The sun., 1899-12-31
In THE LAND OF RAMONA.
THE CALIFORNIA INDIANS At THE
FIESTA or SIN LUIS hey
Surprise of a British Tourist at the Modern
Red Mnn-Two Lingering Views Of Helen
Hunt Jnckson-The Dancing. Gambling
and Horee Racing at the Fiesta.

| PASADENA, Cal. Dec. 23.-"Grcat Scott! arc
those Indiansy asked British tourist who was
following the throng down by Palomar Noun
tain TO the fiesta Of San Luis Rey.
Certainly. they're Indians" replied the driver,
| touching the leader with his whip You didn't
take them for white people, did youg'
| This is most extraordinary" continued the
tourist do you know, I came all the way from
the East to sec Indians and to have this served
up-why. It's perfect swlndc"
II was a como down. there was no denying
that Indians there vcrc by dozens, but they
were all travelling either in old bugEcs or big
Studcbaker wagons and 10 a man wore store
clothes and derby hats. The women were gartcd
, in calico dresses and LOST in impossiblc head
apparel evidently produced in the suburbs Of
Chicago for tina, especial trade They represented
the las, Of the Californian Indians and about
all tint remained Of ncIr former life the fact
that they were going down TO Pala 10 celebrate
the fiesta Of San Luis Rcy. which they had been
taught to do by the carly missionaries The
wagons were filled with household goods- beds.
blankets, even stoves, bales Of barley here and
there a baby. crates Of hens, and water melons
The Indians were out for their annual picnic,
They came from various places the edge Of
the desert: they came out Of canon bottoms the
little village Of Pachanga supplied few. and this
was the most Indian tho only picturesque SPOT
Of all Its huts made Of tulc. and looked
not unlike bcchlves pcFchcd OH the hillsides
There were few basket makers among tho poo
pie. and around the huts were stone implements
exactly like thosc used by the savagcs Of the
stone age. Everybody going 10 the hosIa
even the very old women, and dOo.s were tied UP
and valuablcs taken along
This part of southern California Is little known
as it is away from the run Of travel; yet it Is an
affF .sftxrA a,I G,4.
induccmeni TO the lover Of coaching. Leaving
Muretta tie road goes through little valleys
with the great Santa Rosa ranch high on the
mountains 10 the right, while on the left other
lofty mountains II is some years since Helen
Hunt travelled this way. yet her memory Is kept
green by two factions, one tina; scoEnci her and
her work. and the other that delighted in H. 1t
the correct thing TO ask all the residents II
they had known her
DO | know herr said rancncr. well, / should
say as much D'ye know where Sic dcscnb,s
that rdE up into Ventura " IL was my ranch
she started her daso from, only she didn't men.
uon my name. i he whole thing Is tissue Of
| lies from top 10 bottom; there Was 10 Ramona,
nothing in II but the idle thoughts of woman
! I've hired these Indians for years and kept them
alive, and I've had my eye out fGr possibc
f%fR2@s pr MlS astsln cE s sSi her
ma, AM; l drove her when she was here. Pears
he don like her because shc woulGn,t so Up there
You see she struck southern California right
in the boom and was writing 1t up and all these
people wanted mention some got It and somedldn't
and some didn like II When they did Ee,
mention Why. that woman caused more trouble
il southern California than any one clte lGg
see. Ramona is common name and all the reu-
pie who have II sly that shc named tie book alter
them and 10 the hight goes On. Now that trAncIicr
you speak oi his wife was calei Ramona end
he thinks Mrs. Helen Hunt took tie name without
asking She got into trouble ovet at another
ranch, She described tie Did man. who Was a
famous urhAer 50 WcIl that c''Tyo oody IetoSnIsci
him: but tie old man. they say, brought II On him!
SELF You sce. lust 10 put /! plain, Mrs Hunt
was crank on tie Indian question She was
everasiinsly talking about tile Indians aad their
rights, and that's the reason why she wrote the
book When she got to the ranch there were
four or hvc Indian hanger son about the place
and she took biz interest In them and wicn Il
came dinner tine she asked why they didn't
come q the table The old man replied that they
were servants and he did not permit II. but, tie
story goes, the lady insisted thet her dusky sister
should dine with her. and dine she did When
II came time 10 20 o. bed Mrs Hunt was taken TO
Il room in which Iere Was double bed and in
which was the dusky sister size had insisted on
i tS, VIZ, , ne r,y rSIS' f SSid % ne was snsry
was is not told hut this is the story related 10
toui!sis wiih peIhaps, some semblance oI trLth.
II is doubtful IL the author Of Ramona shared
the bea with the squaw; Sic probably drew the
line ,..cIe.'
canon, being 1t times nothing but a shelf from
which are seca the EoeAs Gnd rushing water oi a
moantIin stream below The cosch was skIt!ng
where 1t bowled along past The old mission o.
Pala and pulled UP IN iTpn; o. q low adobe store
"Aecommodations" Certainly Igive you tie
very bed ~ Sh.eh ti,e author ol Ramona slept.
TIC very bed" sid the landlord.
"LoO.. here. my friend" sIid a grul Chicagoaa
who lad h4d nothing 10 say thus ~ is that led
for sale: and when tie hotel man replied that It
was not, lie edced. Well. I'd like 10 buy II and
burn Itup For the last ioSty miles we've heard
nothing but Ramona: now give Us a rest viii
Its the Ramona bed or nothing retorted the
landlord, much amazed. and TO IL wGs and the
women o. tae party Grew lots ioE tie Ted while
M fh.4TN lie -
The fiesta seems 10 be an occasion devised
for the Indian TO srcnd al his money and Tor
presence q several Professional gamblers rom
Los Angeles who had variety Q! games cal
cula'ed u tale everything rom, picayune
and little. aad all KINDS OF devices rom tie seil
game down 10 PLAIN every day poker The McXi.
cans and Indians had been al wo.. ior several
days making ramada which is q roof OF dried
branches supported by saplngs | Inder this
p.e,areseus , affair was an oblong dancing plat.
benches, then a walk s!x !ect vice, and outside
Of this booths placed side by side all around tile
MexicanS and Americans who wished 10 make
an honest penny, one Vas butcher shop:
In the next Indian baskets were FOR sale and an
old woman sat on table Weaving one. In tie
adjoining booth "daso red OF c!arc,. and poor
whlSkcy were dispensed. then came a chile booth
blazing red, and SO On.
At night lamps were lighted Gad q guitar.
violin and liute constituting the band turned
w. and the rGmGia was soon crowded The
benches about the dancing platform were iilled
with girls III silii white ruh!ed skirts, while tic
young men suIroundcd tie booth where casc4.
Tones were sold. These looked like boiled eggs
o! tac Easter variety, hut they had hccn enIpteI
and filled with fine silver and gold tinscl. Quietly
approaching the girl he wished 10 dance with
tAe youne man would break tie egg on her black
hait, covering y WITH the cleaning spanslcs
with charming effect II the girl accepted which
she generally did-she turned and tho yuunl.
man Gawled over the benches and oncircllns
her IN close embrace began 10 move round and
round IN almost tine same spot. The Auleri.
cans who watched this Tor ANY length OF time
were apt 10 become dizzy at the sight bets
were freely offered that certain couples would
ia!l over but they Giu not, md they Kept up tho
remarkable whlriins until the music stJppod
from exhaustion. The young men then led
the girls on whOsc heads lae Cascar mes had
been broken 10 their seats and lett thum with
q solemn bow There WAS 40 going .OI iCos
no tanning, M coquclry mere. N.c girls were lei
II languiSh ana shit tor themselves while the
men all took q drink at "dag0 red" and ilocked
into the booths Of the gamblers. who reaped n
harvest The girls did not appcar IL speak 10
one anpthcr liaccd, tLcy raTcly MJvcd uEl!l
The drOnilg, wAecky music started again wien
more cascaroncs were brOkca, mosc dizzy gyT1t.
lnS was gone through. anu tLis was kept up until
o'clock in thc morning During the even.