Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-27

The last of the Castros is dead Old
Main Castro, the only remaining son of
the famous California Governor lies buried
in the potter's field He was killed by a
passing train, crushed. mangled, carried to
the morgue Nobody was left to bury him
except the impersonl public.
In the DAYS of his youth Main Castro had
ridden the fieetest horses, had danced at the
zayest fandaugos, had scattered silver to
the poor like crumbs to the birds, had dined
and wined the wealthiest and most elegant
Of Californias Spanish swelldom. The
Americans, the worthless coyotes, as he
always called them, had come long years
ago to his native state, and after that the
vast estates of the Castros had melted away
like dew, just as all the Spanish estates did.
Najin Castro died penniless and in rags.
Il was pathetic death and we have to
acknowledge It, even if he did call us hard
names-we, the enterprising Americans.
Gradually he had seen great wealth slip
through his hugers-the easy fingers of the
early-day Californian, fingers better fitted to
scatter than to grasp He began life as the
son of a wealthy man, with all the privi-
leges that 60 along with wealth and dis
tinctiOn; he spent his last years depending
upon the good nature of anybody who
happened to show it. When he was killed
his body lay for three days unidentified in
The morgue at Oakland and was finally laid
in the potter's field. After burial his cane
and clothing were identified by two Oakland
people, who recognized also the photograph
which the morgue officials had taken Of him.
Castro held greater stock of old Cali
fornia stories than any man hereabouts.
These stories we're seldom told, though, for
people laughed at them. They made fun
of him when he told of his exploits at bear
killing-he, a crippled old man, how could
he ever have roped bear2 And as for his
wealth and his fine friends--why he was a
penniess old man with barely clothes
enough to keep him warm; what could he
ever have known of fashionable life2
So Majin Castro kept still. He did not
want to be laughed at When he went to a
bar he did not tell stories over it. He had
long ago learned his lesson; that these
stories passed as joke to his hearers, and
that they thought of him only as a beggared
old cripple. He kept silent except to a
few, very few who sympsthized, and it
was only when in his cups that even these
could induce him to talk about the past
with perfect freedom.
For he drank speudidly; he drank like a
true old don. And he smoked, too, like one
Of the elect. He rolled his cigarettes even
at the end, when his hands had begun to
tremble; he rolled them only Spaniard
can do.
AS long as have my black coffee and
my cigarettes can live, % lie always said.
But he was wrong Neither his cigarettes
nor his black coffee had failed him when he
died.
1t was neither of these, though, that led
him to tell one of his friends the story of
the robber bear 1t was the wine that is
red-the wine that drew stories out of him
and made don of him once more.
1T happened in the camp on my fathers
land" he said The old estate of my
family was the great stretch of land that
covers the part of Cont ira Costa County
10000 acres of the choicest land in the
whole state Of California, granted to my
father by the Mexican government. 1t was
the Sobrante, or the Left over ranch, be-
ing composed of the land left after the
other great grants we're made; but it was
left over only in form. 1t was the choicest
of them all
My father owned great herds of cattle,
and the Indian vaqueros who herded them
lived in camp, which they would pitch in
some remote part of the land. used to go
out and herd with them when / was a boy
for the fun of the thing.
Il liked to live ia the rough camp that
the Indians did. thought it manly. SO
was very proud to lie on the bare ground
One night I lay down in this way, with a
sack of icrked meat under my head for a
pillow.
In the night / awoke. I felt that some.
thing or some one was near me- | turned
over to look, aud there, near by me, stood
great bear.
The woods and canyons around there
were full of them, but was not accustomed
TO their walking sociably into camp in the
middle of the night. I was surprised.
could think Of only one thing to do that was
70 turn over aud keep still why the bear did
whatever Il might please him to do. was
Nnarmed, you see.
Therefore, l turned over aud lay still
The bear advanced and came close. | did
not know what he could want Of me, but he
seemed TO be headed my way.
II had turned with my back toward him
could hear him stealing closer aud closer,
and at last could feel him shifting about
my head. He came so close that / thought
he was considering what kind of a meal /
should make.
II felt him nOsing my pillow. Then a
tug-then a larger one, and he had pulled
my pillow of ierked meat out from under
my head and was making off with his prize
He took 1t to a comfortable spot by our FIRE
and sat down to eat the meat.
Zone Of the Indians was reused by this
time. He looked aud saw the bear Miser-
able, worthless unkind BEAST" he cried.
You shall be punished for your theft"
ThereupOn he seized long pole which lay
near him. The farther end Of it was in the
IRE and was burning. It made a torch when
he lifted 1t.
The Indian stealthily and surely reached
cut and poked the bear in the ribs with the
burning stick. The beast was so absorbed
m his delicious meal that he did not know
what had happened until he felt himself
very warm.
Now, he had been out killing and eating
cattle all day, as is the way with bears when
they have a chance, and his fur was full Of
grease Of his many feasts, and when the
pole touched him It worked like a match
His hair ignited as Il il had been dipped in
oil. He Jumped away from the ERE with