The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-01


With Constant Care and Calls 1t
Her Only Sweetheart.
MONTEREY, Cal, April 25-This his
tcric old town of Monterey. which, in the
early days was the Spanish capital of the
Province of Alta California, has, besides
its beauties Of scenery, perfection of eli
mate and general pleasures, a seaside re-
sort. many points of interest to visitors.
The adobe houses, long, low and ram
bling, with their overhanging roofs of red
tiles, and with roses and vines Chamber
Z ing over them are picturesque and inter
esting because of their quaintness and
| age. Some of them, too attract espe-
cial attention on account of the Illus
trious personages who formerly inhabited
them, or Of the notable events which hap
pened within their walls. The old Gus
tom house. built in three sections by the
three government that succeeded each
| other in California-Spain, Mexico and
the United States-on which the first
American flag that foated in Alta Cali
fornia was hoisted by Commodore Sloat
in July, 1886; Cotton hail. the seat of al
| calde government and the house in
which the constitution was framed when
| the new territory was admitted to state
hood Qt being chosen as a meeting place
for the delegates to the constitutional
convention because at that time, 1t was
the only plastered house in California;;
the old mission church of San Carlos
rounded In ITO by the Jealous and de-
| voted Padre Junipero Sierra, and built
! by the Indian neophytes; all bring forci-
| bly, to mind the stirring times before
The days of old,
The days of gold,
| The days of 49,
Then there are the remains of the first
bullock cart made by the Mission In
dams, the cannon brought from Spain.
| which, muzzles down, now do duty az
hitchfng posts at the street corners: the
anchor from the ship that conveyed Ma
poleon to Elba, which is used in the
same manner as the cannon; the priestIv
| vestments, altar furniture and pictures,
and other ecclesiastical relics to be won
| dered at and admired; but above and
| beyond all these are the people who still
remain, the few who form all that is
left OF the old regime and seem out of
ENTHUSIASTICALLY so, perhaps-in the
midst of the American town that is
! springing up in the spot where Of old
| alcadean rule was supreme.
OF these people there Is none so eagerly
| sought for by tourists as little Senorita
| Bonifacio, and the first question every
| one asks on coming to Monterey is,
| Where does Sherman's sweetheart live
! and where Is the rose bush he planted
for her?' And each is directed to a big
| white adobe house in the midst of lux
| uriantly blooming garden and surrounded
| by high, tile-topped adobe wall, and
passing through the lattice gate, along
| trim walk and under the very rose tree
! each wishes so much to see, one may find
a small, dark-eyed, middle-aged woman
| at work among the flowers, or seated in
one of the deep windows bending over
some delicate specimen OF Spanish drawn
| work. She will greet her visitors kindly
| in soft, beautiful Spanish, for she spec ks
no English, will point out the rose tree,
exhibit her drawn-work that looks al
most like cobwebs, so fine it is, and if
she especially fancies their appearance,
will let them see the old house and its
| quaint furnishings. This, however Is so
| rare as to be notable when 1t occurs for
4 she Is constantly beseiged with curious
| and sometimes not too polite sightseers.
/ After Fremont had crossed the >conti-
7 nent and gained his famous .sobriquet of
| Pathfinder" after Sloat had taken form
I al possession of California IN the name of
the United States, and all this vast terri
| tory had, by the terms Of the treaty with
| Mexico. become part of our great re-
| public, Monterey remained the seat of the
new government; and, being the chief
! town and also the principal strategic
| point garrison Of considerable strength
was maintained in the town. Among the
| officers of this garrison was the young
subaltern, William Tecumseh Sherman.
Though a mere lieutenant in those days,
he had on several occasions given evil
| dence of right soIderly courage and
hot f0y,
| Of his military career, and, being a IA
| Vorite with his comrades among the Off
| GERS, he became also the friend of the men
! Of Monterey and beau par excellence of
| all their pretty dark-eyed daughters and
| sisters.
There was no young girl so beautiful
| or charming as Senorita Maria Ignacia
! Benifacio, and to the witcheries Of her
sparkling black eyes the American lieu
| tenant fell a willing victim. Senorita
| Bonifacio was also attracted, but the at
| traction on her side quickly deepened in
| TO something more, the sequel shows.
| The balmy, flower-scented days sped all
| too quickly for their love-making, and
| soon there came one upon which Lieut..
| Sherman was ordered away. The night
| before his departure he paid farewell
| visit to his little Spanish sweetheart, and
as they walked together in the moonlit
| garden he took the roSe-a glorious bloom
|
! ging a little place beside the path with
the point of his sword. planted it.
Before that shall grow and bloom
again." he said. 81 will return for my
beautiful BRIDE"
The rose grew and blossomed, and the
| maiden watched with wistful eyes and
! longing heart for the return OF her alb
| sent lover. And he, out in the noise and
| turmoil of the world, perhaps remem-
| bered 1t only as a pleasant episode. The
years passed and the rose bush grew into
| tree, and occasionally would come into
/ the quiet life of Senorita Bonifaclo an
echo of the ren6wn her old-time sweet
| heart had achieved. And still she kept
| faith. Then came the news of his death
and her dream was shattered
She tends the rose tree with constant
care and calls 1t her only sweetheart, and
| never a day passes that she does not wear
| or have close beside her in a v5se one Of
! the glorious golden flowers.
| Senorita Bonifacio is we'll past sixty
| years OF age, but with her abundant
| black hair unstreaked with gray and her
| smooth, clear skin and sparkling eye. Gle
| would not believe her over forty. She Is
| small and slight and dresses always in
| neatest black, never affecting the gay
/ colors so popular with the Spanish race.
| She never speaks English, for she has
! never learned it. Among her friends
| tnere are none WHO 40 not KNOW the
| Spanish language. and for the rest of the
1 world she cares not a farthing. The last
1 of her family, she lives alone and earns
| her daily bread by fashioning the dainty
drawn work, for her fortune has flown,
| as has that of so many of the old Span
| isn-Californians. Were it not for the con-
slant rush of strangers into her quiet
| home there would be only the daily going
| to mass in the mission church and the oc
| casional visit of q friend to break the
| monotony of her life. La Tulita' she