of HOO acres. But that much wa
sufficient to crafty his passion for farm
ing
BY degrees his house grew up to be a yer,
, large and pleasant abode. The mansion 1
not really a house, but a collection o
houses Of rude exterior, but comfortabl
enough within.
The general farmed wisely after the the
l ory of the Southern Californian. "Measur
3 the value Of your land" says Senator Jone
of Nevada to the settler in Southern Call
) fornia, "by what it will bring in wheat an
barley" All but 300 of the 100 acres ar
! sown in these cereals. The 300 acres bea
| deciduous and citrus fruits, eucalyptu
trees for fuel, potato field and q straw
berry bed.
Latest styles wall paper at A. A. Eek
strom's. 1924 South Spring street.